We’re long-term testing a DF250 on our 25’ Contender. Captain Alan Herum has logged 57 hours since January.

Everyone knows four-stroke outboards are quieter, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient than carbureted or electronically fuel injected two-strokes. But how much more fuel-efficient? How long does the owner of a big four-stroke have to run his boat to make up the higher purchase price?

We wanted to answer these financial questions with hard factual data, so we put a pair of engines to the test on our Contender 25—a 1998 fuel-injected 250-hp two-stroke from Yamaha against a new Suzuki DF250 V-6 four-stroke. …