I don't expect this debate will ever come anywhere near resolution. But if I had an engine failure in an SR22 I owned, and I saw loads of fields below, I would land in one of them. For ditching, forests, mountains, over fog/etc, I would use the chute.
Peter i would say this was exactly my thinking when deciding I wanted to fly Cirrus (as well as modern, fast, comfortable etc) it is only over the last 4 years that my view has steadily changed towards CAPS being my first consideration for an off field landing and make sure I am keeping that option wide open and within tolerances of operation while I then consider other forced landing options, and as I said earlier if a forced landing is the only option then if I have family or non pilots on board who do not really understand the risks then I will categorically use the Chute, simply the more experienced I get the less I like my odds at 60 kts+ in an unknown field and when you get close enough to actually properly access the condition then the Chute option has long gone.
I respect all others opinions but I think it is hard to really form an opinion until you have had maybe xxx hundred hours with CAPS to compare with your previous experience and thinking, you never know you may even form an alternative opinion.