2015 Nissan Murano
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Overview: Lock eyeballs on the 2015 Nissan Murano and it’s not likely you’ll un-see it anytime soon. Nissan’s third-generation “flagship crossover” sports a jutting chin and sci-fi styling worthy of a Star Warsflick. As with the smaller Juke crossover, the mid-size two-row Murano is designed to stand out in parking lots now teeming with crossovers and SUVs. It’s a standout inside as well, with an edgy design theme, a long list of standard luxuries, and spread-out room for five.
Nissan doesn’t cram a tiny third-row seat into the Murano, and despite its “floating,” arcing roofline it offers more cargo space than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Volkswagen Touareg, or the Ford Edge. Think of the Murano as a tall, hatchback iteration of the Maxima sedan, sharing drivetrain and chassis bits, and Nissan’s flagship-crossover descriptor seems less of a stretch. The Maxima DNA makes itself known in the Murano’s well-damped body motions, naturally weighted steering, and crisp brake response.
The Murano’s single engine choice, the 3.5-liter V-6 from Nissan’s VQ engine family, may be getting on in years, but its ample torque and eager throttle response don’t disappoint. The 2015 Murano is offered in four trim levels, each available with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. We drove a top-of-the-line 2015 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD for this review.
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What’s New: The Murano’s 3.5-liter V-6 and most underpinnings carry over from the previous model, but the look inside and out is all new. Available on the Murano for the first time is Nissan’s highly useful AroundView monitor that stitches together feeds from cameras located in the grille, liftgate, and side mirrors to create a 360-degree overhead view of the Murano and the surrounding terrain in the dash display when backing up. For 2015, the Xtronic continuously variable automatic transmission gets a wider ratio spread for improved response and taller final-drive gearing for better highway fuel economy. The four-model lineup includes S, SV, SL, and a new Platinum grade that replaces last year’s top-dog LE. There’s a welcome 2.4 inches more rear-seat legroom this year, as well.
What We Like: While all Muranos come loaded with lots of standard equipment, the SL and Platinum trim levels are particularly well outfitted. The cabin is pleasingly quiet. NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats up front and in the two outboard rear positions provide all-day comfort and support. Door and center armrests and console sides are nicely padded; overall, materials are a cut above the norm. A logically arrayed infotainment system and uncluttered center stack provide a pleasing aesthetic. Reclining rear seatbacks and remote rear-seat fold-down releases in the cargo area are thoughtful touches. And the aforementioned Around View monitor is a feature all cars should have someday.
What We Don’t Like: The Murano’s expressive/aggressive styling comes at a price, with a bulbous hood and thick rear roof pillars that inhibit the driver’s ability to see developing traffic situations and place the car on the road. Available technology, such as blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alerts, as well as forward-collision warning and emergency braking, restore some confidence but don’t take the place of clear sightlines. On the other hand, we’ve finally achieved a state of détente with Nissan’s continuously variable automatic transmission, which after numerous tweaks and refinements over the years does a credible job of moving the stylish crossover. We only wish that its new manual shift mode worked with steering-wheel-mounted paddles instead of the console shifter.
Verdict: Aggressively agreeable.
