Nissan Murano 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • gust334gust334 Member Posts: 75
    It appears that the Murano seat/mirrors/pedals return to the last position used with any authorized key. It doesn't appear to distinguish between key1, key2, and the valet key.

    My father's GM car is smart enough to have different settings (seat/mirrors/climate/audio) per individual key/fob, but not this Nissan.

    Bummer, because it could all be handled via a trivial bit of software if Nissan chose to do it.
  • baataboombaataboom Member Posts: 23
    Thanks,
    I wasn't having any luck with either key. Then I found a menu option for automatically positioning the seat/etc that was unselected by default. It seems to work now for one key. I'll try the other key this evening. The docs say that individual settings are associated with each key.
    Mark
  • ppnffppnff Member Posts: 65
    Does anyone know if the Murano has undergone any crash tests? Given that the Murano is based on the Altima platform and the crash tests for the Altima were simply average, should I suspect the Murano crash results will be average? Thanks.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I think I was able to get my ADP (key matched with seat/mirror/pedal position) but it sure didn't "take" the first few times I tried it.
    Next on the list is to get the garage door (HomeLink?) opener in the Murano to open my garage door. Someone has to stand on a ladder by the garage door opener motor while someone else sits in the Murano and pushes the "learn" button. Since I live alone I haven't figured out quite how to accomplish this.
  • jr26jr26 Member Posts: 7
    You have a couple of pretty good options. I recommend Option 2:

    1. Go to the Automobile Protection Association website www.apa.ca For $26.75 you can request dealer invoice costs for the model you want and any options. Be sure to include any options you want or that even interest you in the request - it all costs the same. In the request ask what a fair amount would be to offer towards dealer profit, and if there is any holdback amount which is another source of dealer profit. You can lay the cost information without the profit number out in front of the sales person when you negotiate and work up to the maximum profit you want to pay them, or make them a take-or-leave offer. Make it clear you are ready to buy, but be prepared to get up and walk out.

    2. Use a broker. APA should be able to recommend one in your area, or they may be in the phone book. They do all the work in point 1 for a fee, usually $500 to $700, and act as your agent, not the dealer's, if anything goes wrong. (This fact saved us an additional $2000 on a manufacturer's rebate the dealer tried hard to quietly keep on the first vehicle we bought. Our broker paid for himself right there.) They don't have to be in your immediate area, they can deliver to the dealer closest to you. We used an excellent broker for both our vehicles, including our Murano, and will never go back to the showroom to negotiate again. They can do in five minutes what it took us two and a half hours to do the last time we haggled for a Pathfinder, and without the subsequent tricks and scams after the deal was "signed". That alone was worth their fee.

    Good luck!
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    I don't know about the situation in Canada. But here in the US, you could probably get a Murano for less than $700 USD above invoice with a little negotiation, so paying a broker even a few hundred dollars probably wouldn't make sense. In addition, one can get the latest information on invoice and rebates from edmunds.com for free, or go to counsmerreports.org and order a wholesale price breakdown for a specific vehicle for only $10. You could also use a "no haggle" buyer's service, like costcoauto. Of course, the situation might be completely different north of the border!
  • nissanlove2001nissanlove2001 Member Posts: 11
    the homelink garage door opener is very easy to program. you just need to have a garage door opener already and it takes about a minute to do. you hold up the garage (while dpressing th open button)to the bottom of the mirror and choose the button you want to use on the mirror to control the door. very easy. just refer to the manual.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Thanks but what you say only works for "older" garage door openers. Those (like mine) built after something like 1995 are more complicated in that they use a revolving set of codes not a single fixed code so it takes 2 people to align/set the HomeLink in the auto to the garage door opener. This is all explained in the manual by the way.
    :)
  • cookie01cookie01 Member Posts: 369
    Excellent reason to ask someone out on a date!!
    "hey, why don't we go back to my place and program my homelink?"

    ha!
  • al63017al63017 Member Posts: 149
    I programmed my new garage door opener by standing on the floor and pushing that little red learn button with a handle of a broom on the ceiling part of my Craftsman opener. You have 30 seconds or so after you push that to program. It worked well after doing all the steps. The first step of holding down both buttons on the mirror and all the blinking stuff plus then hold the key fob by the mirror can be done before you push the learn button on your opener. That way you do not panic trying to do all those steps in 30 seconds. This method worked for me.

