If you've spent more than five minutes shopping for a used GA aircraft, you've had this debate. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk and the 182 Skylane are the two most-sold light aircraft in history. They're made by the same manufacturer, share the same lineage, and sit on every flight school ramp in America. So which one should you actually buy?
The honest answer: it depends entirely on what you want to do with it. But the data tells a clear story about what each aircraft costs, who's buying them, and whether the 182's premium is justified. We've looked at more than 10,000 real transactions across both models — here's what we found.
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## The Basics: What You're Comparing
Both are high-wing, four-seat, fixed-gear singles. Both have been in continuous production for decades, with a gap from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s when Cessna exited the piston market. Both have enormous fleets, strong parts support, and type-club communities.
The differences are meaningful:
| | Cessna 172 Skyhawk | Cessna 182 Skylane |
|---|---|---|
| **Engine** | 160hp Lycoming (O-320 / IO-360) | 230hp Continental O-470 or Lycoming IO-540 |
| **Cruise speed** | ~120kt | ~138–145kt |
| **Fuel burn** | 6–8 gph | 12–14 gph |
| **Useful load** | ~800–950 lbs | ~1,100–1,200 lbs |
| **Max gross** | 2,300–2,550 lbs | 2,950 lbs |
| **Range** | ~700–800nm | ~900–1,000nm |
| **New price (2025)** | ~$480k+ | ~$830k+ |
The 182 is a meaningfully bigger aircraft. More power, more payload, more speed. It'll carry four adults and luggage in a way the 172 often can't. But it also burns nearly twice the fuel and costs substantially more to buy.
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## What the Market Actually Says About Prices
Our database tracks completed sales across both models. The overall averages are: **$117,674 for the 172** and **$229,670 for the 182** — but those figures are dominated by older aircraft. The real picture by era is more useful.
**Completed sales since 2023, by production era:**
| Era | 172 Avg Price | 182 Avg Price | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956–1969 | $91,073 | $141,461 | +$50k |
| 1970s | $140,722 | $207,572 | +$67k |
| 1980–1986 | $159,502 | $215,197 | +$56k |
| 1996–2007 (reboot) | $260,535 | $355,851 | +$95k |
| 2012–present | $480,375 | $712,029 | +$232k |
The 182 premium is remarkably consistent in the vintage market — roughly **$50k–$70k more** than a comparable-era 172. That gap explodes in modern aircraft: you're paying a $230k premium for a new-ish 182T over a new-ish 172SP.
**For most buyers, the sweet spot is the 1970s market.** A solid 172 from that decade averages $141k. A 182 of the same vintage runs $208k. You're deciding whether the 182's capabilities are worth an extra $67,000.
**→ [Browse Cessna 172s for sale on Sprinkle](https://sprinkle.com/aircraft/for-sale?mid=3850&model=172-skyhawk)**
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## What You Get in Each Price Band
Based on actual completed transactions:
**Cessna 172 — recent sales breakdown:**
- Under $80k (422 sales, avg $65,684): vintage 1956–1980 aircraft, high time, often basic avionics
- $80k–$130k (767 sales, avg $107,190): strong-value 1960s–1990s aircraft, the heart of the market
- $130k–$200k (633 sales, avg $158,028): mid-vintage with panel upgrades or lower time
- $200k–$300k (205 sales, avg $246,444): well-equipped 1990s–2000s aircraft
- Over $300k (80 sales, avg $393,086): modern 172SP/172S, glass panel, near-new condition
**Cessna 182 — recent sales breakdown:**
- Under $130k (482 sales, avg $106,038): vintage 1956–early 2000s aircraft, often higher time
- $130k–$200k (994 sales, avg $166,749): the biggest 182 market — 1960s–1980s working aircraft
- $200k–$300k (599 sales, avg $245,923): quality mid-vintage with upgrades
- $300k–$400k (492 sales, avg $351,848): 1990s–2007 reboot aircraft
- Over $400k (396 sales, avg $589,799): modern 182T, glass panel
The 182 market is notably deeper at the upper end: 492 sales above $300k versus just 80 for the 172. That's buyers paying for capability, not just prestige.
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## Liquidity: Which Sells Faster?
This one surprised us. Based on our transaction data:
- **172 average days to sell: 607 days**
- **182 average days to sell: 878 days**
The 172 moves significantly faster. This makes intuitive sense — there are more buyers (flight schools, student pilots, clubs, low-time pilots building hours), and the lower price point opens the market wider. When you need to sell a 172, you'll find a buyer faster than you will for a 182.
