The Cessna 177 Cardinal has one of the stranger origin stories in general aviation. Cessna built it to replace the 172 Skyhawk. It didn't. The 172 is still in production. The Cardinal was discontinued in 1978.

And yet: Cardinal owners are among the most loyal in GA. They form clubs, hold fly-ins, and regularly turn down 172s priced at half what they paid for their Cardinal. That alone tells you something.

For buyers willing to look past the ubiquitous Skyhawk, the Cardinal offers genuine advantages — a cantilever wing with no struts blocking the view, enormous doors, a wide cabin, and performance that the early models frankly didn't live up to but the later ones do. It also comes with one significant caveat that every buyer in 2026 absolutely must understand before signing a purchase agreement.

Here's what 580 sales on Sprinkle tell us about the Cardinal market today.

The Cardinal Variants: A Quick Guide

The Cardinal ran from 1968 to 1978 in four main configurations. They are not all equal.

Cessna 177 (1968–1969): The Problem Child

The original 177 launched with a 150hp Lycoming O-320 and immediately earned criticism for its climb performance and disconcertingly light pitch forces. The cantilevered wing — beautiful from the ramp — had less washout than Cessna planned, which made the stall characteristics feel different to pilots conditioned on the 172. It was not dangerous, but it was unfamiliar, and it spooked buyers.

Our data shows 83 original 177s sold in 2024 with a median price of $107,000 and an average of $120,333. Range was wide: $29,500 at the bottom (likely a project or estate sale) to $199,000 for a very clean, upgraded example.

These are fine aircraft in 2026 if you know what you're getting. Many have been re-engined or upgraded. But they require more scrutiny on the pre-buy than later models.

Cessna 177A (1969–1970): The Bridge

Cessna acknowledged the complaints and made revisions. The 177A switched to a 180hp Lycoming O-360, improved the elevator control feel, and added a number of refinements. It's rarer on the market — only 11 sold in our 2024 data — with a median price of $129,000 and a range of $115,000–$156,000.

Cessna 177B (1971–1978): The One to Buy

The 177B is the Cardinal most buyers should target. Cessna redesigned the horizontal stabiliser with more pronounced incidence, resolving the light-pitch-force complaints definitively. The 180hp O-360 remained, structural revisions were made to the wing attachment, and the aircraft finally became the capable cross-country machine it was always supposed to be.

With 128 sales in our 2024 data — the most of any Cardinal variant — the 177B shows a median price of $129,900 and average of $135,186. Well-maintained examples with modern avionics regularly trade between $140,000 and $190,000. The low end ($55,000) typically reflects high airframe time or deferred maintenance.

→ Browse Cessna 177B Cardinals currently for sale on Sprinkle

Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG (1971–1978): The Complex Option

The Cardinal RG added retractable gear and a 200hp fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D. Cruise speed climbs to around 148 knots — a meaningful jump over the fixed-gear's 122 knots — and useful load improves. The trade-off is complexity: a gear system that requires inspection and maintenance, fuel injection that demands proper leaning technique, and a higher pre-buy bar.

Our data on Cardinal RG variants shows a median price of around $142,000–$144,000, with the range running from $49,500 (distressed sale or early RG in rough shape) to $239,000 for the cleanest turbocharged examples. The Turbo Cardinal RG — rare, with a turbocharged engine — commands a significant premium at $212,000–$239,000.

→ See Cardinal RG listings on Sprinkle

What the Market Looks Like Right Now

Cardinals are active on the market. We currently have 20 Cardinals for sale across all variants, spanning the US, Canada and Europe. Fixed-gear models are asking $88,000–$140,000 USD, and RG variants are clustered between $109,000 and $199,000 USD.

That's a meaningful spread. What drives it? In our experience across hundreds of sales:

Avionics are the biggest premium driver — a GFC 500 autopilot, G5s, or GTN 650 can add $20,000–$40,000 to asking price on a well-maintained airframe.
Engine time matters more on Cardinals than on some types because the Lycoming O-360 overhaul isn't cheap — budget $25,000–$35,000.
177B commands a premium over the original 177 at comparable airframe time — buyers have learned to prefer the later model.
RG gear condition and history adds significant variability to RG pricing.

→ Full Cessna 177 Cardinal price guide on Sprinkle

What Makes the Cardinal Worth It

The Cardinal has three genuine advantages over the 172 that hold up in 2026.

Visibility. The cantilever wing eliminates the forward strut that interrupts sightlines on the 172. Combined with the large window area, cockpit visibility is genuinely excellent — front-seat occupants can look straight down at terrain below, which matters for mountain flying, VFR approaches, and aerial photography.

