posted 10-18-2007 11:02 PM ET (US)     

Guess Mercury outsmarted the others, and knew what they were doing all along when they improved the Verado fuel economy by at least 20%, and up to 40% over E-TEC.

http://www.mercurymarine.com/serviceandwarranty/outboardfaqs/carb.php

posted 10-19-2007 08:16 AM ET (US)            

I think you've misread the Mercury table. The conventional 2-strokes you've noted WILL NOT be offered for sale in California in 2008. The implementation of the 3-Star rule for 2008 has not only taken out these low cost conventional 2-strokes but also the relatively low cost 175 Optimax (I don't think 175 HP outboards are big sellers so this isn't much of a loss) and the bread 'n butter Optimax 225.

What it means from a business perspective is that manufacturers that still have 2-Star product (Mercury and Yamaha) that they wish to sell in California will have to control their sales in California so that the corporate average is at or below the 3-Star level. Evinrude, Suzuki and Honda do not have to do any such juggling because all of their products are 3-Star certified.

posted 10-19-2007 09:15 AM ET (US)            

A high-profile internet-advertising dealer lists the Mercury 90 at $5,500. It also has the Yamaha 90 for $5,300. In contrast, you can buy the four-stroke 90-HP Mercury for $7,200 or the Yamaha for $6,500. For many buyers I think the low-emisison motors might offer better overall value. A premium of $1,200 for the low-emission motor is not a prohibitively large cost to pay for the improved fuel economy and generally better running characteristics which the low-emission motor will provide.

The paradigm for the buyer has been somewhat fortunate. If the buyer had to pay 20-percent more for an outboard motor and only got lower emission output for his money, there would be much greater resistance to the price increase. But low-emission motors deliver many other benefits besides low-emission. They generally run smoother, run quieter, seem less likely to need routine maintenance like spark plug changes and fuel system cleaning, are usually more reliable, and--the number one bonus--deliver much better fuel economy. The consumer has been quite willing to pay more for a low-emission motor when it delivers all of those collateral benefits. And every time the price of gasoline rises the cost advantage of the legacy motor decreases.

The Verado is something of an aberrant case because it was the first of the modern motors to go backwards in emission rating, that is, to go from a three-star rating back to a two-star. But, as mentioned, this retrograde movement in emission was mitigated by a promise to deliver better fuel economy. In that respect, Mercury was not heeding a mandate from CARB but responding to complaints from its customers about fuel economy, which in comparison to the other low-emission motors was not up to par.

posted 10-19-2007 02:43 PM ET (US)         

The Classic 90, and probably the Yamaha 90 also, get really good fuel economy, barely worse than a 90 E-tec at cruising speeds, and both are still viable re-power options for Montauks. In twin version, these 90's are one of the very few options for twin power on an 18 Outrage, or older 19's and 21's. And Whaler expert Clark Roberts has been telling me for several years that the 2.5 liter Merc 150 EFI is the best engine you could put on a 21' "banana boat" in terms of power (50+ MPH), 3+ MPG fuel economy, extreme quiet running sound, and reliability. If my basically identical 200 EFI's are any indication, I'd believe him. Clark has run both the Mercaha 4-strokes and the Opti's on these hulls, and says the 150 EFI is superior to both. The recent addition of Smartcraft, with it's built in fuel flow functions, GPS connectivity, and other functions, add value to the package.

For those that may be interested, Jacosmarine.com sells the 2008 "designated" models for:

posted 10-20-2007 08:40 AM ET (US)            

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/TwoStroke/TSList.aspx
says it has to meet 2001 CARB requirements.
http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/TwoStroke/
says 2001 CARB motors get one star.

posted 10-20-2007 05:00 PM ET (US)            

By the way, it is a good thing no one has held L H G to the same standard of clarity and precision of expression to which he holds Roch Lambert of Bombardier Recreational Products. I think L H G's declaration that

"[Mercury] can also indefinitely sell the still popular conventional 2-stroke 50's, 90's and 150 EFI's"

is misleading, and particularly so when parsed with the same scrutiny which has been applied to Roch Lambert.

First, the implied topic being discussed here is sales in California, and from my understanding these motors cannot be sold at all in California. This turns L H G's statement into a falsehood.