New 2022 Mercury 200-225 HP, FourStroke vs Pro XS Outboard?

Does anyone out there have experience or thoughts on what motor is best suited for a 1975 Tyee? I will be doing about 75% non-competitive angling and 25% cruising & water sports with it. Can it be said that I will have to choose between the improved midrange torque/hole shot from the Pro XS verses less speed performance but with less overall motor noise from the standard FourStroke? You can assume both would be V8 models. I am questioning my need to go fast to get there vs the enjoyment of quiet relaxation of the lower noise.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you!

In the 200-225 hp range, the only V8 option is the Pro XS. The regular Merc 4 stroke is a V6 in that horsepower range. A 4 stroke V8 Verado is offered starting at 250hp.

For your needs, I would 100% go with the V6 option. It’s more fuel efficient, and is built to last longer than a Pro XS is. There are already many horror stories of the new Pro XS not making past a couple of years before a major repair is needed.

At the end of the day, a motor in the 200-225hp range will get you where you need to go pretty quickly, and unless you plan on beating someone to a spot during a tournament, you won’t need that extra little bit of top end speed. It also helps that the V6 is cheaper than the V8 Pro XS.

I’ve fished with both, and really enjoy the startup roar of the Pro XS, but the ride of the V6 is so much quieter.

Go with a 200 Verado. Get two props and switch out if you need more hole shot. I had a 200 Verado on a 20′ fiberglass V hull, handled it just fine.

Dutchboy wrote:

Go with a 200 Verado. Get two props and switch out if you need more hole shot. I had a 200 Verado on a 20′ fiberglass V hull, handled it just fine.

IIRC, you had the 4-cylinder supercharged Verado, they do not make that motor anymore. They’ve expanded the use of that name to non-blown V-8’s, that start at 250hp.

HRG

Thanks guys! I am going to request a change in motor on the 1975 from the XS Pro to the XS Four in the 225hp. Any thoughts on digital throttle shift (DTS)? I should be able to get the motor with DTS and still save $1K. I’m going to enjoy the quiet cockpit and improved fuel economy of the V6. I really don’t care about the overall speed to be first to get there!

I have the 4 stroke 115 and it is awfully quiet to me. At least once a week I wonder what that hum is and then realize it’s still idling…….
Course that was coming from my only other experience with a 1990 Mercury 100hp 2 stroke

I have one year under my belt with a 1875 Tyee and 200 Pro XS. I was a little nervous about the noise when I first ordered it but I was really looking for the hole shot improvement over the V6. As far as noise goes, yes, she really growls on start up. It’s enough to wake you up (and everyone else) at the boat launch early morning. However, after that initial growl, it’s very quiet. I would compare the sound of the idle to my truck at idle (i.e. you don’t notice it unless you’re listening for it, but it does have a nice, subtle tone ). Once you open up the throttle it’s as loud (or quiet) as any other 200 hp four stroke.

Now I can’t compare to the V6 as I haven’t used one, but I can tell you the hole shot is fantastic for a four stroke motor. My previous boat was a Pro V with a Yamaha HPDI (great motor, incredible hole shot) and this motor doesn’t make me miss it a bit. The mid range acceleration is outstanding as well. Fuel economy is as good as you can expect with a motor that size. If you lay off the throttle, a tank of gas will go for days.

I haven’t read any of the horror stories yet, I’d be interested to know the issues and how those boats were used. But so far, mine has been nothing but a pleasure to use.

(There are already many horror stories of the new Pro XS not making past a couple of years before a major repair is needed.)

Can you please share some of those horror stories? My new Impact comes a Pro xs and I’m a bit worried about long term reliability. I have searched the net and I can’t find anything significant about Pro XS problems.
My previous Lund was powered by a Honda BF motor and I had 0 issues with it after years if service.

Christian Duplantie wrote:

(There are already many horror stories of the new Pro XS not making past a couple of years before a major repair is needed.)

Can you please share some of those horror stories? My new Impact comes a Pro xs and I’m a bit worried about long term reliability. I have searched the net and I can’t find anything significant about Pro XS problems.
My previous Lund was powered by a Honda BF motor and I had 0 issues with it after years if service.

X2. I would love to see all these horror stories myself. I had a PRO XS on my Crossover. It’s was absolutely flawless in the five years I owned it. Quiet, reliable and very easy to work on. I liked it so much I put the same engine on my 2022 Impact.
Buy with confidence.

I’m the guy who originally asked the question. After a half-dozen phone discussions with mercury dealers and certified repair shops, I was lead to believe that the Pro XS is very reliable in fact. I don’t think you should be concerned. I was seeking clarification on the V6 vs. V8 noise level DB and fuel economy specs mainly. Enjoy your new rig!

FSHNRIG wrote:

I’m the guy who originally asked the question. After a half-dozen phone discussions with mercury dealers and certified repair shops, I was lead to believe that the Pro XS is very reliable in fact. I don’t think you should be concerned. I was seeking clarification on the V6 vs. V8 noise level DB and fuel economy specs mainly. Enjoy your new rig!

That is very good to hear.. I also wasn’t able to find any “horror” stories about the Pro SX.

Enjoy your season..
Fish on!!
C//

I recently was faced with the decision of plain 4S or ProXS… here is what I was told but I cannot verify or prove any of this as factual.

It is the exact same engine… but toward the end of the build process they bench run the engines. The ones that run the coolest and have the least amount of vibration get flagged as ProXS. They receive a more aggressive computer mapping (which also allows for more top-end RPM) and, of course, the growly exhaust on the bigger models.

FSHNRIG wrote:

Thanks guys! I am going to request a change in motor on the 1975 from the XS Pro to the XS Four in the 225hp. Any thoughts on digital throttle shift (DTS)? I should be able to get the motor with DTS and still save $1K. I’m going to enjoy the quiet cockpit and improved fuel economy of the V6. I really don’t care about the overall speed to be first to get there!

I chose not to get the DTS. My understanding is that the throttle and shift components on the motor run off of digital inputs regardless of the type of control at the drivers station. On a non-DTS motor, cables run from the throttle/shift assembly at the drivers station to the motor. The motor then has a sensor that converts the analog cable input to a digital signal. On DTS motors, the conversion to digital is done within the drivers throttle shift assembly and a digital signal is sent to the motor. There may be some advantage to this set up if you are running multiple motors and wanting to run them independently via a joy stick but for a typical single engine setup, I saw no advantages to offset the disadvantages (purchase cost, potential repair cost, etc.)