    I talked to a broker about buying a Murano and he said if you do not mind a little discussion that you will get as good a deal as they can and in fact they practically do no more of that type of business. This is the Midwest so maybe other areas are different. I paid 300 over invoice by using carmax prices as a reference. Just start way low "how much under invoice can I buy this car for" If you offer 500 or 700 over first they will never take that and shoot for 1000 or more over. I just start simple and ask if I can buy one for under invoice knowing that I probably can't but at least you set the expectations that way for them. I also always ask for the Internet salesperson or leasing person if they handle those transactions. Always keep the trade separate if you have one and talk about that after you agree on a price or ask for price with and without your trade to get the real cash they will put into your vehicle. A little over invoice is getting easier these are not good car buying times.

    St. Louis area.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    It'll be a nice change from, "come back to my place and see my etchings".
    :)
  • gust334gust334 Member Posts: 75
    Park under the opener motor assembly. Open Murano sunroof. Stand up on seats straddling center console. Hit button on motor unit with one hand, hit buttons on Murano mirror with other hand.

    Isn't that the whole point of a sunroof? ;-)
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Hi Larry,
    I'm height challenged.
    :)
    Darn, all these years I thought a sunroof was to let fresh air in and to see the sky only to learn it's so I can park under the garage door opener to align the HomeLink while sticking myself up through it!
    :)
    Brother's stopping by Sunday for a few days on his annual trek from FL to TN;, will get him to assist but thank you for the plausible if seemingly (to me anyway) humorous suggestion. I laugh when I picture it in my mind.
  • rjardinerjardine Member Posts: 18
    Thanks for the tips, now I know there is an alternate to Car Cost Canada

    To UNCLEDAVID. You guys to the south have no idea how lucky you are to have sources such as Edmunds - for free!! Hoping Edmunds will soon show invoice pricing for the Murano and a more accurate TMV that does not match MSRP That will also give a clue as to manouvering room in negotiations with the dealer.
  • gust334gust334 Member Posts: 75
    Glad you got a laugh out of the mental image! Of course, I was only kidding about it, but now you've got me wondering if it might work...

    Just got a survey from Nissan with many, many detailed questions about the climate system. I am hoping they are looking for ways to reduce the noise level while improving warm-up in cold weather. Anybody else get one?
  • soontoretiresoontoretire Member Posts: 1
    That summarizes my feelings about edmunds.com,& the SL AWD pewter/charcoal leather + all options except entertainment center.
    Discussions of all new model SUVs since last October gave me direction and info not available elsewhere, and led me to discard the Highlander and Pilot as potential replacements for my QX4.
    Have logged a bit over 500 miles since taking delivery on 2/28. Audio is great, vision of road outstanding, ride and handling are delicious, turning ratio better than most, comfort of seats will feel good after taking road trip of approx 2000 miles planned for this summer, navigation systems is superior to what I anticipated, and the 22.1 MPG to date exceeds expectations too. Of course paying $176 over invoice really made me buy about 30 days before I planned to, in this area of the foothills of the Rockies.
    Many kudos to all contributors. To those who have already purchased...congrats. To those who haven't to date...hope you make the right decision for yourself.
  • email77email77 Member Posts: 27
    Hi
    Just pick up my new Murano SE, every thing is O.K. and nice. One thing I just can't understand is the Auto-dimming rearview mirror. can this thing set to off all the time. every time I start the car it turn on by itself. I have to turn it off myself. Any one have trouble with the temp display? where I am is so cold in winter -35c the temp display is so slow to show the number one by one. may be it can't handle the cold.

    Thank you all
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    THIS IS MY SECOND CAR WITH AUTO DIMMING MIRROR, AND I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT THEY DON'T WORK WELL ENOUGH. THE OLD PRISM FLIP MIRROR IS MUCH BETTER. ALSO, YOU DON'T WANT TO TURN IT OFF, YOU'LL GET EVEN MORE GLARE.