Current active listings back this up: **165 active 172 listings** and **257 active 182 listings** on Sprinkle right now. More 182s sitting on the market at any given moment.
For investment protection, the 172 wins on liquidity. The 182's niche is smaller.
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## The Case for the 172
Buy the 172 if any of these apply:
**You're building hours.** The 172 is the world's most-produced aircraft and, by a wide margin, the most common aircraft in flight training. Annuals are straightforward ($800–$1,500 for a clean aircraft), parts are cheap and plentiful, and nearly every instructor and shop knows the type. The 6–7gph fuel bill is forgiving during the 200+ hours it takes to build a meaningful logbook.
**You're flying solo or with one passenger most of the time.** The 172's useful load limitation isn't a real constraint when you're flying light. Two adults, a bag, and half tanks? No problem.
**Your trips are under 300nm.** The 172's range is genuinely fine for most personal flying. The 182's extra speed saves roughly 15 minutes per 100nm — meaningful on a 600nm trip, barely noticeable on a 150nm hop.
**Budget matters — for purchase and operation.** At half the fuel burn, the 172 is considerably cheaper to run. That difference compounds quickly. Over 100 hours per year at $6.50/gallon, a 182 costs roughly $3,900 more annually just in avgas versus a 172.
**→ [See Cessna 172 prices at a glance](https://sprinkle.com/aircraft/price-guide/cessna-172)**
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## The Case for the 182
Buy the 182 if any of these apply:
**You regularly fly four people with luggage.** This is the 182's definitive use case. Load four adults and weekend bags into a 172 and you're immediately weight-constrained. The 182's ~1,100–1,200 lb useful load handles real-world families without the fuel-versus-bags calculation. This alone is why so many flying families step up to a Skylane.
**You fly mountain routes or high-density-altitude airports regularly.** The 230hp Continental (or 235hp IO-540 in the T182T) provides materially better performance in high-DA conditions. If you're based above 4,000 feet or regularly transiting the Rockies, the 172's 160hp can feel marginal on hot summer days. The 182 gives you real margin.
**Cross-country flying is your primary mission.** On a 500nm trip, you arrive 45–50 minutes earlier in a 182. Do that twice a month and the time savings are material. The 182 is a touring aircraft; the 172 is a local flier that can tour.
**You want to grow into IFR.** If you're planning to add an instrument rating and start flying serious IFR cross-countries, the 182's extra performance and payload give you a more capable and comfortable platform for real IMC operations.
**→ [Browse Cessna 182 Skylanes for sale on Sprinkle](https://sprinkle.com/aircraft/for-sale?mid=2349&model=182-skylane)**
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## The Operating Cost Reality
The purchase price gap gets wider when you factor in ongoing operations:
**Fuel:** At 100 hours per year, a 182 at 13gph burns roughly 600 gallons more than a 172. At $6.50/gallon, that's a $3,900 annual gap — just in avgas.
**Engine reserves:** The 182's Continental O-470 or Lycoming IO-540 costs more to overhaul. Budget $15,000–$22,000 in reserves for a 182 engine versus $12,000–$16,000 for a 172 O-320. That's an additional $500–$1,000/year in reserve contributions depending on time remaining.
**Insurance:** Hull coverage scales with aircraft value. Expect $2,000–$3,500/year for a typical 172 versus $3,000–$5,500 for a 182, depending on experience, coverage levels, and agreed value.
**Total operating cost premium: roughly $5,000–$8,000/year for the 182.** That is real money over a 10-year ownership horizon.
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## The Verdict
The **172 wins** on: entry cost, operating economics, training utility, liquidity, simplicity, and ease of ownership.
The **182 wins** on: payload, high-DA performance, cruise speed, and suitability for a flying family.
**Buy the 172 if:** you're building hours, flying light, prioritising economics, or this is your first aircraft. The 172 is one of the best-value aircraft in general aviation — proven, liquid, and forgiving.
**Buy the 182 if:** you have a specific mission where its capabilities are regularly tested — family flying, mountain states, long cross-countries. The 182 is a serious touring aircraft, and if you use what it offers, the premium is completely justified.
The worst outcome is buying a 182 because it's "the better aircraft" and then flying it solo on 45-minute local flights — running a 13gph engine to move 170 lbs of pilot, paying $85/hour in fuel to do what a 172 would do for $46/hour.
There are **165 active 172 listings** and **257 active 182 listings** on Sprinkle right now. Whichever direction you go, the market has you covered.