Mercury Marine's 3.4L V6 Mercury FourStroke outboard engine line includes 175 horsepower, 200 horsepower, and 225 horsepower versions, and in 2018 began the company's change-over to naturally aspirated engines including the V8 250 and 300, the V10 350 and 400, and the monster V12 600 horsepower outboard.
The 200 horsepower quad cam four-valve design weighs in at 475 pounds, and Mercury claims best-in-class acceleration, 20-percent more torque, and five to 15-percent fuel economy advantages at cruise over the nearest competitors. These Mercs also offer a wide range of options, including mechanical or digital controls, hydraulic or power steering, and multiple colors and accent panels. They feature a port on top for easy oil checks without having to remove a heavy cowl, which is an excellent idea and should encourage regular checks by users. An idle charge battery management system keeps you from sucking out all the juice out of the batteries while idling with major electronics up and running (net charging output is 20 amps at 650 rpm and max output is 85 amps), and “Advanced Speed Control” maintains RPM through varying loads and conditions.
Mercury also claims that the V6 200 is 30-percent quieter with 50-percent less vibration than their competitors. We can't comment on that since they don't ID the specific model they're comparing it to. However, we've run plenty of these Mercury V6 outboards and can say without hesitation that like most modern four-strokes, they're amazingly quiet and vibration-free compared to the outboards of yesteryear.
Part of the Smartcraft compatible family, you can also get some major tech boosts with these powerplants. JPO joystick controls, Active Trim, digital throttle and shift, and VesselView Mobile are all in the mix. Perks like these will, of course, elevate cost. And much as we'd live to tell you the price of these outboards, pricing has been changing on boats and motors so rapidly in recent times and differs in different regions, so we've stopped doing so to prevent misleading anyone. The best we can say is to find out current pricing, contact your nearest Mercury dealer.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in May of 2018 and was last updated on May 9, 2024.