Phenom 300 vs Citation CJ4: a complete comparison

Which is better: the Phenom 300 or the Citation CJ4?

It depends on the mission and on what weighs most in the math. If the typical leg is long and cost per hour rules, the catalog favors the CJ4. If the priority is operating from a shorter runway and having a big fleet around you, in Brazil, the Phenom 300 has the advantage. In the data we have, there is no single criterion that puts either one ahead on every point.

Comparison table: Phenom 300 and Citation CJ4 side by side

Source: Jet Tracker, model catalog (specifications), queried Oct 11, 2026. The CJ4 field length follows Textron Aviation, CJ4 Gen3 page. The catalog carries one profile for the Phenom 300; for the 300E, Embraer publishes a high-speed cruise of 464 kt and a range of 2,010 nm, with five occupants and NBAA IFR reserves (Embraer, Phenom 300E brochure, Feb 2026).

The items below come from the manufacturers and EASA, not from the Jet Tracker catalog:

Source: Embraer, Phenom 300E brochure (Feb 2026) and press release of Feb 2022; EASA, type certificate for the EMB-505 (Aug 2024); Textron Aviation, Citation CJ4 Gen3 page (queried Oct 11, 2026) and press release of Oct 2024; AIN (Apr 2025). On the page consulted, Textron stated that the CJ4 Gen3 was still on its way to FAA certification.

How much does a Phenom 300 cost vs a Citation CJ4?

New. The list prices come from different bases, so the difference between them is not a clean comparison:

Source: B&CA Purchase Planning Handbook Q1 2026 and Corporate Jet Investor (Phenom 300E and 300EV, checked on Sep 28, 2026) and Jet Tracker, model catalog, queried Oct 11, 2026 (Citation CJ4, estimate). For the CJ4 Gen3, Textron did not publish a price in the launch press release (Oct 2024), and Jet Tracker does not have a verified price for that version. Model pages: Phenom 300E, Phenom 300EV and Citation CJ4.

Used. In the listings that publish a price, the CJ4 appears below the Phenom 300 and well below the 300E:

Source: Jet Tracker, public listings monitored worldwide, queried Oct 11, 2026.

By year-of-manufacture range, the samples shrink. Where there are fewer than five listings with a price, the reading is only indicative:

Source: Jet Tracker, public listings monitored worldwide, queried Oct 11, 2026.

In every case the final price depends on total airframe and engine hours, maintenance programs and the condition of the interior and avionics. To check whether an asking price falls within the range, use the aircraft valuation tool. It returns an estimate, not an appraisal.

Which flies farther and faster?

In the Jet Tracker catalog, the CJ4 flies farther: 2,165 nm against 1,971 nm for the Phenom 300, a difference of 194 nm in maximum range. On speed, the two are practically tied: 453 kt cruise for the Phenom 300 against 451 kt for the CJ4. The higher speed of the 300E, 464 kt at high-speed cruise according to Embraer (Phenom 300E brochure, Feb 2026), is not yet in our catalog.

Both operate up to 45,000 ft and allow a minimum crew of one pilot: the Phenom 300 on the EASA type certificate (Aug 2024) and the CJ4 Gen3 on the Textron Aviation page, which lists it as certified for single-pilot operation. Maximum catalog range is a limit: real range changes with payload, wind and reserves. To build the mission with your own legs, use the comparison tool.

On takeoff, the Phenom 300 needs 3,138 ft of runway and the CJ4 3,410 ft: 272 ft less for the Phenom.

What is the cabin like in each?

The catalog records up to 10 passengers in both, with 7 typical in the Phenom 300 and 8 in the CJ4. Textron gives the CJ4 Gen3 cabin as 5.28 m long, 1.47 m wide and 1.45 m high, with an externally serviced lavatory. Embraer gives a maximum cabin altitude of 6,600 ft for the Phenom 300E. Baggage is in the same order of magnitude in both: 2.38 m³ in the Phenom 300E, adding the baggage compartment and storage areas (Embraer), and 2.18 m³ in the CJ4 Gen3 (Textron Aviation).

