This week we look at the 2021 Nissan Murano. Murano has been around since 2003 and underwent a complete re-do in 2019. Other than a few new colors like the Boulder Gray I am reviewing, not much has changed.
This two-row, 5-passenger SUV has extremely sharp lines down the sides, the traditional V-Shaped Nissan grill, the floating roof, and dual exhaust in the rear. I love the look of the optional 20” black satin alloy wheels.
Under the hood is the tried-and-true Nissan 3.5 V6 engine that puts out 260-horses and 240-pound feet of torque. Unlike most SUVs in this segment, Nissan has resisted going with a 4-cylinder turbo, the six banger is rather old school, but it works.
The engine is mated with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which I generally do not like, but years ago Nissan programmed in shift simulation, so it doesn’t feel so awkward and it’s hard to tell it is a CVT. My review vehicle is All-Wheel drive, but front-wheel drive comes standard.
Murano comes in four trim levels, from bottom to top is the S, the SV, the SL, and what you see here, the range-topping Platinum.
I was somewhat shocked when I opened the door to see the interior. The diamond quilted seats looked amazing and everything was so well laid out.
As I sat behind the power tilt and heated steering wheel, the analog gauge cluster was easy to see, and in the middle is a 7” easily configurable driver notification center.
Everything inside is premium materials and the center console has a couple of cupholders, an extra cell phone holder, USB ports, and controls for the heated and cooled front power seats.
Above that is an 8” color display that you operate all audio, Bluetooth, Navigation System, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM. You can also call up Alexa. I was a bit disappointed there was no HD radio, but it was refreshing to see a CD player. I also love the knobs for volume and channel surfing.
Moving to the back seat, it has plenty of leg and headroom, the seats are heated, there are air conditioning vents, and two USB ports capable of charging.
The cargo area is ample, and the tailgate is power, albeit slower than most I test. The second-row seats fold down to give you a very large cargo area. Underneath, you will find an actual spare tire and wheel.
The Platinum comes extremely loaded with features like remote start and keyless entry, power panoramic moonroof, LED headlights, Bose sound system, and the rear door alert in case you forget precious cargo when you get to your destination.
On the safety front, every Murano comes with standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Automatic Braking and Intelligent Driver Alertness, which helps alert the driver when drowsy driving is detected.
Fuel economy for a six-cylinder, all-wheel drive SUV is good at 20 in town and 28 on the highway. MSRP on this SUV as equipped is $49,380 but Nissan is usually very generous with incentives to help get the price down.
In summary, the Murano drives great, it handles well, acceleration is good, and the interior quietness was noticeable. Best of all, there is NO start/stop technology to turn off.
It is sort of refreshing to kick it old school, no turbo, no start/stop, a real spare, and a CD player.
Although the Murano is not in the luxury SUV category, I would submit to you that with this interior, the Murano Platinum is pretty darned close.
Credit: Nissan