Facts
Best Super-Midsize Jets: 5 Aircraft Ranked for Buyers
The best super-midsize jets ranked on range, cabin, and price
For most buyers, the Bombardier Challenger 350 is the best super-midsize jet. It has the roomiest cabin in its class and anchors the fractional fleets of both NetJets and Flexjet. But if range, speed, or entry price matters more, the answer changes. Each of the other four aircraft here outperforms the Challenger 350 in at least one area that could make a meaningful difference for your mission.
How We Ranked These Five
Super-midsize buyers are choosing between coast-to-coast domestic reach and a genuine one-stop transatlantic trip, and cabin comfort matters more here than in the light or midsize tiers because trips run longer. We ranked these five on the combination of range, cabin size, fleet depth, and price that decides that shopping question, not on any single number alone.
The Best Super-Midsize Jets, Ranked
| Rank | Aircraft | Range | Max cruise | Cabin (H x W x L) | New price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bombardier Challenger 350 | 3,200 nm | Mach 0.83 | 6 ft 0 in x 7 ft 2 in x 25 ft 2 in | ~$26.7M (last list, 2022) |
| 2 | Embraer Praetor 600 | ~4,018 nm | 536 kt | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 9 in x 27 ft 7 in | ~$22.0M |
| 3 | Cessna Citation Longitude | 3,500 nm | 483 kt | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 5 in x 25 ft 2 in | ~$29M |
| 4 | Gulfstream G280 | 3,600 nm | Mach 0.85 | 6 ft 1 in x 6 ft 11 in x 25 ft 10 in | ~$24.5M |
| 5 | Embraer Legacy 500 | 3,125 nm | Mach 0.83 | 6 ft 0 in x 6 ft 10 in x 24 ft 0 in | $12M to $17M (pre-owned only) |
1. Bombardier Challenger 350
The Challenger 350 cabin runs 7 feet 2 inches wide, 20 inches wider than a Cessna Citation X and the roomiest floor in the super-midsize class. Bombardier built it with a heated, pressurized 106-cubic-foot baggage hold accessible in flight and a belted aft lavatory seat, features few rivals in this tier offer together.
Range covers 3,200 nautical miles at a typical Mach 0.80 cruise, enough for any US transcontinental pairing and an eastbound Atlantic crossing, though a westbound crossing usually needs a technical fuel stop against winter jetstream winds. Both NetJets and Flexjet standardize their super-midsize tier on this type, which means it is the easiest aircraft on this list to actually book on short notice. The 2022 factory list price was about $26.7 million before the Challenger 3500 replaced it at a similar price point.
2. Embraer Praetor 600
The Embraer Praetor 600 flies the farthest of any aircraft on this list, at roughly 4,018 nautical miles under NBAA IFR reserves with four passengers, enough for genuine transatlantic and transcontinental-plus missions the other four cannot make nonstop. Embraer also rates it at a 536-knot maximum cruise, the fastest number here.
The cabin runs 27 feet 7 inches long, the longest in the class, with a flat floor and club seats that recline into four beds. At a Q2 2025 factory list price near $22 million, the Praetor 600 undercuts both the Citation Longitude and a new-condition Challenger 350 while out-ranging them. Embraer announced an updated Praetor 600E in 2026 with new cabin technology, though performance stays the same and deliveries are not expected until 2029. See our Challenger 350 vs Praetor 600 comparison for the direct head-to-head between the top two aircraft on this list.
3. Cessna Citation Longitude
The Citation Longitude is Textron Aviation’s clean-sheet super-midsize jet, certified in 2019 with a 483-knot maximum cruise speed, the second-fastest aircraft on this list after the Praetor 600. Range reaches 3,500 nautical miles at Mach 0.84, and the cabin seats up to 12, the most of any aircraft here.
That capability carries the highest price tag on this list. Market reporting puts a new Longitude at roughly $29 million, well above the Challenger 350 and G280. Choose the Longitude when seating 10 to 12 passengers in one cabin matters more than the lowest price per mile, since none of the other four aircraft here match its combination of speed and seat count.
4. Gulfstream G280
The Gulfstream G280 is the brand’s entry point into its own lineup, one step below the ultra-long-range G650, G700, and G800. Gulfstream rates it at 3,600 nautical miles of range, the second-longest number on this list, with a 120-cubic-foot in-flight-accessible baggage hold and 19 cabin windows.
