12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Stylish and versatile, should please everyone.
Date of Review: Feb 12, 2008
The Bottom Line: With it's stylish looks and versatility, I think the Murano will please.
I bought a 2006 Murano SL 4x4 for my wife's 30th. First impression is that the price was a bit steep, but once I compared it to other similar SUV's, mainly the CX-7, I found the Nissan to be a good value because of the standard (SL) options. Starting with the engine; there is plenty of power, though the CVT transmission sometimes has trouble delivering it. The CVT takes time to get used to, and seems to slip excessively, switch to sport mode and the slipping is gone, but now the engine hangs around 4K RPM. The brakes are firm and well balanced. After a few hard stops I did not notice any fade. The steering is just heavy enough for the sports car feel, and light enough for parking lots. The handling on the other hand was a different story. Based on the SUV's sporty looks I would expect a firmer, more balanced suspension. The back end is too soft and there is quite a bit of body roll. Nissan should offer a sport suspension package, I'm sure it would be successful. On to the interior; Materials have a nice fit and finish, though the aluminum trim is too thin and dings easily. The Bose sound system is short on sound/power, but then again, every car I have owned with a Bose system was weak. Cargo room is decent for such a low roof line and rear seat room is surprisingly good, that coming from someone that is 6'4". My love of the Murano came up short with the front seats. First of all they are too high, even my 5'5" wife agrees they should be lower. Second, they are way too soft and offer no lateral support. The body roll exaggerates the seats lack of support and you end up getting tossed around on the corners. Gas mileage is what I would expect for a 245 horse power V6 tugging at 4000lbs. I see others complain about mileage in reviews, I think they are expecting miracles. If your looking for more than 20MPG, stick with a 4 cylinder, like a CRV. And as reliability goes, to date I'm at 30K miles and have not noticed any problems other than the 4WD lock is temperamental. Also, I can't see the CVT transmission being reliable past 80K miles.
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