The Honda BF250 is the 250 hp outboard for the buyer who reads the warranty terms first. Five years of factory coverage is the segment standard nobody else matches; Yamaha is three, Mercury is three plus paid extension, Suzuki is three plus their goodwill program. The BF250 is a 3.6L V6 SOHC four-stroke producing 250 hp at 5800 rpm, dry weight 600 pounds. The architecture is shared with the Honda Pilot V6 powertrain, which is the long-reliability argument: this is the only outboard in the 250 hp class that uses an automotive-derived powerhead with two decades of road-vehicle service data. The trade is hp ceiling, the BF250 caps at 250 hp where Yamaha and Mercury offer 300 hp. For a 22–24 foot boat that does not need 300, the Honda is the math-positive pick. For 26-plus, you want a 300.
For the full scoreboard, what works versus what does not, year-and-trim guidance, and pricing as of April 2026, see our roundup Best Outboard Motors in 2026.
What works
- Five-year factory warranty is the segment standard nobody else matches
- 3.6L V6 architecture is shared with Honda Pilot, automotive-derived reliability
- BLAST timing at hole shot advances spark for faster planing
- MSRP $1,800–2,500 below Yamaha F250 and Mercury 250 V8 on equivalent rigging
- Warranty transfers within the original window, real used-market premium
What does not
- Caps at 250 hp; for 26-plus boats that want 300, look elsewhere
- No Honda-native display; integration is built around chartplotters
- 600 dry pounds is heavier than competing 250 hp four-strokes
Pricing, April 2026
- New: $28,900–31,800 new (2026 MSRP, rigged)
- Used: $17,200–24,500 (2020–2024 powerheads)
Long-form review
The full Honda BF250 long-form review republishes in July 2026 with on-the-water testing notes, a 6-dimension scorecard, fuel-burn or charge-time numbers, and the trim and year we would buy. Until then, the roundup link above is the decision-grade read.