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2007 Nissan MuranoStarting MSRP N/A

Published on 01/11/2007

Test DriveA Sharp, Populist CampaignNissan's stylish Murano is many things to many people, just as a crossover vehicle should be. Its stiff suspension andconvoluted options packages are among the few drawbacks.

By Shane Kite

Succeeding at what’s typically a losing proposition, Nissan’s Murano offers a little bit of everything to everybody. It’s thepopulist goal of all so-called crossover vehicles. They’re not cars. They’re not trucks. They’re certainly not – eeesh – minivans.They aim to combine attributes of all three.

While the preferred comparison may be “junior-” or “mini-SUV,” crossover vehicles are essentially oversize wagons, or better-looking, restyled, more-versatile minivans.

Nissan takes the aesthetic appeal of the Murano seriously: It’s named after an island off the coast of Venice known for elegantglassmaking.

Like all crossovers, the Murano is aimed at attracting a gamut of buyers, from road-tripping young couples and families tourban singles seeking a ride with the functional power to host on-road adventures while toting friends and cargo — but in avehicle that’s easy to parallel park and maneuver.

What crossovers offer most is a much-needed option — an out, really — to a long-suffering set of buyers (often first-timeparents) who seem genuinely stricken to admit their choice of automobile includes a minivan.

Because they’re often smaller, but comparatively spacious inside to truck-based SUVs and minivans, crossovers are stealingmarket share from both categories. They lack the outward bulk of traditional SUVs and the frumpy, oft-maligned appearancestandard with minivans. But they offer the roominess and versatility of each, with sleeker styling and car-like performance.

While crossovers come in all-wheel-drive versions, they are built on car-based chassis. TheMurano is based on the same platform as Nissan’s Altima sedan and is powered by the same3.5-liter V6 engine that hums under the Nissan 350Z sports car. While not truly meant for dustyor muddy trails, crossovers like the Murano are built to tackle the urban tussle, inclement weather and workaday challenges thatface around-town drivers.

http://www.forbesautos.com/reviews/2006/nissan/murano/test-drive_print.htmlGo MAY JUN

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face around-town drivers.

In a week-long road-test that took us from rush-hour Manhattan traffic to a preseason Coney Island in Brooklyn, the Muranoconfirmed its crossover claims. A fully-loaded, AWD Murano SL proved itself gracefully able, showcasing excellent handlingand interior comfort.

Combining utilitarian practicality with good looks, nice features, a serene interior and above-average performance, the Muranoshould offer a good option for those who can afford it.

The AWD 2006 SL we tested posts a $30,750 starting MSRP, excluding options, which can boost the cost of the car by $4,600,if one chooses the Touring Package. Besides the luxury-oriented SL, starting MSRPs and trim levels for AWD Muranos includethe base S ($29,200) and sport-tuned SE ($31,700).

Front-wheel-drive versions are available only in the S ($27,600) and the SL ($29,150) this year.

Viewed as a vehicle geared more toward utility than sport, the Murano excelled in testing. It’s a car of great capability, with anadroitly engineered frame, smartly apportioned, spacious interior, hearty performance and adept maneuvering. Its cargo-totingfeatures, good looks and versatility outweighed a few noticeable glitches, which, for me, were rendered mostly irrelevant,considering the vehicle’s overall performance.

Plus, it’s about $5,000 to $10,000 cheaper than BMW’s X5 and, arguably, just as capable. In this way, Nissan succeeded at thehardest part in designing a crossover, which is avoiding skimping on performance and standard amenities by trying to make acar be many things to many people. By focusing on what counts in appealing to such a diversified audience — which is day-to-day driving capability — Nissan offers in the Murano a crossover in which practicality and flexibility are true strengths.

Exterior

Since it was introduced at auto shows in 2002, the Murano has turned heads with its sharp good looks — what Nissan calls“sculpture in motion.” Its wraparound, muscular design and wide stance with curvy, inverted lines, toothy ventilated grill, gray-colored rear spoiler and double exhaust still stand out after four years on the market.

For 2006, Nissan lowered the bumper a bit in front, equipped the S and SL with 18-inch alloywheels that have six spokes instead of five and added a brushed-aluminum rear-bumperprotector.

A gray-colored strip with raised vertical lines lies on top of the back bumper, where it meets the hatch and protects the rear lipfrom scratching when loading and unloading the cargo hold.

Chrome side sills new for 2006 on the SL and SE trims correspond to the metallic handles on each of the Muranos’ four doors,and the bumper guard matches the spoiler above the dual pipes. Standard LED rear combination lamps and fog lamps (the latterstandard only on the SL and SE) are new, as well.

The original designers of the Murano pushed the wheels out to the far corners of the vehicle to maximize its stability. Thisfront-engine, front-drive platform continues to enhance the Murano’s ground-hugging stability and also underpins Nissan’sMaxima, Altima and Quest lines. The Infiniti FX35 and FX45 can be thought of as more upscale and differently styled versionsof the Murano.

