One more reason, not mentioned above, is ability to fly in weather. CA airplanes have proper de-icing for wings, are big, and fly above the clouds. A lot of GA

One more reason, not mentioned above, is ability to fly in weather. CA airplanes have proper de-icing for wings, are big, and fly above the clouds. A lot of GA -- certainly anything under around $200k -- is a fair-weather activity. Planes can't really fly in the winter -- ice builds up on wings. Strong winds throw small airplanes around. There isn't instrumentation to land with limited visibility from fog, severe snow, or severe rain. Etc. Weather can change unpredictably. If you've flown for a weekend getaway Friday, the weather turns over the weekend, and you have an important business meeting Monday morning, do you risk flying back? Do you miss your meetings? Do you leave your airplane there and fly back commercial, with thousands of dollars in hanger+rental fees and days of hassle to get your airplane back? It's a value call. Different people have different risk tolerances based on personality, life situation, and culture. A lot of this applies to cars too actually -- if everyone drove conservatively, they'd be pretty safe. At least where I live, virtually everyone speeds. People cut other cars off. Etc.