Except for an occasional stall while shifting from reverse to forward, the Evinrude Ficht 115s have performed impressively as they near 200 hours.

Tick tock, tick tock ... PBR test engines are on the clock. We’re running them hard and we’re running them often. Over the past five years or so, we’ve been able to borrow engines from some of the major manufacturers for long-term tests. The idea is to live with these pieces of machinery over extended periods—just like any boat owner would.

Overall, our field of four outboards—one four-stroke and three direct-fuel-injected models—has done quite well. Outboards as a whole continue to get better—especially in the durability department. Propulsion improvements aren’t limited to the outboard market, either. Diesels have gotten lighter, more compact, and cleaner. As a result, you see them in…