Overall cost of ownership of the Cabri will be good. Yes, I know the list price is more than the R22 but consider if you will;
1) No 12 year rebuild, regardless of hours actually flown
2) No airframe corrosion, it's all composite
3) No fatigue life limited components
The experience of ownership will be good too;
1)The cabin is the same width as the R44 and it comes with leather seats and a good equipment fit as standard.
2) 45 US gall/170litre tank giving 4.5 hour endurance
3) Proper baggage compartment, 200 litre capacity will take two airline size carry on cases
4) Low flyover noise from Fenestron tail rotor and vertical exhaust.
5) Superior autorotation characteristics - better even than some turbine helicopters let alone 2 seat pistons
6) Very smooth flight from fully articulated rotor
The biggest selling point that Bruno Guimbal points out is the Cabri's safety. It is tested to 31g vertical load which in practice means that you are likely to survive a 2,000 ft/min impact. Just as a car designed in the 1970s would not meet current safety standards so it is with helicopters.
BTW, if you are wondering how I came across some previously unpublished information I have written about my factory visit and flight in the Cabri in the next edition of Rotor Torque.