A most unique, smokin' SUV. But is it fully cooked?
Written: May 15 '03 (Updated Jun 22 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Exterior styling, acceleration, handling, seat comfort
Cons: Interior styling and materials, overly variable steering effort, minivan-like view forward, price
The Bottom Line: Among truly sporty SUVs, there are no cheaper alternatives. Still, the price seems high given the corners cut.
|
|
|
| mkaresh's Full Review: 2003 Nissan Murano SL 4 Dr Sport Utility |
A few years back BMW introduced the X5, the first SUV with handling that could be likened to that of a sport sedan with a straight face. For 2003 Nissan has introduced the Altima-based Murano, the first somewhat affordable SUV in the X5 mold. (The hyperlinks lead to my reviews of related vehicles.) Interested in learning whether the Murano’s performance matched its sporty looks, I took an all-wheel-drive SL for a test drive.
Epinions has recently begun providing cars with multiple listings that are not mutually exclusive. After much discussion with the category Leads and Advisors, I have decided to make the best of a messy situation by posting reviews of varying detail under the duplicate listings. This is my mid-length, 1,800-word Murano review. For my most concise, 1,200-word review, click here. For my more detailed, 2,900-word review that discusses the differences between the SL and SE, click here.
Nissan Murano Reliability
Want better reliability information? Want to really know what difference it will make if you buy a Nissan Murano rather than something else? It's coming in the form of "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats. From these you might learn that your first choice, compared to your second choice, is likely to make 2.7 extra trips to the shop in its first five years. You might decide its advantages compensate for this, or you might not. Either way, you'll be able to make a much better informed decision.
To gain access to this information you have a choice: sign up to help provide the data now or pay $24.95 later. For the details, visit my website, www.truedelta.com.
Styling and Accommodations
Nissan’s comeback has been based on distinctive styling. When I first saw photos of the Murano I felt it was ugly. Especially the Gremlinesqe upswept rear beltline. Now that I’ve seen them on the road, I’ve changed my mind. It’s a strange, attention-getting design, yet it works. I especially like the somewhat retro shoulder that arcs down at the front and rear to include the vertical lamps. Standard 18-inch alloys that easily fill out the wheel wells. help the Murano’s looks.
I have more persisting issues with the interior styling. The instrument cluster, like that in the 350Z, is styled to resemble that of a sport bike. It doesn’t look so good in this application. “Cheap” and “tacked on” come to mind. The center stack of the instrument panel contributes to the disjointed look of the interior, and it does not flow into the center console. Like those in the Altima, the instrument panel and door panels look too plasticky. The massive amount of aluminum trim doesn’t help.
My biggest interior gripe concerns the driving position. The steeply raked windshield yields a very deep dash. I couldn’t help feeling like I was in a minivan. Not very sporty. The seating position is SUV high, and the view forward is very open. To the sides and rear the styling cuts down on visibility a bit.
The seats front and rear are roomy, supportive, and very comfortable. Beyond their generous size, they have a softness to them that feels plush. I drove a Murano with the optional leather, but the standard suedish cloth also looks and feels rich.
As in the BMW X5, if to a lesser extent, cargo space behind the rear seat has been shortchanged in favor of tidy proportions and a sporty roofline. With the rear seat folded, cargo room is competitive with the Toyota Highlander and just short of the midsize SUV average. The center console offers a generous two level storage compartment.
On the Road
The Murano shares a basic engineering platform with much of Nissan’s line, including the Altima, new 2004 Maxima, and upcoming 2004 Quest. It also shares a powerful 3.5-liter V6 with these vehicles. In this application the engine produces 245 horsepower.
In the transmission department the Murano’s engineering resembles its styling. A CVT (continuously variable transmission) is the only transmission offered. CVTs promise both better performance and fuel economy. They offer the former by permitting the engine to be held at or near its power peak when maximum acceleration is called for. CVTs permit marginally better fuel economy than conventional automatics (roughly ten percent) by offering taller gearing than those with fewer than six speeds and by eliminating the torque converter.
The Murano’s all-wheel-drive system resembles that in many SUVs based on front-wheel-drive cars. Normally all torque is routed through the front wheels. When more traction is called for, some torque is automatically routed to the rear. A button on the dash allows the torque split to be locked at 50-50.
So, does the Murano’s performance match up to its looks? Mostly. Even motivating two tons the 3.5-liter six is plenty strong. The CVT helps, keeping revs high at full throttle. Even lugging a heavy vehicle the big Nissan six never feels or sounds so winded, and it’s much smoother than any four. Consequently, the nonlinear nature of the CVT is less obvious.
Sadly, all was not well with the Murano I drove. Under heavy throttle much driveline vibration was evident. This vibration could even be felt from the passenger seat. This might apply only to the vehicle I drove, or to all of them. I do not know. It did make me wonder if reliability might become an issue.
