Facts
Best Midsize Jets: 5 Aircraft Ranked for Real Buyers
The best midsize jets ranked on range, cabin, and price
For most buyers, the Cessna Citation Latitude is the best all-around midsize jet. According to Textron Aviation’s delivery figures, it’s also the best-selling aircraft in its class, and it offers the tallest stand-up cabin available in a midsize jet. But priorities matter. If range, cabin volume, seat count, or entry price tops the list, each of the other four aircraft has a clear advantage the Latitude can’t match.
How We Ranked These Five
Midsize buyers are usually stepping up from a light jet because a trip stopped fitting, either on range or on cabin comfort, or they are stepping down from a super-midsize aircraft to save money on trips that do not need the extra size. We ranked these five on the combination of range, cabin volume, seating, fleet depth, and price that decides that shopping question, not on any single spec in isolation.
The Best Midsize Jets, Ranked
| Rank | Aircraft | Range | Max cruise | Cabin (H x W x L) | New price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cessna Citation Latitude | 2,700 nm | 446 kt | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 5 in x 21 ft 9 in | Not published |
| 2 | Embraer Praetor 500 | 3,340 nm | 466 kt | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 10 in x 24 ft 0 in | ~$18.4M |
| 3 | Embraer Legacy 450 | 2,904 nm | 462 kt | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 9 in x 24 ft 0 in | ~$15.25M |
| 4 | Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 | 2,100 nm | 441 kt | Not published | ~$14M to $15.5M |
| 5 | Hawker 800XP | 2,540 nm | ~447 kt | ~5 ft 9 in x 6 ft 0 in x 21 ft 0 in | No new price (out of production) |
1. Cessna Citation Latitude
Textron Aviation calls the Citation Latitude its best-selling midsize business jet in its own press releases, and the numbers back the claim: more than 250 delivered since 2015, logging over 450,000 flight hours across more than 40 countries. Its oval fuselage gives it 6 feet of stand-up cabin height, the tallest in the midsize class, plus windows 25 percent larger than the Citations it replaced.
Range covers 2,700 nautical miles at 446 knots maximum cruise, enough for a nonstop coast-to-coast US trip with a light load. The cabin holds up to 9 passengers across 6 feet 5 inches of width and nearly 22 feet of length. Textron does not publish a list price, but a fleet this large means broker availability and parts support are rarely a problem.
2. Embraer Praetor 500
The Embraer Praetor 500 flies farther than every other aircraft on this list by a wide margin, at 3,340 nautical miles, enough for a genuine corner-to-corner US trip like Miami to Seattle nonstop. Embraer markets it as the fastest and furthest-flying jet in the midsize category, and the range figure supports that.
A 466-knot maximum cruise speed and a 24-foot flat-floor cabin round out the case, at a factory list price of roughly $18.4 million. Embraer announced an updated Praetor 500E in 2026 with a new cabin management system and a 42-inch Smart Window display, though performance stays the same and deliveries are not expected until 2029. Choose the Praetor 500 today over the current-production 500E if you need the aircraft sooner than that delivery window allows.
3. Embraer Legacy 450
The Legacy 450 was the first jet in the midsize category with a genuinely flat, stand-up cabin floor, at 6 feet high, 6 feet 9 inches wide, and 24 feet long for 984 cubic feet of interior volume, close to the largest cabin on this list. Embraer built it as the smaller sibling to the super-midsize Legacy 500 before replacing both aircraft with the Praetor line.
Range sits at 2,904 nautical miles and maximum cruise at 462 knots, both between the Latitude and the Praetor 500. At a list price of roughly $15.25 million when Embraer was still building it, the Legacy 450 undercuts a new Praetor 500 by about $3 million for nearly the same cabin. Every Legacy 450 sold today is pre-owned, since Embraer moved production to the Praetor 500 in 2019.
4. Cessna Citation XLS Gen2
The Citation XLS Gen2 seats more passengers than any other aircraft on this list, up to 12, in a cabin Textron Aviation built around payload and short-field performance rather than outright cabin height. It takes off in as little as 3,600 feet, which opens smaller regional airports the Latitude and the two Embraers cannot always use.
That practicality trades off against range and speed. At 2,100 nautical miles and 441 knots maximum cruise, the XLS Gen2 covers the shortest distance of the four current-production aircraft here. Market reporting puts a new XLS Gen2 at roughly $14 million to $15.5 million, the widest reported spread on this list, so get a firm quote before comparing it against the others on price.
5. Hawker 800XP
The Hawker 800XP is the value pick of the midsize class, delivering a stand-up cabin and 2,540 nautical miles of range at charter rates close to a light jet’s, roughly $3,300 to $3,900 per flight hour. Beechcraft built it from 1995 to about 2006, and it remains one of the most commonly chartered midsize types in North America two decades later.
There is no new price, since the type has been out of production for two decades and Textron Aviation absorbed Beechcraft’s jet-support operations in 2014. Pre-owned values vary enormously depending on engine program enrollment rather than airframe age, so the cheapest listing is often the most expensive airplane once an overdue engine overhaul is priced in. Buy or charter a Hawker 800XP for the cabin-per-dollar trade, not for range or the newest technology.
Who This Is Not For
None of these five aircraft fit a buyer whose routine trips carry 10 or more passengers or need to cross an ocean nonstop. A super-midsize jet like the Bombardier Challenger 350 or Gulfstream G280 covers the longer, heavier mission every aircraft here falls short of. If your longest recurring leg needs more than about 3,300 nautical miles, price a super-midsize or larger aircraft before committing to any jet on this list.
What Would Change Our Answer
If Textron discontinued the Citation Latitude or a rival closed its fleet-depth lead, the top spot would move to whichever aircraft offered the best range-to-price ratio, likely the Praetor 500. And if your own trips consistently carry more than 9 passengers, the Citation XLS Gen2’s 12-seat capacity becomes the deciding factor regardless of where it ranks here, since none of the other four aircraft can seat that many.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best midsize jet to buy in 2026?
The Cessna Citation Latitude is the best overall midsize jet for most buyers. Textron Aviation calls it the best-selling aircraft in the class, with more than 250 delivered and the tallest stand-up cabin midsize money buys. Buyers who need more range should look at the Embraer Praetor 500 instead.
Which midsize jet has the longest range?
The Embraer Praetor 500 has the longest range in this class at 3,340 nautical miles, well ahead of the Legacy 450 at 2,904 nm and the Citation Latitude at 2,700 nm.
What is the cheapest midsize jet?
The Hawker 800XP is the cheapest way into a midsize cabin, since it has been out of production for two decades and trades on the pre-owned market at charter rates close to a light jet's, roughly $3,300 to $3,900 per flight hour. Pre-owned prices vary widely by engine program status rather than a fixed list price.
How many passengers can a midsize jet carry?
Most midsize jets seat 8 to 9 passengers in a standard layout. The Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 is the exception on this list, certified for up to 12.
Is the Embraer Praetor 500 a midsize or super-midsize jet?
The Praetor 500 is Embraer's midsize jet. Its larger sibling, the Praetor 600, is the super-midsize model in the same family, with a longer cabin and more range.
Price a midsize jet against a jet card before you buy or charter one, since the range and cabin gap between these five aircraft matters only if your actual trips reach it.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.