These are manufacturer figures that Jet Tracker does not yet have in its catalog. The cabin is the point where visiting both aircraft is worth more than any table.

How much does each cost to operate per hour?

The Jet Tracker cost engine uses the same assumptions for both: 400 hours a year, Southeast Brazil and fuel at the current price. The cost per hour is the variable cost plus the annual fixed cost divided by the hours flown.

Source: Jet Tracker, canonical cost engine (canonical-2026-09), estimate, queried Oct 11, 2026. Math: Phenom 300 at 400 hrs = 2,267 + 436,250 ÷ 400 = $3,357; at 200 hrs = 2,267 + 436,250 ÷ 200 = $4,448. Citation CJ4 at 400 hrs = 2,133 + 368,625 ÷ 400 = $3,054; at 200 hrs = 2,133 + 368,625 ÷ 200 = $3,976. The Phenom 300 has a single profile in the cost engine for the 300 and the 300E.

In this estimate, the CJ4 comes out about 9% cheaper per hour at 400 hours a year. That is an engine estimate, not a measurement of Brazilian operations, and the gap grows when hours fall, because the fixed cost weighs more. Textron states that the CJ4 Gen3 has operating costs nearly 10% lower than its closest competitors (Textron Aviation, press release of Oct 2024), a manufacturer claim that Jet Tracker does not confirm.

Insurance and hangar fees enter the real operating math, and Jet Tracker does not have quoted values in Brazil. Redo the math with your own hours in the cost calculator, or see the costs tab of each model: Phenom 300 and Citation CJ4.

How is the used market in Brazil?

On Oct 11, 2026, the RAB had 120 aircraft of the Phenom 300 family in operation in the executive segment (RBAC 91 and 135): 58 Phenom 300, 62 Phenom 300E and no 300EV. It was the largest fleet among light jets in the country. The Citation CJ4 had 13. The median year of manufacture of the Phenom 300 family is 2018 (119 aircraft with a year reported).

In listings, Brazil had 16 Phenom 300s listed (4 with a price, median asking price of $10.0M), 14 Phenom 300Es (3 with a price, median of $14.0M) and 2 Citation CJ4s, none with a published price. With 4 and 3 listings with a price, these are small samples, with an indicative reading.

Source: Jet Tracker, public listings monitored worldwide, queried Oct 11, 2026.

Embraer reports, with GAMA data, that the Phenom 300 family was the most delivered light jet in the world in 2024, for the 13th year running (Embraer, Feb 2025). Jet Tracker has no depreciation series or time-to-sell figure, so it does not compare the value retention of the two. The open listings are in the Sales Radar. Before closing on any used aircraft, check hours, engine program, airworthiness directives complied with and damage history.

Who does each one make the most sense for?

• Phenom 300: those who operate from a shorter runway (3,138 ft takeoff in the catalog, against 3,410 ft) and want a model with a large fleet in the country, 120 registered aircraft against 13 for the CJ4.
• Citation CJ4: those who fly longer legs (2,165 nm of catalog range), often carry 8 passengers (typical in the catalog) or weigh the estimated cost per hour. Textron lists the emergency automatic landing (Garmin Emergency Autoland) as standard equipment on the CJ4 Gen3.

Phenom 300 or Citation CJ4: what the data supports

Without picking a winner, what Jet Tracker can state with a source and a date:

• The CJ4 has the longer catalog range (2,165 nm against 1,971 nm) and the lower estimated cost per hour.
• The Phenom 300 takes off in less runway and has a Brazilian fleet about nine times larger (120 against 13).
• On catalog cruise speed, the difference is 2 kt: 453 kt against 451 kt.
• On used asking price, the CJ4 median ($6.75M) sits below that of the Phenom 300 ($9.2M) and that of the 300E ($13.9M), but the generations and years of the listings are not the same.

For those who fly 200 to 400 hours a year on domestic legs, the cost estimate runs between $3,054 and $3,976 per hour for the CJ4 and between $3,357 and $4,448 for the Phenom 300, depending on hours. In this estimate, the CJ4 comes out cheaper per hour in both hour scenarios.