2024 Mercury outboard engine buyer’s guide

The US manufacturer – the only brand to build outboards from the ground up – has pretty much consolidated its engine line-up to a modular system comprising V6, V8 and V10 engines, and even the range-topping V12 all sharing similar components.

It means the end for Mercury’s supercharged 2.6-litre inline six-cylinder outboard engine that, while revolutionary at the time, has served its purpose.

Mercury now has a range of large-displacement engines to power larger boats. The idea behind the big displacement is that these engines are very good at producing torque, or pushing power, over a large part of their rev ranges, while at the same time being mechanically simpler.

Last year saw the introduction of the 350hp/400hp Mercury V10 Verado. Despite its big performance, the bent 10 is the lightest in its power class, providing a huge advantage to anyone who wants to drop from twin-engine power to single.

Mercury’s outboard engines spread across its entry-level FourStroke range, the more premium Verado range, the commercial-grade SeaPro range, and the warmed-over ProXS models.

It also has the flagship Mercury Racing engine range for applications where you need to get somewhere fast. Really fast.

The Mercury outboard engine range also includes something that no other brand offers: dedicated 9.9hp to 15hp ‘Pro Kicker’ models that are mainly used by keen fishers for trolling at low speeds.

Mercury’s FourStroke-branded outboard engine range is also split into performance tiers. The first starts with a single-cylinder 2.5hp tiller steer model and ranges up to a 25hp inline three-cylinder outboard engine.

The 9.9hp to 115hp FourStroke Command Thrust range is aimed at commercial operators and features a longer ‘CT’ gearcase with a lower gear ratio that sits lower in the water, and the option of larger props.

For more serious commercial applications, Mercury has the ‘SeaPro’ range running from 15hp to 150hp. These outboard engines are optimised for racking up the hours running at low revs, with the claim they can last up to three times longer than recreational outboard engines.

Most recreational boaters, though, will be picking from the FourStroke range, which starts with a 2.5hp single-cylinder tiller steer, three-cylinder, four-cylinder, V6 and V8 models.

The 225hp to 400hp Verado range of V8-powered (for lower-performance versions) V10-powered (for higher-performance versions) outboard engines are marketed as a more premium choice of powerplant. The 400hp Verado has reset benchmarks as the lightest in its class.

Mercury’s Pro XS range runs from 115hp to 300hp and is aimed at fishers who take their sport, and their top speed, very seriously.

The official Pro XS product description is carefully worded to make anyone looking at a new engine salivate: “With lightning-quick acceleration, blistering top speed, legendary reliability, and lightweight design, Pro XS has everything you need to travel farther, faster, and harder.”

The apex predator, of course, is Mercury Racing. These extremely hi-po powerplants jump from a skiff-friendly 60hp 60R version right up to the recently introduced, V10-powered Mercury Racing 400R.

Mercury’s jet motors range between 25hp and 40hp.

Mercury also now has a line of Avator electric outboard motors that can replace some of its smallest outboard engines in some applications.

One engine, the Avator 7.5e, has hot-swap batteries that can change over much like an electric drill, so if one runs out of charge you can drop in a fresh one.

Other new models yet to hit the market in Australia use a portable external battery pack to provide the power they need. This includes the Avator 20e and 35e.

Mercury is developing its own line of rotomoulded boats that are optimised to work with these motors, with no word yet on whether they are likely to make their way to Australia.

Mercury has a joystick control system for its outboard engines, but so far it only works with multiple engine installations and not single engines. Mercury believes the amount of control that its new digital gearshift and throttle system offers

Mercury has rolled out other innovations including an all-new electric steering unit that reduces the amount of power needed to turn the engine when compared with a traditional hydraulic system, and the ability to operate multiple engines as though they were a single.

While the joystick technology was first introduced to Mercury’s V8 engine line-up, it has now extended to include V6 models.

Lower down in the engine range, Mercury recently introduced a new ‘smart’ tiller for the 40hp to 115hp outboard engine range. For the first time, it’s ambidexterous, meaning it works equally well with right- or left-handers.

Mercury also has a VesselView app that allows owners to use a smartphone to monitor the outboard engine’s performance.

Mercury’s Australian warranty offers a three-year factory-backed warranty and an extra three years if you have the outboard engine serviced at an authorised Mercury service centre.