 |
| Verado power - you've gotta love it. |
|
Mercury Verado 275: 4 For More
More acceleration, more efficiency, more sheer power and more standard features - maybe Mercury's 275 Verado should simply be called the "More". Slam down the throttle and the supercharger with air cooling and electronic boost pressure control gives this motor enough punch to jump you onto plane as if it were a two-stroke. The straight-six, 24-valve DOHC engine displaces 158.5 cid (2.5 liters) and has computer-controlled sequential multiport EFI, and you can feel the results at the helm. Yet it's still a four-stroke, and it gets the resulting efficiency advantage: mounted on a 2,350-lb. Kenner 2400 VX that I tested, with a 19 inch four-bladed stainless-steel prop, two people onboard, and a half a tank of fuel, at 4500 rpm it burned 11.9-gph. We were running at 37.1-mph, for an eyebrow-raising 3.1-mpg. At wide-open throttle, we got to 55-mph while the Verado burned 29.3-gph, for 1.87-mpg.
A long list of standard features you won't find on competitors is another Verado high point. Unlike some modern four-strokes it kicks out plenty of juice to the batteries with a belt-driven 70-amp alternator. 20, 25, and 30 inch shaft lengths are available, and counter rotating models are available in 25 and 30 inch lengths. But the feature I really loved from the helm was the steering system. Electro-hydraulic power steering with an integral hydraulic cylinder comes standard with the motor, making one-finger steering a reality. Early models had a funky whine to them, but the new versions have taken care of this problem. Another big goodie you get with the Verado is electronic Smartcraft DTS throttle and shift. These controls are buttery-smooth, and far easier to use than the jerky cables of yester-year's outboards.
Of course, nothing is perfect, and when it comes to running a Verado the most likely problem will be fueling up - the Verado runs best with 92-octane fuel, and requires 87-octane, minimum. (It de-tunes and you lose horsepower, when running with 87). This technology doesn't come cheap, either, and you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of 22K to go Verado. Is it worth it? That's your call - but if you want more out of your outboard, running a Verado is one way you'll get it.
Check Mercury's word at www.mercurymarine.com.
|