Nissan Murano 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • higby4higby4 Member Posts: 15
    take a good look at your car and make sure its a murano ...you could be driving something else...Truth is I never had the popping noise and the source of my rattle stems from the cargo cover which is no big deal....I have been teasing and exagerating the magnitude of the disturbance..I can order a 2004 in july? hmmm....Do I have to drive my car in order for the gas mileage to improve or can I just park it in the driveway and wait for it to happen? I usually have the stereo turned up so I cant hear my wife it never occured to me that I should do it to masked the rattles!!
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    I just switched from Regular gas to Preminum one, MPG improved significantly! I've reached 21MPG(about 11.6L/100KM) now, it was only 18MPG(about 14.1L/100KM) with Regular gas, I only have 250KM with 50/50 highway and cityway on my car which is still in break-in phase.
  • 92drexel92drexel Member Posts: 153
    That's great!..."I usually have the stereo turned up so I cant hear my wife"...are you Al Bundy (Married with Children) in disguise?

    My mileage improved around the 2,000 mile mark. I bought mine in February and average around 21 mpg the first month. March and April were much better (22-24 mpg). Now (May) I'm consistently over 24 mpg with my driving type (90% highway). I wonder if the warmer weather may improve mileage too?

    I never would have thought that I'd get such good mileage because I've always felt that Nissan (or the EPA I guess) had always overestimated their mileage ratings (my old Maxima never came close to the 26 mpg rating). In fact, surprisingly, my Murano gets the same mileage as my Maxima (the Murano weighs much more and has a bigger engine with more power). The CVT is a good piece of engineering.
  • ace1000ace1000 Member Posts: 151
    Does anyone know what the routine maintenance costs are for the Murano?

    The maintenance schedule on the Nissan website says that the Murano requires routine oil changes and inspections every 3,750 miles, which is much more frequent than for other vehicles. At 30,000 miles the schedule appears to require replacing most of the filters and fluids and the engine drive belts.

    The dealer for our 4 cylinder Mazda truck charges a "discount" price of $140 for the oil change and inspections and $500 (regular price: $600) for the 30,000 mile service that has fewer service items than the Murano has. I wonder if the Nissan dealers have a similar pricing arrangement.
  • higby4higby4 Member Posts: 15
    No question gas mileage suffers in cold weather and so does your wallet, ace,when you pay $140 for an oil change.Havent checked service manual yet but 3k miles is a good time to change oil....Im surprised at the belt changing at 30k....I gotta check that out...not very believable....Hey ace I"ll change your oil for just $100, can you drive it over to vermont every 3k miles...I'll wash it too!!Well I gotta get out and put a couple of thousand miles on my murano and improve the mpg,its not gonna happen sitting here.Me? Al Bundy? no way!!!! lol....Ace is that Beverly Hills Mazda?
  • ace1000ace1000 Member Posts: 151
    Go to http://www.nissanusa.com/form/0,,action-NMaintenance_sctid-51041,- 00.html and click on link, "View maintenance schedule" to see the Nissan maintenance schedule. The footnote says that the schedule applies to most Nissan models but to refer to the owner's manual for complete information specific to a model. I was wondering whether this schedule applies to the Murano and what the Nissan dealers have charged people for routine service.

    Those are the service prices from the "#1Mazda Dealer in N. California." I used this dealer as an example. Many dealers charge a lot for servicing, and in my case I get the oil changes, tires rotated, and inspections done for $33 at a place that has done a great job at finding warranty problems that I take to the dealer to get fixed for free. Going to a independent shop and then the dealer is a hassle. Even VW pays for the first few years of maintenance on the Passat, and the Passat I had required warranty repairs every service visit during its first two years.

