To sell a boat engine in the USA, it must have EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) 3-star emissions compliance. Unlike the cooking model Mercury OptiMax 250 sold here, the Mercury Pro XS is a 3-star engine. That means nothing to us Australians as we’re not so influenced by the greenies (yet!). What it does mean is that its 3-star compliance gives the Mercury 250 Pro XS incredible bottom-end to midrange fuel efficiency.

Mercury 250 PRO XS

As with all Mercury OptiMax outboards, the 250 Pro XS utilises the Orbital Combustion Process developed by WA’s Orbital Engine Corporation, which combines stratified and homogenous combustion. I won’t go into detail about the OCP process here, but I will say that in this instance, it results in an engine that is remarkably affordable to run.

This 3032cc, loop-charged, 60° V6 was explicitly designed for marine usage, and it develops 250.7 hp at 5750 rpm with a Wide Open Throttle (WOT) range of 5500 to 6000 rpm. A 60A belt-driven and voltage-regulated alternator provides plenty of power for onboard electronics. The gear ratio is 1.75:1, and the dry longshaft weight is 229kg. Being a dedicated performance engine, it has a cooling water intake that is low on the gearcase for use with a hydraulic jacking plate.

Powerhead access is good, with a large-capacity 11.4L in-boat oil tank supplying the variable-ratio oil injection. Mercury recommends servicing the 250 ProXS annually or every 100 running hours after the first service at 20 hours. Providing the service is carried out by an authorised Mercury service centre, the recreational-usage warranty is five years.

On The Water

Perhaps it wasn’t so good for Mercury that I reviewed a Bullet 2100 powered by a Honda BF250 outboard on the same day. Admittedly, the long shaft Mercury 250 Pro XS had solid engine mounts, transferring engine vibration through the 1850, but there was some harshness on the transition from stratified to homogenous combustion, whereas the Honda outboard was beautifully smooth everywhere.

The exhaust note was way louder than that of the Honda, with the typical Mercury V6 “howl” evident from midrange upwards, but I love that howl because it symbolises raw power, and the Mercury 250 Pro XS has plenty of that. Its holeshot is just stunning (less than two seconds to plane from trolling rpm), and even when you’re cruising at 4000 rpm, you have to hang on for dear life when you give it some stick.

Driving the Mercury 250 Pro XS outboard is just a matter of lowering the jacking plate to give the 25-inch-pitch Quicksilver Laser 11 stainless steel prop some bite to get out of the hole, then progressively raising it. Through tight figure-of-eight turns at 3000 rpm, there’s no prop ventilation, and at midrange rpm, the leg trim can be left neutral. As rpm increases, you trim out the leg, especially when running downwind. The rooster tail shoots skywards, and you get the rush every well-set-up performance boat should deliver.

Our Verdict

I’ve always been a two-stroke engine bloke, and DFI makes a two-stroke outboard motor even better. I can’t go past the combination of instant power delivery, reasonably lightweight, and inherent simplicity. I’ve long been a Mercury OptiMax convert, and the Mercury 250 Pro XS just reinforces my belief that when you want that adrenaline rush, nothing beats a DFI two-stroke!

 

Mercury 250 PRO XS Performance

Pushing 1000kg including three adults

SPEED

RPM

FUEL CONSUMPTION

15mph (24.2kmh)

2000rpm (clean plane)

16.1lt/h

30mph (48.3kmh)

3000rpm (min. cruise)

24.8lt/h

45mph (72.5kmh)

4000rpm (cruise)

38.7lt/h

61mph (98.2kmh)

5000rpm (max. cruise)

57.8lt/h

79mph (127.2kmh)

6100rpm (WOT)

91.1lt/h

 

Competing Outboards

Engine

Evinrude E-TEC 250 HO

Weight (longshaft)

230kg

HP/rpm

250.7/5150

Displacement

3441cc

Warranty (yrs)

5

OEDA stars

3

 

Ready to Set Sail? 

Find your dream boat online at Only Boats! We have great deals on boats for sale, including used boats and new boats. You can also check out our used boat buying guide.

If you're upgrading or planning to sell your boat, why not explore our expert guide on how to improve boat resale value. If you're planning to attend a boat show soon, we've also put together a detailed boat show buying guide that's perfect for first time buyers.

Smooth sailing starts with the right boat, and motor. We’re here to help you find it!

 

This article was written by Andrew Norton and previously appeared at TradeaBoat.com.au, now powered by Only Boats.

 


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