Handling was similarly uneven. Even without the sport suspension of the SE, the Murano SL leans little in hard turns and generally feels very balanced and stable. Many people evaluate handling on highway on-ramps, and here the Murano excels. Along a curvy road, the Murano’s chassis feels agile for a vehicle of its size, much less ponderous than a Honda Pilot and more tied down than a Toyota Highlander. Still, I never felt as if I was driving a car. The Murano is too tall and heavy for that.
My largest issue with the handling involved the steering. I enjoyed the heft of the steering, but would have appreciated more feel. Even the Toyota’s steering offers more feedback, not to mention the X5’s. (The Pilot’s is downright numb.) Most of all, I would have appreciated more even steering effort. When the Murano is driven aggressively, the steering effort sometimes dances all over the map, with sudden changes. Most people will never drive the Murano aggressively enough to notice, but an SUV with such sporty pretensions deserves better engineering in this area.
The Murano rode fairly well during my test drive. I wouldn’t call it luxurious, but it certainly was not as harsh as some reviews led me to expect. A big caveat: I test drove the Murano in Virginia, not my home state of Michigan. The roads there are so much smoother than I am used to that just about any car seems to ride well.
Towards the end of the test drive something started burning under the hood of the Murano. At first we thought we were smelling the diesel truck in front of us, but then I realized that that acrid smell was us. The person in the next lane actually lowered his window to inform us, "Man, your truck is smokin!" Most likely some undercoating was sloppily applied to the exhaust manifold, but it could have been something more serious.
I did not measure fuel economy. I notice that owners are complaining about fuel economy in the high teens in their reviews. Given the power and weight of the Murano, this is what I'd personally expect, at best.
Pricing
For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.
The following is from when the review was originally written:
As I’ve already alluded, the Murano while more affordable than a BMW X5 is still somewhat pricey. A base front-wheel-drive SL lists for nearly $29,000. All-wheel-drive adds $1,600 (a bit more than some charge, less than others), pushing the price over thirty. Want leather? Then you must also order the overpriced “premium package” ($1,499 gets you a Bose stereo, power adjustable pedals, and a cargo cover) and the sunroof. (On the other hand, the $1,299 leather package includes the HID lamps, a power passenger seat, and other niceties; a bargain if Edmunds has this price right.) Check the box for heated seats (leather isn’t so nice on a cold morning), and the sticker runs to $34,635. Check off all the boxes and forty draws near. Edmunds suggests that dealers typically knock off about $700. At these prices, all of that plastic in the interior looks really, really cheap.
By any rational measure, a Honda Pilot represents a much better value. It’s larger, has higher quality interior with a third row seat, and lists for $31,000 with leather. This price does not include a sunroof or heated seats; for these you must buy the pricier Acura MDX. Even after adjusting for these and the minimal discounting on this model, the Murano runs about $1,500 more. However, if you want sporty, then the Pilot is out of the running.
The same goes for the Toyota Highlander. A Highlander equipped like the Murano I drove lists for $34,200. However, according to Edmunds the typical dealer discount brings the price down to about $30,500, just above invoice. This is over three grand under the Murano. However, the Highlander looks downright bland compared to the Murano and leans much more in turns. The Highlander does have a nicer interior and rides better. For most people, which vehicle is more appealing should be clear. It’s almost apples and oranges.
The vehicle most similar in concept to the Murano is the much-maligned Pontiac Aztek. Not many people are willing to consider the Aztek after the widespread criticism it has received. Still, I would argue that the Aztek looks much better than it did now that its styling has been tweaked, and its package is practical. The Aztek’s handling isn’t quite as sharp, its engine is much weaker, and its interior feels even cheaper than that of the Murano. But its price is much lower. Even with leather, sunroof, and uplevel stereo the sticker is just under thirty. After the typical dealer discount and a $3,000 rebate the price comes to about $24,400. This is almost ten thousand less than the Murano, which should help make up for the Aztek’s shortcomings.
The Murano’s price is high enough that some people might want to find a bit extra for the Infiniti FX35 (an SUV based on the 350Z/G35 platform). Comparably equipped the Infiniti lists for $38,845. Dealers discount them very little according to Edmunds. This is nearly five grand more than the Murano. For those who really care about handling and the quality of interior materials the extra money will be well spent.
The BMW X5 3.0 even lightly optioned with heated leather seats and a sunroof runs over $44,000. It’s interior is far nicer than the others here, but it also has the tightest rear seat and cargo area. Handling is agile yet the driving position and vehicle as a whole feel truckier than with the Murano.
Last Words
Recommended with reservations. The exterior turns me on, but the interior turns me off. The powertrain is versatile, but could benefit from further refinement. The handling is very good for an SUV, largely fulfilling the sporty styling. Even if other SUVs begin to be perceived as family vehicles, the Murano will not be. All in all, the Murano might be a bit undercooked in places, but I suspect that many people will be drawn to this unique package.
To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 34,635
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: SL AWD
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.