    If service is required every 3,750 miles and the initial years of service are not free, it becomes more of a hassle than with other cars. The 15,000 and 30,000 mile service look like they could be expensive.
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    My previous car has this feature: it will lock all doors automatically when the speed reached 10MPH after starting driving, and unlock the doors when stopped. Does anybody here know how to setup Murano to achieve same functionality?
  • jpiatchekjpiatchek Member Posts: 177
    I was all set to buy a Murano about a month ago, but they didn't have it locally in black with black interior. My wife was not wild about the light color interior and felt it was not as classy as the rest of the car. As we went home to think about the purchase, I happened to log on to Ebay. Amazing, they had 15 Muranos for sale at $1000 under invoice on a buy it now option! They were in the process of removing them from ebay because Nissan had complaints from other dealers. I tried to get my local dealer to match the price, but the best I could do was $750 over invoice. The nest day I happened to see an FX at the local Infiniti dealer. The Fx had less rear seat entry room and the transmission hump got in the way of leg room. I also noticed that there was less storage nooks in the front and a little less cargo room in the rear. The gas mileage was also less. Then I took a test drive and I was hooked! The extra 35 hp and torque made a big difference to me!My wife was happy because of the extra richness of the interior. I also like the exterior looks. For the extra $3000-$4000 I got a nicer interior, more hp and torque, standard traction control, and I felt even the standard suspension handled a little better than the Murano. The stereo is hands down winner and I like the exhaust snarl. The way the Infiniti dealership treats you is day and night different the the Nissan dealer. The overall integrity of the body felt reassuring. I was able to get the Fx for $450 over invoice and I did the deal. I could have been very happy with the Murano, but after driving both there was no doubt in my mind that the extra cost for the FX was worth it. I think both vehicles are head and shoulders above any of the compettion out there, and I couldn't have gone wrong with either purchase. Thanks for listening.
  • higby4higby4 Member Posts: 15
    I was desparite for an fx 35 but ended up with the murano because I was able to buy it at invoice...it looks like nissan is now itching to get Fx's on the road so good deals are now being found on them...The quality of the fx seems way ahead of the murano.Its too bad the discrepancy is so large beacuse I really like my murano.If it were as solid and as well put together as the FX it would be an extraordinary car.It would also be $5k more.Too bad!!!
  • jpiatchekjpiatchek Member Posts: 177
    Thanks for your comments. It's too bad they don't offer an upgrade on the interior, and some extra color combinations. I think the fx has lost some buyers because of their packages, particularly the tech items. You cant't purchase navigation separately, or the DVD player separately without buying the $5000 tech package. It will be interesting to see what happens on resale on both in the future. Infiniti doesn't have a very good track record in that department and it might be you pay a little extra on both side of the fence-buying and selling. Just have to wait and see. In the meantime we can have fun knowing we made good choices and have vehicles that are really extra special.
  • bspzbspz Member Posts: 35
    how's the rear bumper cover holding up? I just noticed a few scuff marks on ours and was thinking of picking one up before it gets worse.
  • email77email77 Member Posts: 27
    Hi
    Got a question about Oil/Filter. My Murano just light up the first oil change light at 4000Km.
    I just want to know if I use Mobil 1 oil, how can I keep the warring light off until every 15,000Km.
    it is just too much work and time. bring the car in for the oil change.also I do like use Mobil 1 oil.it gives the engine better lift time. Am I right?
  • uvdavaruvdavar Member Posts: 11
    Do anyone of you feel that the trunk is a little smaller than other crossover/ SUV?
  • sean48sean48 Member Posts: 37
    If you compare specs (objective comparison), the answer is "yes." In practical use (subjective), I've found the trunk space to be excellent for my needs. Of course, I'm usually transporting just two adults (myself included) and a medium sized dog, plus luggage and stuff, at most.

    Coming from a minivan, I was concerned about space, so I actually took a large piece of luggage to the Nissan dealership to check out the Murano's trunk space. It slipped in with lots of room to spare.

