High-performance singles—and by that we mean 150 knots and faster—are the aviation equivalent of a roadster; they’re meant to go places and most do. But the majority of fast singles have four seats and thus not much payload for an owner with a growing family.

Hence the six-place single and, more specifically, what’s come to be known as the cabin-class single. There aren’t many of these to pick from; really just three, Piper’s Saratoga and the Malibu/Mirage series and the 36-series from Raytheon/Beechcraft. …