Piper Cherokee vs Piper Comanche
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee and PA-24 Comanche share a manufacturer and little else. The Cherokee is Piper's everyman — the rugged, slab-wing fixed-gear family that democratized flying in the 1960s by being easier to build, easier to fly, and easier to maintain than anything before it. The Comanche is Piper's connoisseur's aircraft — the laminar-flow-winged retractable that Piper engineers built for performance first, with handling qualities that pilots who have flown one still remember decades later. Today's cross-shop is a values question: utility and accessibility versus aerodynamic artistry and efficiency.
Live Market Snapshot
Current asking-price market, aggregated across multiple marketplaces · refreshed daily
- For sale now
- 602
- Median asking
- $116,400
- Range
- $59,948–$277,250
- Listed on 2+ marketplaces
- 164
- Source marketplaces
- 23
- Model years available
- 1961–2026
- For sale now
- 57
- Median asking
- $115,000
- Range
- $71,900–$174,495
- Listed on 2+ marketplaces
- 18
- Source marketplaces
- 8
- Model years available
- 1958–1992
Live data from AeroGurus, aggregated daily across the used-aircraft market. Figures are current asking prices, not appraisals — confirm with a pre-buy inspection.
Safety Record
Absolute counts scale with fleet size — the most-produced types log more events without being less safe. Compare the % fatal.
| NTSB (1982–now) | Piper Cherokee | Piper Comanche |
|---|---|---|
| All events | 1 | — |
| Serious | 0 | — |
| Fatal | 0 | — |
| Fatalities | 0 | — |
| % Fatal | 0% | — |
Full Specs Comparison
| Spec / Model | Piper Cherokee | Piper Comanche |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Price Range | $59,948 – $277,250 | $71,900 – $174,495 |
| Category | Single Engine Piston | Single Engine Piston |
| Model Specifications | ||
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Horsepower | 150 HP | 250 HP |
| Cruise Speed | 117 kts (217 km/h) | 157 kts (291 km/h) |
| Range | 525 nm (972 km) | 956 nm (1,771 km) |
| Service Ceiling | 14,300 ft (4,359 m) | 20,000 ft (6,096 m) |
| Max Gross Weight | 2,150 lbs (975 kg) | 2,900 lbs (1,315 kg) |
| Useful Load | 850 lbs (386 kg) | 1,200 lbs (544 kg) |
| Fuel Capacity | 50.0 gal (189 L) | — |
| Fuel Burn | 8.0 GPH (30 L/h) | 14.0 GPH (53 L/h) |
| TBO | 2,000 hrs | — |
| Overhaul Cost | $28,000 | — |
| Annual Fixed | $16,000 | — |
| Hourly Variable | $120 | — |
| Engines | 1 x Piston | 1 x Piston |
Cost of Ownership
EstimatePiper Cherokee
Piper Comanche
Which Should You Buy: Piper Cherokee or Piper Comanche?
Bottom line: Choose the Cherokee for straightforward utility — fixed gear, lower operating cost, and a parts-and-maintenance ecosystem so active that annuals on a Cherokee are routine rather than an event. The Cherokee's Hershey-bar wing is slower but more forgiving in slow flight, and the absence of retractable gear removes a failure mode entirely. Choose the Comanche for a pilot who genuinely cares about aerodynamic performance — the Comanche's laminar-flow wing extracts every knot from every gallon, and the handling reward for a pilot who has flown fixed-gear Cherokees is immediate. The Comanche demands more discipline in currency because it is a more precise aircraft. Safety axis: the Cherokee's fixed-gear configuration is legitimately safer for pilots who fly infrequently — no gear-up risk, no gear-extension checklist, no hydraulic system to verify. The Comanche's retractable gear adds a task that rewards current pilots and catches infrequent ones.
Pick the Cherokee if…
- Budget matters — from $59,948 vs $71,900, you save ~$11,952.
Pick the Comanche if…
- Faster cruise — 157 kts vs 117 kts.
- Longer range — 956 nm vs 525 nm.
- More inventory — 65 listings vs 27.
Auto-generated from current market data and published specs. Confirm with a pre-buy inspection and professional appraisal.