Doors. The wide-opening doors on all models make entry and exit genuinely easy. This is not a trivial consideration if you regularly fly passengers, carry equipment, or are getting older. The 172's doors work. The Cardinal's doors work better.

Cabin width. The 177 was built on a slightly wider fuselage than the 172. Not dramatically so, but shoulder room is noticeably better side-by-side, especially on longer flights. Four adults fit in a 177B in a way that the equivalent 172 doesn't quite manage.

The Wing Spar AD: The Most Important Thing in Any Cardinal Pre-Buy

In February 2023, the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive 2023-02-17 requiring inspection of the carry-through wing spar in all Cessna 177 series aircraft. This is not a routine AD.

Out of 211 inspection reports received by the FAA at the time of issuance, 120 — more than half — showed corrosion. At least 14 spars were removed from service entirely due to corrosion or cracking severe enough to compromise airworthiness.

The root cause was hygroscopic (moisture-attracting) adhesive used to attach upholstery padding to the carry-through spar lower cap. The glue trapped moisture against the spar over decades, causing corrosion that, in the worst cases, could lead to fatigue cracking and loss of structural integrity.

What this means for buyers:

Before any purchase, confirm the AD has been complied with. Ask for the logbook entry documenting the inspection and any corrective action. It should be there.
If compliance hasn't been accomplished, the inspection — and any required repairs — must be done before the aircraft can legally fly. Factor this into your offer. Inspection and rework can be significant depending on what the inspector finds.
Cardinals where the spar was found clean with the required protective coating applied, or where the spar was replaced, are fine. The AD has a documented compliance path. But buying a Cardinal without confirming AD status is a material risk.
Verify compliance for the specific serial number, not just the model — different inspection intervals may apply based on findings.

The Cessna Flyer Association at cessnaflyer.org maintains detailed resources on this AD and is a good first stop for both buyers and owners researching compliance requirements.

Other Pre-Buy Considerations

Gear system (RG only). The Cardinal RG gear is electrically actuated with a manual backup. It's reliable when maintained, but it needs regular rigging, inspection, and attention to gear door seals. On any RG pre-buy, have the gear system independently inspected. Look at the actuator, up-locks, and the manual extension mechanism — and confirm the emergency extension has been demonstrated recently.

Fuel injection (RG only). The IO-360 is a good engine, but fuel injection adds a layer of management compared to the carburetted O-360 in fixed-gear models. Cold starts require technique. Hot starts require patience. Vapour lock on hot days is a real phenomenon. Buyers coming from carburetted aircraft should fly with an experienced IO-360 pilot before committing.

Control forces. If you're test-flying an early 177 (pre-177B), the light pitch forces feel different. This is normal for the type. If you're flying a 177B and the pitch feel seems unusually light or erratic, that warrants investigation.

General corrosion. As with any aircraft from the 1960s and 1970s, a comprehensive corrosion inspection matters. The spar AD addressed one specific location — a thorough pre-buy should survey the whole airframe, especially on aircraft stored outdoors in humid climates.

Avionics currency. Many Cardinals still have steam gauges. Plenty of buyers prefer this; plenty don't. The cost to install a modern glass panel in a Cardinal is no different than in a 172 or Arrow — budget $15,000–$40,000 depending on scope if the aircraft you're considering needs modernising.

Fixed Gear or RG?

The honest answer depends on the mission.

If the Cardinal is your primary cross-country machine and you want to cover serious distances efficiently, the RG makes a compelling case: 148 knots cruise, 200hp, better climb. The complexity premium — roughly $30,000–$40,000 more than a comparable 177B in purchase price, plus higher annual maintenance — is real but manageable for a frequently flown aircraft.

If you want a comfortable, characterful touring aircraft for weekend flying and shorter trips, the 177B fixed-gear is arguably better: simpler, cheaper to maintain, easier to fly, and still a genuinely pleasant machine. The extra 25 knots from the RG matters less if you're flying 150–200nm legs.

Both are good aircraft. Neither is a compromise.

Who the Cardinal Is For

The Cardinal buyer is usually someone who's flown a 172, knows they want something with more character and cabin space, but isn't ready — or doesn't want — the full complexity of a retractable or the price of a new-production Skyhawk. They appreciate the distinctive design. They like that not every aircraft at the fly-in looks the same.

They also do their homework. The Cardinal rewards informed buyers. It punishes buyers who treat it like a commodity 172 and skip the pre-buy inspection.

If that describes you, the Cardinal is a genuinely excellent aircraft at a price that, by 2026 GA standards, represents solid value — particularly the 177B, where the median sale price of $129,900 buys you a wide-cabin, capable cross-country aircraft with no wing struts in the way.

→ View all Cessna 177 Cardinals for sale on Sprinkle