Although height, width, length and wheelbase haven’t changed, the 2006 Muranos are slightly heavier than last year’s. TheAWD S and SL are each 16 pounds larger — with 3,983-pound and 3,993-pound curb weights, respectively — and the AWDSE is 15 pounds bigger, at 3,996 pounds overall. A Nissan spokesman could not explain the added weight and did not get backto us with a definitive answer by publication time.

New colors added for 2006 include Sunset Red and Brilliant Silver.

Interior

A 6-foot-1-inch friend of mine commented favorably on the decumbent lines of the low-set dash and oversize front windshield,saying he had plenty of leg- and headroom sitting in the front passenger seat. He pointed out the upward slope of the roof as itrises from the front.

Combined with the scooped-out top and sides, the Murano’s interior design makes it feel as ifone were riding in an incredibly spacious, glass-blown oval — albeit a tastefully designed one.The low dash lines provide optimum driving visibility as well as comfort. The instrument panel




The low dash lines provide optimum driving visibility as well as comfort. The instrument panel— a nicely rendered, triple-dialed module — is always easy to view behind the adjustable steering wheel.

For 2006, Nissan illuminated the cruise control and stereo buttons on the steering wheel to improve visibility. Volume, muteand song scrolling tabs on the left side of the wheel operate the stereo. Our SL had a 225-watt, seven-speaker, six-CD Bosestereo with an in-dash cassette player as part of Premium Package options offered in both the SL and SE. Six-speakerCD/radios come standard on all SL and SE trims, while the S comes with a four-speaker model.

The Murano offers 81.6 cubic feet of cargo storage in the back with the second-row seats folded flat and the hatch closed.However that’s cut by about 60 percent to 32.6 cubic feet with the second-row seats upright. So those taking road trips orgrocery runs with the kids will need to plan accordingly.

Three or four should fit comfortably in this five-seater, though, and families will find it convenient for transporting kids andcargo simultaneously.

It could also double as a reliable weekend getaway ride. If you pack right — meaning light —maximum baggage and seating capacity likely tops out at four, but three adults with ampleluggage is probably the optimum occupancy level for long trips. Group golf outings, fishing orski trips may require placing some baggage on the roof, secured through the side rails of the canopy, which are optional on allMurano models.

Although a retractable cover over the cargo area can be useful for hiding valuables when the car is parked, it basically got in ourway, making it tougher to load the car. It’s easily removed for those who prefer not to use it. It comes with the ConveniencePackage on the S model and with five different packages on the SL and SE variants but isn’t available à la carte.

Options included in the SL that we liked were satellite radio (which requires a monthly subscription fee) and a DVDentertainment system for second-row viewing. The latter is ingeniously tucked into the center console between the front-rowbucket seats. It doesn’t obstruct the driver’s center-mirror rear view as do some DVD systems with screens that fold down fromthe roof. The DVD loader sits in the main compartment between the front seats, while the DVD screen folds out from the tophalf of the console’s double-lid to face the second row. A remote control and headphones are included.

A navigation system is one pricey option, which utilizes the Murano’s now-standard seven-inch LCD color display screen inthe dash, but requires purchasing the Touring Package ($4,600 on the AWD SL) plus the cost of the system itself ($1,800 on theAWD SL). Controls are located in the center of the dash in what Nissan calls a one-piece “floating pod.”

Regardless of whether I made one wrong turn or 14, the navigation system worked well, instantly correcting for driver error bysupplying renewed and accurate directions, both audibly (in a female voice prompt that can be deactivated) and on-screen. Thevoice-based directions dampen or override the stereo’s volume when it’s on.

But the navigation button used to punch in destinations was oversensitive — touch-screencapability would be a great improvement. One must also press the “settings” button to set thevolume of the voice prompt — not an easy or recommended task when driving.

Another interior glitch was that the headrest of the front passenger seat blocks a bit of the driver’s view outside the passenger-side windows. This, for some, could make merging right more challenging, yet I found it easy to compensate by consulting theexterior rearview mirror on the passenger side and looking out the back window.

Small, seemingly innocuous features scored points: Cupholders are made to fit oversize water jugs for thirsty riders; andsecond-row seats can be tumbled forward by pulling a lever located in the rear cargo hold on the right of the back side-panel.The SL also includes three 12-volt auxiliary power outlets; the S comes with two.

The rearview camera, which comes standard in the SL and SE trims but isn’t available on S models, along with the vehicle’ssedan-like length, made the Murano the easiest vehicle I’ve ever driven to parallel park. I was able to squeeze into some of thetightest spaces in my New York neighborhood.

The Murano has one of the quietest interiors I’ve experienced, as well. Raising up the windows practically muted the outsideworld. When the glass became flush with the upper housing, the ear-piercing screech of trucks and cement-cutters clogging theconstruction-plagued Brooklyn-Queens Expressway were silenced, as was the industrial hum of Red Hook, Brooklyn, where wewent to buy a key lime pie.

The Murano comes in two interior colors, Charcoal and Café Latte, with real aluminum — asharp, nice touch — added to the Murano’s center console, shift area, instrument panel anddoor trim.



door trim.

