well i guess what i am saying is both have their pros and cons as with anything. at the time i bought the boat i liked the fact it had a v8 I/O just for the sheer power and the motor has low hours and I know what the expectancy is and the motor just looked almost immaculate with not a drop of oil, hint of smoke, or knocks, ticks, taps or anything. As with a 2 stroke per se you really dont know when they are gonna blow except when it happens and i hate the smell of em and the noise. I also know some people who have and had mercruisers and they ran the hell out of em with no problems and are really reliable if you ask me.