But the one this it's missing is this new engine's oh-so-sweet 12 mpg. It can fog its cylinders and winterize itself. I have a 2009 G1 150, which visits the dealer every three years or 300 hours, and it runs like a champ. I'd probably buy an E-TEC for the lack of maintenance alone. Since this is a two-stroke, you don't even do oil changes, and the onboard 1.9 gallon tank is good for 50 to 60 hours. The G2's maintenance schedule is also unlike anything else on the water: five years or 500 hours between tuneups. Well, how about 12.5 miles per gallon? Sure, that's at six miles per hour or so, but boats spend most of their time (40 percent) at idle, and 12 mpg makes this the Prius of outboards. So what's the big deal with this new three-cylinder? And horsepower is horsepower (unless you're cheating it a bit, which I'll get to). With outboards, they're pretty much all reliable these days. If you, like me, enjoy nerding out on outboard motors, then prepare to indulge your inner marine-propulsion geek with this news of Evinrude's new 150-horsepower E-TEC G2.

Engine: inline direct-injected two-stroke 3-cylinder, 1.9 liters / Power output: 115 H.O., 140 or 150 HP / Lower Unit: 20' or 25' / Best fuel economy: (Key West 203) 12.5 mpg at 1,000 rpm / Steering: mechanical cable, external hydraulic, digital power steering or tiller / Oil tank: 1.9 gallons, good for 50-60 hours / Maintenance interval : Five years or 500 hours.

How much is a tec 9