Nissan could certainly have tried harder to avoid confusing consumers with a dozen different options packages, including theConvenience Package; the Premium Package; the Sunroof Package; the Leather Package; the Leather and Sunroof Package; theTouring Package; the Dynamic Control Package; and the Navigation Package, among others.

Among the many drawbacks to this convoluted options-package hierarchy, there are a couple of glaring ones: First, heated seatsare not available on the S trim and are only offered on the SL and SE as part of the pricey Touring Package ($4,400 to $5,050,depending on drivetrain and trim). Secondly, traction and stability control — among the most important safety featurescurrently available — aren’t offered on the base S trim. And on the SL and SE versions, they cost $750 extra as the DynamicControl Package, but that can only be ordered in conjunction with the pricey Touring Package.

If you’re seriously considering a Murano, we suggest you go directly to Nissan’s website to sort out the gritty details beforehitting a dealership (http://www.nissanusa.com/murano/packages.html).

Performance

The Murano drove more like a car, enabling me to breeze through side streets made narrow by double-parked cars and idlingtrucks.

The bubble-like interior can make it feel as if one is operating a much larger vehicle than isactually the case — it took a while to accurately perceive the exterior dimensions of the carfrom the sphere inside to optimally handle and maneuver it. But once I became accustomed,and got my courage up, I found it easy to thread the Murano successfully through the urban narrows, between tight spaceswhich had previously seemed like side-scratching endeavors.

The standard 245-hp 3.5-liter V6 powertrain is as silent as it is responsive. It provided quick, assured acceleration in passinglanes. The Murano’s continuously variable transmission (CVT), a system of belts and pulleys, makes speeding up a quiet butcontrolled and non-jerky affair. There are no gears changing in the enhanced automatic transmission, but a system of pulleysthat vary the ratio of a drive belt to simulate different gears.

Another benefit of the Murano’s standard CVT is improved fuel efficiency. It posts decent gas mileage for a larger car: Nissansays the AWD models achieve 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway, while FWD versions reach 20 mpg city/25 mpg highway. Whilethose numbers are optimistic estimates manufactured in optimal conditions, the 21.7-gallon tank didn’t require refueling untilthe final day I had the vehicle, after a full week of varied, daily driving that included several lengthy road trips.

While some have complained of losing the nuances of feeling the gears shift during motoring and missing the variance inengine noise typical of more traditional transmissions, the absence of the former and decreased presence of the latter seemedlike pluses to me.

Ride quality was adequate, but hit a pothole in this car and you will feel it. On well-tended roads, the Murano SL cruisedquietly and uneventfully, but it reacted rather jarringly to holes in the pavement, making off-roading an unlikely pastime. That’snot to say that the bumps ever threw the car. They didn’t. The Murano retained its stability in all such conditions. Notoriouslycratered, many cars react similarly to Manhattan potholes. But the Murano’s wide, stiff chassis combined with a sometimesless-than-forgiving suspension seemed to contribute to a lack of bump-absorption.

Yet these same attributes helped provide adept maneuvering and stability: Handling felt superb.The broad stance, lengthy wheelbase and tough frame combined with the responsive engine,gave the car a road-hugging quality but lent flexibility along with the control. I was able toeasily flick in and out of lanes in order to move ahead of slower traffic on a wide, four-lane, one-way avenue.

But beware, if a big jolt from the occasional serious bump in the road seems as if it would be overtaxing, then avoid the SE’seven-stiffer sport-tuned suspension.

Standard safety features include responsive four-wheel vented disc brakes that have a brake-assist function to boost brakingpressure in emergencies, and electronic brakeforce distribution to shorten stopping distance by selectively applying increasedforce to each wheel’s brake. Besides the obligatory front airbags, roof-mounted side-impact/rollover curtain-style airbagsprotect front and rear passengers. Other safety features include a child-seat anchor and tether system as well as front and rear“crumple zone” construction intended to protect passengers in accidents.

Is the Murano for You?

Buy this Transportation needs shift between kids, groceries, road-tripping and

Buy thisVehicle if

Transportation needs shift between kids, groceries, road-tripping andsporting gear; you need a roomy vehicle that can deftly handle thechallenges of day-to-day city driving; you seek SUV-like versatility in asmaller, less-expensive package.

KeepLooking if

You need, and can afford, a larger truck-based SUV to tow or haul heavyloads or drive over rough terrain; you need seating for more than five, inwhich case a minivan or larger SUV with third-row seating is worthconsidering.

Who Fits? Four will fit more comfortably than the maximum seating capacity of five;and perhaps three is optimum occupancy for longer trips requiring lots ofluggage.

Options WorthSplurging on

Convenience Package ($800) on the S model, which includes roof rails,cargo cover, adjustable pedals and other useful items; on SL and SEmodels, the Premium Package ($1,650), which includes roof rails, cargocover, adjustable pedals and an upgraded Bose sound system, amongother items; on all models, roof rail crossbars ($190) and the 3,500-pound-rated tow package ($590) for active, outdoorsy types.

ClosestCompetitors

Subaru B9 TribecaHonda PilotLexus RX 530Toyota Highlander HybridBuick Rendezvous

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