Anybody in the market for a new light piston twin won’t have to spend much time creating a list of potential airplanes to buy. As long as we can agree that the French single-seater Cri Cri and the open cockpit AirCam don’t quite cut it as viable options in the quest for a do-it-all twin, there is just a handful of airplanes up for consideration. If your criteria includes bringing along more than three passengers, the list is suddenly winnowed to only two choices. And if you have less than $1 million to spend, you have no choice — you’re buying a Piper Seneca V or nothing at all.
That’s a sad commentary on the current state of the light piston twin market, but it’s not a knock on the Piper Seneca. Just the opposite, the Piper PA-34 is a classic that’s still relevant today — perhaps more relevant than ever in a market offering just two six-seat general aviation piston twins, namely the Seneca V and the pricier Beech Baron G58. The Seneca has often been thought of as an also-ran to the Baron, known for its crisp handling and vaultlike build quality. But when you compare them side by side, there’s an argument to be made that the Piper Seneca is the smarter choice. It actually has a more comfortable cabin than the Baron, cruises nearly as fast, can carry almost as much, burns less fuel, costs less to maintain and sells for about $300,000 less than the sticker price of a comparable G58.
