As he is a low time PPL and wants to tour around Europe with his family he maybe attracted to the extra safety feature of the chute in the Cirrus.
Whether its more of a comfort zone option I think flying single pilot with your most precious cargo the chute does add another safety option.
I flew a DA40 and was dissapointed with the cruise speed for long distance touring the extra speed of the Cirrus maybe a factor.
Comfort and build quality are better in the Cirrus with the large cabin.
On the downside the Cirrus will be more of a challenge initially as other posters have mentioned but if he can overcome that hurdle will probably be a better long term choice as he may outgrow the capability of the DA40
Pace