Detailed Evaluation & Buyer Recommendation
Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 vs Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 — Which Deep Vee Fits Your Needs?
When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 and the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 are deep vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 measures 51,3 feet overall (2012), giving it roughly 5,8 additional feet of deck space compared to the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 at 45,5 feet (2011). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 tips the scales at 394 lbs — 118 lbs less than the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 at 276 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 670 hp, the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 has a 300-hp advantage over the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011's 370-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 carries 608 gallons versus 396 gallons in the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 is rated for 14 passengers, while the Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 caps at 13. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Riviera Yachts 45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 14 passengers and at 51,3 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Riviera Yachts 43 Offshore Express - Open 2011 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 13 that costs less to run day-to-day.
General Boat Info
MakeRiviera Yachts
MakeRiviera Yachts
Model43 Offshore Express - Open
Model45 Open Flybridge Shaft Drive
Model Year2011
Model Year2012
Measurements / Dimensions
Beam15 ft. 5 in. (4.72 m) including gunwale
Beam15 ft. 9 in. (4.8 m) including gunwale
Beam - Meters4.7
Beam - Meters4.8
Beam - Inches185
Beam - Inches189
Draft [max] - Detail3 ft. 11 in. (1.2 m) including props
Draft [max] - Detail3 ft. 11 in. (1.19 m) including props
Draft [max] - Meters1.19
Draft [max] - Meters1.19
Draft [max] - Inches47
Draft [max] - Inches47
Weight - Detail27,600 lbs. (12,500 kg)
Weight - Detail39,400 lbs. (17,850 kg)
Weight - kg12519.14
Weight - kg17871.52
Weight - lbs.276
Weight - lbs.394
Length - Feet45.5
Length - Feet51.25
Length [over all with swim platform]49 ft. 4 in. (15.04 m)
Length [over all with swim platform]51 ft. 3 in. (15.62 m)
Length overall - Detail45 ft. 6 in. (13.82 m)
Length overall - Detail48 ft. 3 in. (14.7 m)
Length overall - Meters13.87
Length overall - Meters14.71
Length overall - Inches546
Length overall - Inches579
Body / Hull
Hull materialFiberglass
Hull materialFiberglass
Hull typeDeep Vee
Hull typeDeep Vee
Engine and Drivetrain
Engine/s standardVolvo Penta IPS
Engine/s standard(2) Cummins
Fuel tank capacity - Detail396 gal. (1,500 l)
Fuel tank capacity - Detail608 gal. (2,300 l)
Fuel tank capacity - Liters1499.02
Fuel tank capacity - Liters2301.53
Fuel tank capacity - Gal396
Fuel tank capacity - Gal608
Fuel typeDiesel
Fuel typeDiesel
Drive typeInboard - Twin
Drive typeInboard - Twin
Engine max370 hp (472 kW) each
Engine max670 hp (492 kW) each
Operational Info
Sleeping capacity4 - 6
Sleeping capacity6
Water capacity122 gal. (460 l)
Water capacity132 gal. (500 l)
Holding tank capacity - Detail35 gal. (132 l)
Holding tank capacity - Detail40 gal. (151 l)
Holding tank capacity - Liters132.49
Holding tank capacity - Liters151.42
Holding tank capacity - Gal35
Holding tank capacity - Gal4