The Best 200 HP Outboards Roundup: Mercury, Yamaha and Suzuki
A while ago we did a complete 150 HP showdown and it was an incredibly popular article. We took complete tests of all the top 150 horsepower outboards and compared data, as best we could, with two bass boats that were very similar. In a perfect world it would be the same boat and everything controlled to make a better comparison but we could at least look at the performance and specs make some interesting observations. With the 200 HP outboards I want to to do a deep dive but unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of the same boat used in tests across brands but we do have the specs and some performance data to compare.
One issue is the 200 HP outboard segment is incredibly diverse. Mercury marine offers a V6 and V8 200, Yamaha has a 4 cylinder and a V6, while Suzuki has a new 200 4cyl. Let’s take a look as best we can at each 200 outboard available and the pros and cons of the different models.
The 200 HP range covers so much ground which is why we see so many different variations of the range. Why do some manufacturers opt for a 4 cylinder while Mercury has V6 and V8 200s? And, is there any 200 HP outboard on the market that is suitable for a performance boat? Let’s take a look at each manufacturers offering and some tests that reveal how they perform in general.
Suzuki Marine
Suzuki quietly updated their 200 HP line with the DF200 SS getting a few changes. The key change is the gear ratio, now using a 2:1, which is a huge move for Suzuki who normally uses extremely low gears. Previously, the 200 SS was a decal motor, no different than the DF200, but not any more. The key is they didn’t just slide in a new gearset, they use the larger V6 gearcase with beefier internals. They did this for the 150 SS as well, so now they are extremely competitive in the 4 cylinder outboard range, 150 to 200 HP. The listed weight is 518 Lbs, but that might be with the cowling as previous Suzuki 4 cylinders were listed at 478 Lbs.
Photo courtesty of Nauti Tech Suzuki. The updated 200SS with the large gearcase and 2:1 gears.
With a reasonable gearcase and a slim 4 cylinder design, albeit slightly heavy, the price is the lowest on this list. This is a nice DOHC 2.9 Liter proven powerplant with 10.2:1 compression and variable valve timing. Repowering a smaller sport boat would be fine with the Suzuki 200 SS and the matte black finish is unique. The 2:1 ratio is still not ideal but it does rev to 6,100 RPM, so you get a little better range than others on this list. I do love how Suzuki upgraded the gearcase, it shows they are proactive and open to change. Mechanical controls keeps it simple. I really like this option from Suzuki.
Suzuki made a massive improvement to their 4 cylinder SS line, the 150 and 200 get this great gearcase, found on the V6 engines, and it’s updated with 2:1 gears. Now Suzuki is very competitive in the bass boat and small sport boat repower market. Note, the 4 cylinders don’t have low water pickup.
Yamaha
With two options in the 200 HP range, Yamaha does a great job of providing choice and differentiation. The F200 is a 2.8L 4 cyl. With 1.86 gears and a reasonable 488 Lbs. This is a workhorse for many boats. Hard to beat, but not performance oriented, in fact you might opt for the 175 SHO version instead. But, the other 200 is the 4.2 V6 SHO, a true beast. At 505 Lbs and with 1.75 gears, this is an engine that punches well above its weight.
The big Yamaha is one of the top 200s.
With aftermarket motor mounts and high performance prop shafts available, this is one of the top 200 HP outboards on the market and has been for a while. Beastly in size, this thing is awesome. Expect to pay a premium for the 4.2 V6 engine, that runs all the way up to 300 HP in the lineup. If you have the budget, or find a nice used one, the 4.2 Yamaha is an excellent choice. These sound great too.
The Vmax SHO gearcase is very nice out of the box. 1.75 gears, low water pickup and the big V6 performs.
Mercury Marine
Mercury has two 200s as well and they are similar in architecture, the V6 and V8 Mercury engines share many design features. The V6 200 is meant to be a workhorse while the V8 ProXS is aimed at the bass and semi performance sport boat market. Both very nice engines and competitive weight wise, 475 and 505 Lbs. The benefit is the choice, a beastly V8 with a great gearcase option in the Torque Master 1.75, as well as the 4.88” case with 1.85 gears, both are excellent.
The 200 V6 is a great light powerful option. This cowling was floating in the air, I have no idea how they did it. You could wave your hand underneath, unbelievable.
The rub, they have the V6 listed to run up to 5,800, limiting its performance a bit, compared to the V8 that revs to 6,200 RPM and has the torque of a steam roller. The ProXS advantage over every other 200, save for the 4.2 Yamaha SHO, is the gear ratio and torque combo are simply going to outperform the others on the right setup. On a performance boat that can handle the weight, you should see at least 2 or 3 more MPH based on the revs and gears alone. But that’s where I’d love to do a real world side by side. I wish Mercury just tuned the V6 to rev to 6,200 and had the Torque Master gearcase, that would be the best of both worlds. Lighter is always better in this range.
The ProXS V8 has multiple gearcase options, with the Torque Master 1.75 being the most high performance. The V8 also shares the 4.8” 1.85 as an option, which the V6 has standard. Both have water inlets on the front of the case for higher engine heights.
Tests
Here are some random tests to see how real world numbers compare, although these are similar boats, conditions are all over the place, it’s more to just see how they can do. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find good bass boat tests which are closer to performance sport boats. One manufacturer I spoke with showed interest in doing a real world side by side test of some kind, so maybe one day.
Mercury 200 ProXS Four Stroke, Tempest Plus 17”, boat weight tested: 2,920. Top Speed 56 MPH 6200 RPM
Mercury 200 V6 Four Stroke. Tempest Plus 17”. Boat weight: 2,612. Top Speed 49 MPH 5800 RPM
Yamaha 200 SHO. SS 21” Prop. Weight tested 2,841 Lbs. Top speed 58 MPH 6100 RPM
200 SHO, 21” Pro Series prop. Weight tested 2,968. Top speed 62.9 MPH 6100 RPM
Yamaha F200 4 cylinder. 17” Reliance prop. Weight tested 3,030 Lbs. Top speed 47 MPH 6000 RPM
There is no test data for the new Suzuki 200 SS at this time.
Summary, there is no replacement for displacement, as in torque and tall gears win the race. The Yamaha 4.2 200 SHO and Mercury Pro XS have the most displacement, torque and the tallest gears, 1.75, so it just comes down to setup to see which one would outperform the other. The Mercury can rev 200 more RPM, but you can see from the test the Yamaha can rev over the recommended, they all can, and in a four stroke revving right up to the RPM range is recommended.
For a budget repower, I love the 200 Suzuki SS with its new gearcase, you cant’ beat the price and it should perform very well with the right setup. When it comes to flat out performance, The Merc has a slight RPM range advantage but the Yamaha is right there, it really comes down to setup and preference, they are so close. We need to throw both on a scale for real world weight and do a side by side on the same hull, that’s the only way to know for sure. I might start a GoFundMe for this.
