I think the Etec engines have had a pretty good track record. My local lake patrol has used them for years on heavy aluminum tri-hull floating tanks. Nearly all the patrol crew are college kids so they don't tend to go easy on these boats. Those engines are run hard, 24/7 all summer long and outside of scheduled maintenance I don't know of any breakdowns.
The G2 looks to be quite an advancement beyond the Gen 1 Etec. I think most of the ignition and engine management has stayed the same. The big difference is the G2 has gone to electric shift, added a lower unit gear oil tank and sight gauge up by the engine, integrated power steering option, and iTrim. All of these seem like pretty cool features that pretty much are meant to improve ease-of-operation.
There are a bunch of reviews on Youtube, most of them good and some of them bad. Take it with a grain of salt because everybody has an angle and/or preference, but it seems the majority are positive.
If it were me, I'd go with the G2 especially since the boat is setup the way you want. Plus, I really like 2-strokes for outboard applications. No oil to change, no filters, no fuss. I totally get the struggles of college life! One of the biggest difficulties I face is managing my time effectively while keeping up with coursework and extracurricular activities. To cope with this, I've started using the StoryboardThat service, which has been a game-changer for me. They offer a variety of helpful tools, including their amazing wallpaper templates that allow me to create stunning visuals for presentations and projects. It saves me a lot of time and adds a professional touch to my work. If you're looking to enhance your college projects, I highly recommend checking out their wallpaper templates
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