A new G280 lists at roughly $24.5 million per the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Corporate Jet Investor, though pre-owned examples run from about $11.9 million to $22.5 million depending on model year. Gulfstream is replacing the G280 with an all-new super-midsize jet, the G300, targeted for entry into service in 2027, which gives a 2026 buyer real negotiating room on a used G280. For how age affects the safety case on an older airframe, see our private jet safety guide.
5. Embraer Legacy 500
The Embraer Legacy 500 was the first jet in the super-midsize category with a genuinely flat, stand-up cabin floor, at 6 feet high, 6 feet 10 inches wide, and 24 feet long. Embraer also gave it fly-by-wire flight controls, a first for this aircraft size, and a 2,122-foot landing distance that opens smaller regional airports the rest of this list cannot use.
Embraer stopped building it in 2020 in favor of the Praetor 600, so every Legacy 500 flying today is pre-owned, priced from roughly $12 million to $17 million. That undercuts a new Praetor 600 by a wide margin for a similar cabin, at the cost of a shorter 3,125 nautical mile range and no factory support path. Buy the Legacy 500 for the lowest entry price into a genuinely flat-floor super-midsize cabin, not for the deepest fleet or the longest reach. For where private jet prices bottom out across every category, not just this one, see our how much does a private jet cost guide.
Who This Is Not For
None of these five aircraft fit a buyer whose routine trips need a genuine two-way nonstop transatlantic or transpacific crossing with a full cabin. An ultra-long-range jet like the Gulfstream G650 or Bombardier Global 6000 covers that mission for a substantially higher price. If your longest recurring leg needs more than about 4,000 nautical miles in both directions, price an ultra-long-range aircraft before committing to any jet on this list. For how the super-midsize tier stacks up against heavy jets and every other category, see our guide to private jet types, and for how that step up actually prices out, see our best large cabin private jets ranking.
What Would Change Our Answer
If NetJets or Flexjet shifted their super-midsize fleet standard away from the Challenger 350, availability and access would move to whichever type replaced it, likely still keeping the Challenger 3500 or a comparable aircraft at the top. And if your own missions consistently need more than 3,600 nautical miles nonstop, the Praetor 600’s range becomes the deciding factor regardless of where it ranks here, since it is the only aircraft on this list built for that mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best super-midsize jet to buy in 2026?
The Bombardier Challenger 350 is the best overall super-midsize jet for most buyers, with the roomiest cabin in the class and the deepest fractional and charter fleet, since both NetJets and Flexjet standardize on it. Buyers who need more range should look at the Embraer Praetor 600 instead.
Which super-midsize jet has the longest range?
The Embraer Praetor 600 has the longest range in this class at roughly 4,018 nautical miles, ahead of the Gulfstream G280 at 3,600 nm and the Cessna Citation Longitude at 3,500 nm.
What is the fastest super-midsize jet?
The Embraer Praetor 600 is the fastest super-midsize jet, with a maximum cruise speed of 536 knots. The Cessna Citation Longitude follows at 483 knots.
What is the cheapest super-midsize jet?
The Embraer Legacy 500 is the cheapest way into a super-midsize cabin, since Embraer stopped building it in 2020 and pre-owned examples now sell for roughly $12 million to $17 million, well below any current-production aircraft in this class.
Can a super-midsize jet fly nonstop across the Atlantic?
Most can eastbound with typical jetstream tailwinds, but not always westbound. The Bombardier Challenger 350's 3,200 nautical mile range covers New York to London eastbound but usually needs a technical fuel stop westbound against winter headwinds. The Embraer Praetor 600's longer range handles the trip in both directions more reliably.
What are the biggest pre-buy inspection risks on a super-midsize jet?
The largest pre-buy risk is an engine or auxiliary power unit with lapsed or non-transferable maintenance program coverage, which forces you to pay out of pocket for upcoming shop visits and overhauls. Undetected structural corrosion and upcoming major calendar inspections also create substantial exposure, particularly on airframes nearing heavy maintenance intervals. Missing logbooks or incomplete maintenance records present an equal hazard, because gaps in documentation can ground the aircraft and permanently impair resale value.
Price a super-midsize jet against a jet card or fractional share before you buy or charter one, since the range gap between these five aircraft matters only if your actual trips reach it. This ranking prices these jets new. See private jet cost per hour for what they run to charter by the hour, and private jet operating cost for the ongoing fixed and variable costs of owning one. Researching this purely for the celebrity-owned examples rather than a purchase? Our celebrity private jets guide covers who flies what.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.