    I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH TEMP DISPLAY AND IT SEEMS TO CATCH UP TO THE AMBIANT AIR TEMP FAIRLY QUICKLY.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    has anyone installed a five pin wiring harness (or for that matter, a four pin). anyone out there with factory wiring harness, is it a four or five pin harness, and where does it connect. thanks for the help. i started a separate topic on this.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Just came in today's mail.
    Comparison Test: Battle of the Neither-Nors, pages 92 thru 103. They tested a Buick Rendezvous CXL, Mitsubishi Endeavor Ltd., Toyota Highlander Ltd., Nissan Murano SE, and Honda Pilot EX. They placed in that order, the Buick last and the Honda first. They really liked the Murano but criticized its harsh ride, wish they would have tested the SL.
    Anyway, that's all for now.
  • nissanlove2001nissanlove2001 Member Posts: 11
    i have a canadian model sl and est mpg rating hasn't changed since we bought the car new 2 months ago. it's at either 17.5 or 17.5 l/100km
    i wounder if there's a glich or if anyone else is having this problem
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    Is there a torque steer problem on the FWD Muranos? I'm just wondering, because both the Maxima and Altima (based on the same chasis, and have the same engine) seem to suffer from that problem.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I have a US Murano SL AWD with roughly 600 miles. Got 18.1 mpg on high and mid octane and am presently getting 17.1 on regular. Drive short distances to town oven mountain roads in western NC. "Monk" (car's name) hasn't been near a 4-lane highway so expect (hope) mileage to improve with time and longer trips on highways.
  • jr26jr26 Member Posts: 7
    Good advice from everyone on paying near-invoice, but Edmunds invoice pricing is in US dollars. I have compared dealer cost prices in Canada to the US prices as well as margin between invoice and MSRP on Edmunds and after applying the prevailing exchange rate they are not comparable, and the differences are much more than can be accounted for by variations in exchange rates. The APA source I mentioned in my previous post is the best source I have found in Canada.

    I'm sure you all are savvy car buyers and didn't fall for any of these sales tactics, but here's what Edmunds has to say about invoice pricing:

    http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/lowdownlowpayments/59651/artic- - le.html

    http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/lowdownlowpayments/81545/artic- - le.html

    http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/76093/article.html

    http://www.edmunds.com/advice/static/html/43090/article.html#3

    All I'm saying is using a broker, at least the one I used, gets past all this stuff which I can't be bothered with.

    Also, the latest issue of Consumer Reports on new cars has an article on dealer scams which is quite good. They don't mention the Murano in their article on newly introduced vehicles but they do talk about the RX330 even though it is not even out yet, which is hard to understand. Their brief review of the Murano later in the issue sounds like they don't know much about it.
  • rbridgmanrbridgman Member Posts: 4
    Howdy all...new to the board. I drove a FWD SL and a 2004 Maxima SE 6-speed back-to-back and while the Maxima's torque steer was unbearable (far worse than my 1995 SE) the Murano didn't seem to be affected by torque steer at all. I think it has something to do with the way the CVT handles power transfer more smoothly than a manual trans would. I didn't floor the Murano, but torque steer wasn't noticeable on a moderately hard launch.

    Just FYI, the VPP pricing scheme doesn't seem to be in effect here in NJ, at least not at my participating dealer. He wanted $800 over invoice, which is more than the non-VPP dealer wanted. Unfortunately, the other dealer doesn't have the car I want (Polished Pewter/charcoal leather with moonroof and cold package). We'll see what happens...but there seems to be no advantage to being in a company that offers VPP, at least not at this point.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    I did this in my search for an Infiniti dealer to sell the FX for VPP:

    Go to the Nissan website and build your Murano.
    Once build is finished, try locating dealers within your area that has a similar/if not exact Murano.
    Pick a vehicle in the dealership's stock and contact the dealership. Under 'Enter Comments for your dealer', put a note asking if they are willing to sell this Murano via VPP.
    Now, wait for the email(s) or phone call(s), depending on your indicated method of contact preference.

    Based on my experience, all but one dealer would sell the FX via VPP. Try it and you might be pleasantly surprised. :)
  • rbridgmanrbridgman Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the info...I did tell the dealer I was looking for the VPP deal. He said they would do it on any car except the Murano and the 350Z, and that if I was willing to wait until July he'd be more likely to take the VPP program again.

    The other dealer does leases for my company, so he cut me a much better deal. But will my wife be happy with the midnight blue...we'll find out tomorrow when she goes and looks at it.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    I did tell the dealer I was looking for the VPP deal. He said they would do it on any car except the Murano and the 350Z, and that if I was willing to wait until July he'd be more likely to take the VPP program again.