    I bought the Murano to drive...not to haul (though it does haul...). If it's too big to fit into the back of my SE with the seats flipped down, it should probably be delivered anyhow.
  • bmwdougbmwdoug Member Posts: 248
    I love everything about the Murano, but I am having a tough time deciding between the SL AWD or the SE AWD. Does anyone have any suggestions, comments, etc.., that will help with the decision? Thanks
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    Other than cosmetics, the big difference is in the suspension. The SE is stiffer and not quite as comfortable in my opinion, but corners better.
  • bmwdougbmwdoug Member Posts: 248
    I have not been able to test drive an SE. I have driven the SL and it is a smooth ride. I dig the Murano. I believe the SE has a more sporty look, although, the SL looked very sporty to me as well. I also believe the SE has more options/features, true? Does the SE have that rough of a ride? Are most people opting for the SL or SE and why? Thanks:)
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    I tested both SE and SL, SE has "sport-tone" suspension system so that it feels the road more directly. Somehow I'm not a "sport-car-liker"(sport? go 300Z) it's just a little uncomfortable to me when the road is bumpy.
  • sean48sean48 Member Posts: 37
    bmwdoug...back in my post 1270, I shared my experience with the SE ride. After three additional months, I still love this car. My best advise would be to test drive both an SL and an SE back-to-back over the same route. Whether you go with the SL or the SE you'll end up with one great vehicle.
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    Also depends on what your used to driving.

    I'm coming out of a 00 Maxima SE and found the Murano AWD SL just a little too much of a compromise for me in the handling department. Too much body roll (compared to the Maxima) but when I drove the Murano AWD SE, it was the perfect match for me in handling and functionality.

    Based on the observed dealers inventory since introduction, it seems that SL's are about 75-80% of the sales and SE's make up the balance.

    You can configure the two models to be virtually identical in features and options, with the suspension and the wheel style being the only "significant" difference.
  • sean48sean48 Member Posts: 37
    bmwdoug...back in my post 1270, I shared my experience with the SE ride. After three additional months, I still love this car. My best advise would be to test drive both an SL and an SE back-to-back over the same route. Whether you go with the SL or the SE you'll end up with one great vehicle.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    I thought the SE had a decent ride until I drove an RX300 over the same route. Much more isolation from little bumps and irregularities in the Lexus (even though it was 3 years old with 32K miles.)
  • uvdavaruvdavar Member Posts: 11
    We are interested in a SL AWD with Leather but we do not want to get the premium package and the sun roof. Has anyone had any experience with getting aftermarket leather seats?
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    My wife and I have also been thinking about buying a base Murano and adding leather after the purchase. We might even keep the cloth seats for awhile and get some wear out of them before upgrading to aftermarket leather. We've had a couple friends who purchased a Honda Odyssey and added aftermarket leather. Both were very pleased with the result. A Nissan fleet sales manager seemed to think this was a good idea for a Murano. I guess there are many options and grades of leather readily available, and the cost isn't as much as one would think.

    Seems like the Murano SL leather package is a good deal, but I'm not too fond of paying for the Premium Package. The sunroof also seems a bit overpriced. It's a shame we are forced to add both of these items before we can add factory leather.
  • smokerisersmokeriser Member Posts: 14
    So far so good. It is staying where it should and is very useful. I would go for one.
  • sprintrpssprintrps Member Posts: 62
    Does anyone have information about when the model changeover to 2004 begins? I am trying to find out if there will be changes to the interior colors offered.
  • pheopheo Member Posts: 10
    Does anyone know what the Canadian dealer invoice is for the Murano SE? It is strange that there seem to be no web sources that tell you the invoices for free when the US invoices are readily available.
  • rerenov8rrerenov8r Member Posts: 380
    No offense meant, but Edmunds makes money by pulling folks to this site and then selling ads. The revenue from the ads is (I hope) enough to float this whole ship.

    In the Great White North there probably just isn't enough veiwership to justify the investment, thus the same service is only profitable via subscription.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Does anyone know if Nissan in general and the Murano in particular have a black box (that monitors the driver) in their vehicles? Ford and GM vehicles do.
    "The one in Matos’ car, and about 60 million other new Ford and GM vehicles, was actually put there by the manufacturers just to monitor air bag performance. But the five seconds of data it gathers before a crash can also be important."
    http://www.msnbc.com/news/922253.asp?0ql=c8p
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    I even didn't notice it. I checked on my murono, it IS plastic, door handles too!! Actually all shiny stuff on murono are all plastic! Feel so bad about this.
    ==================original message===============
    Murano Plastic Grill... What's Up With That? by rto1 Jun 03, 2003 (3:04 pm)
    Test drove the Murano last week... I love the looks and drive of the vehicle, but what is up with that shiny plastic grill? What were they thinking, putting a huge piece of silver plastic on a $32,000 vehicle? It reminded me of my 5-year-old son's ride-on policeman motorcycle. The plastic grill is definitely a deal breaker for me. I can promise you that would present problems in the not so distant future, with chipping, breaking, fading and wearing.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Are pretty common. My minivan has one as did my last one. Plastic saves weight and helps the mpg, and I happen to really like the stuff. All my canoes and kayaks are plastic and they're dang tough.

