Murano a Pleasant Surprise

Not long ago, Nissan was nearly bankrupt, 1.4 trillion Yen in debt, plagued with reliability problems, and not innovating in the least. With the arrival of Carlo Ghosn, the Japanese carmaker has made a complete 180. The new Altima was named new car of the year in 2002, and Nissan's engines have been drawing tremendous praise.

It has been a long time since my family owned a Nissan (86 Maxima), but we felt it was time to give them another chance. We were looking for a luxury SUV around $30-35k, so we decided to give the Murano a closer look. After being intrigued by a good marketing campaign, we headed to the dealership for a test-drive.

Not your typical SUV

At first glance, it is obvious that the Murano is not an off-road poser. The styling is very car-like, with 18" wheels, a low overall profile, sharply slanted A-pillar, and aggressive stance. The Murano's best angles are from the sides and the rear, while the front end is not quite as stunning. The grille leaves a little room for improvement, but overall the crossover SUV is quite appealing to the eye.

The model we decided to test drive was a 2WD SL, with the Leather and Premium packages, and a sunroof. The Leather package includes leather seats, simulated leather door trim, HID headlamps, power driver and passenger seats mirrors, and 2 user memory. The Premium package includes power adjustable pedals, Bose premium AM/FM Cassette w/ 6-disc in dash changer, cargo net, and cargo cover.

First Impressions

The build quality seems more Infiniti than Nissan, and this was further reinforced when we looked at the Infiniti FX35. The interior is truly functional; there is a cell phone pocket in the center, well placed cupholders, room for a laptop in the center console, and useful door pockets that tilt open.

The rear seats have heat-A/C vents, but they are not the typical in-your-face overhead type; instead the vents are mounted in the B-pillar, at the front of the rear doors, similar to the location of the side vents for the front seat passengers. The rear seats recline ensuring that there is ample space for the adult passengers to ride in comfort.

The cargo area is not exactly spacious, but it is a very useful space. There is a handy organizer under the floor, which could be useful in hiding valuables, and also provides access to the spare. Another neat feature is the ability to lower the rear seats with the pull of a lever. The cargo cover, and tinted windows are an added a measure of security.

Fully Loaded

The Murano has an "Information Center" mounted in the center of the dash. The air conditioning, audio system, drive computer (tire pressure, gas mileage, trip computer), and optional navigation system are all monitored from the convenient central location. All models include 18" wheels, dual exhaust, traction and skid control, dual-zone climate control, and many other features that are usually reserved for "limited edition" models. Basically no matter the trim level, the Murano is fully loaded.

The Drive

The first thing that I notice when driving the Murano was the lack of shift lag, which is caused by automatic transmissions when they change gears. The CVT found in the Murano is gearless, and depends on weighted pulleys and belts to provide the best power output from the engine to the wheels.

The ride is fairly firm, but overall much smoother than the average truck-based SUV. (Note: The Murano is built on a modified Altima chassis, similar to the Toyota Highlander, which is built on a Camry platform.) The Murano has great acceleration due to the 245HP 3.5 liter V6, and the handling equally impressive. I would assume that the 18" wheels help in this department.

Passing was simple, as the CVT provides immediate response to the pedal. Another bonus of the CVT is that the gas mileage is 20 city/25 hwy. With a traditional automatic, mileage would probably be closer to 18 city/21 hwy.

The seats are very comfortable, and I found all of the control to be well placed and easily within reach. Upon completing the drive, I was surprised when the driver seat automatically moved back to ease exit from the vehicle.

Conclusion

Nissan has definitely delivered what its marketing campaigns promised. The Murano is a refined crossover sport-ute; it is a perfect fit for the person who wants the ride of a luxury sedan, and the cargo capability of an SUV.

The only drawback is that the Murano is a completely new model. Unfortunately, it is difficult to anticipate the reliability of a car that has only been on the road for a couple of months. In addition, don't expect to get a great deal on the Murano, as it is a popular new model. Dealers don't have to use incentives to sell a car that sells itself.

Price
Price as tested:
$32,783 (sticker)
$30,200 (dealer quote)
$29,509 (invoice)
Amount Paid (US$): 32,783
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: SL Premium, 2WD