    Yeah, this is the thing with VPP -- one dealer may choose not sell a vehicle via VPP but another one might. So, if I was really interested in a Nissan vehicle that is already eligible via VPP, I contact quite a few dealerships. That is, unless there is only one dealership close to me within 150 miles. :) If you're really serious about the Murano, I would cast a bigger net and see if I can get a bite on VPP. VPP will still be better than $800 over invoice, IMO.
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    Rbidgman - your comments about the CVT and torque steer are helpful and make sense.

    Thanks!
  • jr26jr26 Member Posts: 7
    If there has been no change in your fuel economy reading there must be something wrong, unless you are doing some severe driving. Ours started out at 18.4 litres/100 km at 50 km and has declined steadily to 13.1 at 4000 km. But it hasn't changed for a few weeks so maybe I now have the same problem? Next time it is refueled I plan to calculate it the old fashioned way with a calculator. The techs at the dealership, who were excellent with my old Pathfinder, told me optimum fuel economy won't happen until at least 8000 km. Since the 8.9 highway and 11.9 city estimates are calculated under ideal conditions I will be happy to get anywhere near those numbers. Even 13.1 now is still better than my Pathfinder.
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    you can Nissan's phone number to find out which vehicles are available for purchase via VPP.

    Last time I called (~ 2 weeks ago), the Nissan person told me that the following vehicles are NOT available through the VPP program:

    - 350Z
    - G35 Coupe
    - Murano

    He mentioned that these may be VPP eligible later in the year.
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    Could those of you who own Muranos comment on the ride? The ride is taking a bit of heat in the press (not that I see this as a big issue, but that is beside the point). Is the ride on the Murano SL harsh?
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I have an SL and find the ride to be quite comfortable. I am told the SE rides harsher due to tighter (sportier) suspension but have never been in one so it would be good if any commentators told which vehicle they have (SL or SE). "Car & Driver", April issue just out, found the ride a tad harsh but that was the SE.
  • jnandresjnandres Member Posts: 2
    So does anyone know of an easy way to remedy this situation? I have lived with Pontiacs until now and never had a problem with my cell phone draining the battery. Are the power outlets hardwired to the ignition switch, or are they tied to relays tied to a computer with a way around my problem?
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    ...starting 3/5/2003. But dealer participation is voluntary so call dealer(s) ahead to find out if they will sell the Murano via VPP.

    The G35 Coupe and 350Z are still not eligible.
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    Nissans have (for the last 4-5 years at least) had a battery saver feature that shuts off all the power to all accessories about 5 minutes after the key is removed and or the door(s) are opened.

    I like the feature so I don't have to worry about turning everything off. I can see where it could be a hasle if your used to leaving your cell phone connected to the charger in the car all the time.

    I would think that to disable this feature would be difficult without affecting everything else.
  • sean48sean48 Member Posts: 37
    I'm really pleased with the ride quality of my SE. Before buying it, I was concerned based on some of the reviews that I had read. Luckily, I was able to test drive an SE before making a final decision. I had also test driven an SL at another dealer several weeks earlier and liked that as well...unfortunately, I wasn't able to do a back-to-back comparison since one dealer had only SLs and the second (at the time) had only SEs. I actually preferred the SE (basically 'cause I liked the wheels better), so discovering the ride wasn't at all harsh -- coupled with its really tight, responsive handling -- helped me make my decision.

    Like many things about any given car, much of ride quality is subjective. In my case, it's a combination of body motions (both the car's and mine!), road noise, car structure noise (creaks, groans, pops) and any miscellaneous buzzes or vibrations.

    With over 2000 miles on the winter-ravaged roads of Western New York (potholes the size of a small house in some areas), my SE traverses rough surfaces (I try to avoid the potholes...don't want to have to replace those 18-inch dia. tires prematurely!) with firm but well-damped absorption, and little/no body motion. Luckily I haven't been afflicted with the popping noise some have reported in the rear of the car, and road noise is "out there somewhere," but not annoying. And, there are no vibrations in the steering wheel, seats, etc. The car always seems very well planted and is not jittery or bouncy at all.

