Intro

The new Nissan Murano falls into the luxury SUV market. The looks are also an acquired taste for most, but I can guarantee you that if you don’t like it at first it does grow on you. I am writing this user review on the back of spending in excess of 6 000 km in this vehicle. This vehicle has done a long distance trip, mild off-roading and normal day to day use. The keyless operation of the vehicle is something I can get used to.

General

This vehicle is equipped with everything you may require. It has a rear camera for reversing which shows which direction you are intending to go based on the turn of the front wheels. It also has a side camera for parallel parking. It has a 6 CD Bose sound system with 2 subwoofers and 11 speakers. The system is iPod capable, but unfortunately you need an add-on for full control. The CD player can handle mp3 and WMA file formats. Oh, and just a sidenote: You can just hold the eject button for a few seconds and it will eject all cd’s contained in the unit and the same when loading a bunch of cd’s, you just hold load for a few seconds.

There is also a built in GPS navigation system. Bluetooth is also a standard on this system. The phone system is very good and phonebook capabilities are exceptional. All the other features that are standard nowadays on these types of vehicles include cruise-control, ABS, EBD, heated seats, electric windows, electrically adjustable seats, electrically adjustable steering, 6 airbags, dual zone climate control, etc. The rear seats are also adjustable electronically to fold flat or sit back up. When sitting at the back, with the front seats fully backed up, you get the feeling of sitting in a lounge. The Murano also has standard ISOfix for baby chairs. The Bi-Xenon headlamps ensure excellent visibility at night.

Performance

When you look at a vehicle of this size you generally do not expect much in terms of straight out racing type performance. The engine is the same as used in the legendary Nissan 350Z (VQ35DE). The acceleration in this vehicle is very good taking you from zero to 100 in a mere 8.7s. The braking is also supportive of this acceleration. The Murano is equipped with the Nissan CVT gearbox and only comes in this one option. It is also manually selectable should you feel the need to do shifts yourself. The pro of the CVT is that you can hardly detect the shifts between gears. It does however find itself sometimes not too sure of what gear it should be in.

Ride and Handling

This is a very comfortable vehicle with all the luxuries you may require. It is very steady on the road. I also felt very comfortable with the cornering capabilities as you can hardly notice any body roll in sharp corners. The power assistance on the steering is spot on. According to Nissan the assist is at its highest at slow speeds and then let go a bit at higher speeds.

The one area that concerns me is road holding in stormy conditions. I experienced quite a bit of aquaplaning on more than one occasion in extremely wet weather. This could be due to the choice in tyres, Bridgestone Dueler, that comes standard.

When going through off road terrain that could potentially lead to you getting stuck, you just switch on the 4x4 option and disengage the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Controls). This is also the time I prefer to change over to manual shifting. Going through a lot of mud I never got the feeling that the Murano are not going to make it. It however is not a vehicle for full off roading.

Conclusion

This is a very comfortable vehicle for the family. With the price at testing stage at R488 000 it is in the same price league as the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. To extend the service plan to a full maintenance plan will take the total price up just shy of the R500k mark. In money terms vs performance, the Murano makes a lot of sense as an option. If you are in this segment of the market, give the Murano a test drive.

Thanks to IC Auto Nissan Roodepoort for the vehicle.