For the sake of the discussion, I'll put in my 2 cents for the Mercury Verado 150.
My CD 25 had a single Mercury Verado 150, ~1.75 liter with a super-charger. It worked wonderfully with the boat. It had plenty of power when loaded to the gills, 2 adults, 2 little kids (and all their stuff) and a dingy on top. I never had a minutes worth of problems with it. Servicing it was also never an issue and the communication and follow-up by Mercury Marine was unlike anything I've every known. Their customer service was fantastic.
My current boat has two Mercury Verado 150s powering it. Bad news, I had some junk stuck in the thermostat on one, which made it overheat while on a trip. Good news, I was able to get the 5000 lb boat with 5 passengers on board (some rather large!) on plane with 1 motor and cruise at 13 knots all the way from Skagit Bay to Edmonds, WA, which is about 20+ miles.
On the CD 25, I was getting about 2.5 mpg.
The Verados have been around for a few years now. I can't say that I've heard any more negative news about them than I have for any other brand. I think all outboards are pretty darn solid now.