    So...I'm pleased with the ride. I'm sure it's firmer than lots of other alternatives, but much more comfortable than truck-based SUVs. I rented an Explorer for a week-long vacation last summer. Although it was comfortable, it was still pretty bouncy on rough roads...much more so than I've experienced in the Murano, so far.

    With regards to the ride quality comments in some of the press reviews, I suspect that some of the writers are searching for something -- anything -- to criticize, given the overall "greatness" of this car (yes, I am biased). I can't understand why such tough guys, as some of these writers appear to be, have such sensitive tushes :-)
  • uncledaviduncledavid Member Posts: 548
    Thanks for your input. Frankly, I think the Murano rides better than my '96 Accord EX!
    But, anyway, I appreciate your comments.
  • andrews928andrews928 Member Posts: 64
    "but much more comfortable than truck-based SUVs"

    If you just drove an Explorer that statement is a little difficult to back up. I will just mention one although there are several that will have better ride quality than a Murano "Lexus GX470".
  • agarcia1agarcia1 Member Posts: 10
    I have the SE AWD, and when cold, the tires have the following pressure: 2 of them at 44 lbs., and the other 2 at 46 lbs., They have kept the same air pressure since the first day I took delivery of the vehicle. I find the ride to be tough at times. Should I reduce the tire pressure to 38 lbs?
    I have conflicting information: the door frame indicates tire pressure at 33 lbs., and the side wall of the Good Year Eagle tires have a max 44 lbs label.
  • xplorx4xplorx4 Member Posts: 621
    By all means, lower the pressure to the number indicated on the door placard!

    44psi is the tires MAXIMUM rated pressure for a specified load. Unless you are carrying that load, you shouldnt run at the max, because, as youve noticed, the ride is rather harsh.

    You can start with the door placard pressure (33 psi) and work up if you feel the ride is too soft.

    I found this article about tire pressure after doing a google search for "recommended tire pressure"
  • rbridgmanrbridgman Member Posts: 4
    Picked up an SL AWD with leather, moonroof, premium, and cold package last night. Wife was OK with the blue, but I really liked the silver in person much more so than on the website (and so did she), so that's what we got. The dealer gave us a great deal on the trade (95 Maxima SE) so we took it. My wife really liked the ride, and the nifty features (especially the power footpedals and memory seating). No performance comments to share yet, since it only has 15 miles on it...but the Bose system is pretty impressive.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    Enjoy your new ride!
  • agarcia1agarcia1 Member Posts: 10
    Thank you for your advice.
  • crucialcrucial Member Posts: 35
    Sure that it is softer than the SE springs, but how is it compare to Highlander V6's ? did anyone test drive both head to head? Pls post your observations.
  • gust334gust334 Member Posts: 75
    I drove both on the same day (not back to back). The HL V6 AWD felt top-heavy and clumsy in any radius of turn. On the straights, HL absorbed bumps of all sorts without drama. Steering was accurate but numb.

    The Murano SL AWD absorbed bumps OK but you were aware of them. Road feel through the wheel was much better, and cornering was virtually flat.

    Can't compare to a Murano SE, never drove one.
  • djocksdjocks Member Posts: 124
    Just spent the day with my wife looking for a wagon/suv for her. Test drove the Murano, Lexus RX300, MDX, and Audi All-Road. I have to admit that I was partial to the Audi (it brings me back to days of sand lots and Tonka Toys! :)

    I was well behaved. I did not drive one. Only she did and surprise/surprise, she liked the Murano the most. Even with the assumption of cost being equal (which it is not in this case) she liked the looks and feel in the cabin of the Nissan.

    So Kudo's to the owners in here and it looks like we might be joining you. The idea that the Murano is not female friendly is just not true.

    BTW, I have been reading the posts, but any other honest comparo's between the SL and SE's would be appreciated!

    dj
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    Checked out Murano at autoshow today...the thing rocks. Excellent interior (in beige), comfy seats, good space....looks great.
  • berg32berg32 Member Posts: 56
    Has anyone tried removing the warnings on the sun visors? They tell you about the airbags and to beware rollovers; like those tags that come on mattresses. I'd like to peel them off but I don't want to make a mess. Suggestions?
  • berg32berg32 Member Posts: 56
    Has anyone removed the lettering from the rear hatch? I'd like to do so, but am concerned there may be a drill hole. Anyone?
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