My 115 optimax has the exact same performance as anybody's 125 carb engine. I know this because I worked for a brunswick (they own merc) boat building company and we tested the optis all the time against other engines. thats probably why they dont go head to head in the magazines for equal size on the hood. When that company went out of business I picked up a 115 opti for myself and it is an amazing little motor. perfect size on a small boat to troll all day on the main (salt/prop/2500lb boat loaded) and jumps right up to get me home. It never smokes or stalls or needs more than a millisecond to get running after sitting all winter. I can barely tell its running it so quiet, it sips fuel and you can rinse it out without it running etc...

I would also buy an ETEC without too much hesitation (other than the fact I have smartcraft gauges in my dash) because they are designed really well and my friends who run them say the same thing as I do about the Opti. Bombardier desinged the Etec and they are tight as far as parts interchangeability and service etc. They did it right to kill the stigma of the ficht problems that sunk OMC.

I would buy either an Opti or and Etec (any high pressure direct fuel injected 2 stroke) if the need arose again. Probably lean to the Etec side because of fewer parts. Either way good engineering that came at a time when everybody wanted four strokes except bass fisherman.

2 cents