This article presents a table of specifications for low-emission outboard engines currently (c.2005) in production and available for sale in the United States rated at 225-horsepower. There are at least ten different models from seven different brands available at 225-horsepower, and thus this makes a good point for comparison of price and other features.
The table presents engines organized by manufacturer. Prices represent the "base" MSRP price of the least expensive model, and dealer published "deal" prices gathered on-line. It is not known if the prices are exactly comparable among all models. There are additional charges for necessary accessories like propellers, gauges, and remote controls. All are V-6 engines, except the Verado which is an I-6 design. Displacement is given in litres. Weight is the "comparable" dry weight in pounds.
| LOW EMISSION OUTBOARD MOTORS 225 HP c.2005 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRAND | MODEL | MSRP | DEAL | LBS | LITRE | TECHNOLOGY | HP/L | LB/HP |
| Evinrude | DI 225 | $17,419 | $10,000 | 524 | 3.3 | 2-stroke DFI | 68.2 | 2.32 |
| Evinrude | E-TEC 225 | $18,875 | $13,800 | 516 | 3.3 | 2-stroke DFI | 68.2 | 2.29 |
| Honda | 225 | $18,740 | $13,200 | 585 | 3.5 | 4-stroke EFI | 64.3 | 2.60 |
| Johnson | 225 4-stroke | $19,079 | $11,000 | 580 | 3.6 | 4-stroke EFI | 62.5 | 2.58 |
| Mercury | Optimax 225 | $15,147 | $13,000 | 497 | 3.0 | 2-stroke DFI | 75.0 | 2.20 |
| Mercury | 225 4-stroke | $16,434 | $14,000 | 583 | 3.3 | 4-stroke EFI | 68.2 | 2.59 |
| Mercury | Verado 225 | $16,720 | $15,200 | 635 | 2.6 | 4-stroke EFI Supercharged | 86.5 | 2.82 |
| Suzuki | 225 | $18,479 | $12,900 | 580 | 3.6 | 4-stroke EFI | 62.5 | 2.58 |
| Yamaha | F225 | $18,370 | $14,000 | 583 | 3.3 | 4-stroke EFI | 68.2 | 2.59 |
| Yamaha | Vmax HPDI 225 | $16,720 | $12,500 | 539 | 3.3 | 2-stroke DFI | 68.2 | 2.40 |
The Johnson four-stroke motor is believed to be a re-badged Suzuki. The Mercury four-stroke 225 (not Verado) is believed to be a re-badged Yamaha. In both of these instances a nearly identical motor is sold and supported under two different brands. The MSRP pricing is from published data (See TRAILER BOATS, January 2005, for more information). The DEAL pricing is from various published prices on websites as collected in January, 2005. Follow the hyperlink for more details.
The Mercury Verado engine requires a special rigging package available only from Mercury which adds approximately $3,000 to the engine price. The rigging kit is individually designed and manufactured for each installation based on extensive measurements made by the installing dealer of your boat layout. It includes the proprietary digital remote throttle and shift controls, and the proprietary electro-hydraulic steering with power boost. Honda has also been reported to be about to offer a digital throttle and shift remote control package, but price and availability are unknown. The other engines can be rigged with off-the-shelf conventional hydraulic steering and mechanical remote controls.
The Verado requires proprietary electronic digital gauges (SmartCraft), which add approximately $1,200 to the engine price. Yamaha, Honda, and Evinrude are reported to have new digital instrumentation packages available, but details are sketchy. Pricing is not known. Suzuki appears to use conventional analogue gauges.
Actually, there are more 225-HP low emission outboard engines available than the ten models shown in the table. In most cases there are additional models in different shaft lengths for each of the engines shown. There are also some variants of these particular models which are specially rated for saltwater use. Mercury also makes enhanced versions of the Optimax engine with digital throttle and shift controls. There are also some versions of these engines available in "high-output" or "racing motor" designations. I limited the table data to the ten shown as a reasonable way of comparing the prices of the various different brands and their different technologies.
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Author: James W. Hebert
This article first appeared December 31, 2004.