I found this great article that shows a good comparison of the top three motors in the range. Looks like we chose the right one! Referenced from: this article…
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Top Speed
Test: Maximum speed achieved by a boat/engine at wide open throttle (normally measured in miles per hour)
Note: A mere 0.6 mph separated the fastest average top speed from the slowest.
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Acceleration
Test: Amount of time required for a boat/engine to reach a certain speed (normally measured in seconds)
Note: The Evinrude E-TEC 200hp HO accelerated the slowest among all engines tested.
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Fuel Economy
Test: Amount of fuel consumed by an engine while a boat/engine is under way
(normally measured in miles per gallon or gallons per hour)
Note: At cruise, the Mercury 200hp OptiMax had 32% better mpg with nearly 50 more miles of range than Evinrude E-TEC HO.
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The Mercury 200hp OptiMax also outperformed the competition in wide open throttle fuel economy.
Observations
Engine performance commentary from third-party test personnel
"Merc clearly won the best average fuel economy."
"Mercury took top honors in mid-range acceleration, fuel economy and price."
"The E-TEC is the thirstiest, having finished a distant third in fuel economy."
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