I think one of the arguments against this system, was that pilots might be tempted to use it
as the first resort, rather than the last.

Perhaps. Cirrus Aircraft puts weight on that in the POH, if I remember correctly. If possible, a safe forced landing is usually the way to go. The CAPS is primarily meant for emergencies involving a loss of control which is impossible to recover from, i.e. spin, midair collision etc. Of course it can also come in handy if the conditions for making a forced landing are unacceptable for some reason. I realise that this might not be clear to everyone flying the SR20. It’s important to focus on it during training and checkouts.