The Murano receives few changes for , but a Midnight Edition package is now available and adds black exterior accents, inch black wheels, and illuminated doorsill protectors. The only other change is that the midrange SV trim gains heated front seats with faux-leather upholstery. Since the Murano is one of the older options in this class—and it finished last in a comparison test —we'd avoid the more expensive models.
That pushes us toward the Murano SV, which has a nice mix of style and substance at an appropriate price. Its standard highlights include adaptive cruise control, power-adjustable front seats with heat, and remote start. Under the hood of all Murano models is a 3. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive can be added to any trim, and both setups utilize a CVT. The last Murano we tested had decent performance on our test track and delivered peppy performance around town. Bury your foot in the throttle—an exercise few Murano buyers will do frequently—and the CVT spikes the engine revs and holds them there, resulting in a loud, droning growl from under the hood.
The Murano is in its element on long-distance highway jaunts, where the powertrain fades into the background and delivers a peaceful journey. With a suspension tuned for comfort, the Murano makes easy work of road trips, and its suspension damps out even the roughest potholes to deliver a smooth ride.
Encounter a twisty road and the Murano will safely deliver you to the next intersection, but it won't entertain you along the way. The steering delivers good highway stability but is dull and uncommunicative on meandering two-lanes. The Murano offers a low tow rating of pounds. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. If you take a visual survey of the midsize crossover segment, it isn't difficult to peg the Nissan Murano as the standout.
The class is filled with bland and blobby competitors like the Ford Edge and Toyota Highlander , making what Nissan designers did with the Murano seem brave in comparison. That bravery works well both inside and out. The Murano's exterior is aggressive with the V-motion grille, swoopy side accent lines and floating appearance rear roof that all rides on inch wheels for my Platinum test car.
Inside, the wraparound dash, stitched cashmere leather and Jasper Pearlescent trim yields a different look that works well. At night, trick cabin accent lighting give a premium ambience.
The Murano , however, isn't just a looker. Being a five-passenger crossover, it has to deliver function, as well. A weekend trip across Michigan and back shows plenty of it with enough space for front passengers and the two big guys riding in back.
The cushy, but still supportive seats keep everyone comfortable, while the Folding the rear seats down grows cargo carrying capacity to 65 cubic feet, with the cargo area wide and deep enough to haul a Honda Accord hood home from a salvage yard on a separate occasion. During the three-hour cross state journey, the NissanConnect infotainment system is exceptional with a responsive 8-inch touchscreen.
Unlike the slow and clunky systems in many Nissan products currently in showrooms, the Murano's is quick to page through menus, offers sharp graphics and features a navigation system that never leads us astray. An speaker Bose sound system plays crisp tunes for the ride from a variety of sources including satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming from my Samsung Galaxy S6 and one of the phones in back via the rear USB port.
The only complaint from the folks in rear is that there is only one USB port for them to fight over to charge their smart devices. Outside of entertainment features, the road trip offers the chance to experience all of the Nissan's safety technologies. Drive the vehicle onto a rough road.
Maintain a straight line and press the AWD button. The AWD will switch into the more aggressive "Lock" mode. Don't operate the AWD button when the front wheels are spinning, or when you are backing up. The AWD Lock indicator will come on. Take advantage of the lock mode by driving the vehicle off-road or along rutted, sandy, snowy or muddy roads.
Patrick Nelson has been a professional writer since He was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication "Producer Report" and has written for a number of technology blogs.
Nelson studied design at Hornsey Art School.
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