    Steve, Host
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    My wife and I have been shopping around for another SUV for our 3-member family the past couple weeks. We are now firming up a sale of our '01 MDX, which has almost 60K miles on it! We've considered the Pilot, RX330, XC90 2.5T, FX35, Murano, or another MDX. The two SUVs now at the top of our list are the Murano and the FX35. Although we much prefer the FX35 interior and warranty, I think the price difference and the added practicality are both swaying us toward the Murano -- especially the price. I'm concerned the FX will not retain much of that price differential at resale time.

    I believe we can get a base 2WD SL for about $26.5K, which we will eventually upgrade with aftermarket leather.

    I would greatly appreciate any responses to a couple questions we have lingering in our minds. Do any of you Murano buyers who cross-shopped the FX35 have any significant regrets for not buying the FX? Do nuissance rattles seem to be a significant issue with the Murano SL? TIA!
  • higby4higby4 Member Posts: 15
    well where do I start...wanted an fx35 very badly test drove it and tried hard to make a deal....no luck trying to get 1 at 500 over invoice so I bought a murano(2nd choice) at invoice...Murano is a wonderful ride the gas mileage is better than fx35 and I love the car....HOWEVER my murano rattles in so many different places its amazing....,the build quality is poor to say the least....I understand that now you can get better deals on fx's where a month and a half ago you couldnt.I traded an A6 Audi Quattro wagon 1999 for my murano and it never rattled on rough roads it just had a hard time making it from one end of the road to the other(but thats a different story)If you can afford it and dont mind weaker gas mileage get the FX...it will retain its value better because it is built better.Hey go to "freshalloy.com" there is an abundance of nissan and infinity discussions going on with well informed people most of whom own the murano or fx you get a lot of knowledge...good luck...the fx looks better as well!!!! I have an sl awd with leather
  • higby4higby4 Member Posts: 15
    Test drive both cars... going from an acura to a murano is a step down in quality maybe not ride and performance...going to the fx will be a step sideways or up....make no mistake the murano is a ton of fun to drive...but one desrves a rattle free car for that kind of money....if I had this to do again I would by the FX if I could get it at the right price...if not ....Sheesh I dont know!
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    Thanks for the feedback, and thanks for the reference to freshalloy.com. This news definitely re-opens the door for the FX35, as my wife and I have also become accustomed to higher quality interiors, with no rattles or other unwanted noises. I think any persistent rattles would drive me crazy, as I sometimes enjoy a nice quiet drive without any music/radio. Who knows -- maybe we won't sell our MDX right now, after all?

    I echo your sentiments about not knowing what else to buy right now. There are some very interesting new models within this premium car-based SUV category, but I have a tough time paying full MSRP and/or $40K+ (before TTL) for any of them.

    I had hoped the build quality of the Murano might be on par with that of the Maxima, but I guess that is not necessarily the case.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I've had my AWD SL since Feb. 1st, drive over a set of three nasty RXR tracks almost daily and I don't have a squeak, a pop, or a rattle anywhere. It would drive me crazy too if the car had these noises but it's perfectly quiet inside. Maybe I'm just lucky. Would like other Murano owners to weigh in so you can get a consensus.
  • texamau1texamau1 Member Posts: 42
    Drove my Murano since Apr and now have 5K miles, I did not have any noise or rattle problem, may be I'm just lucky..BTW what area is the noise/rattle come from? may be I can pay more attention to the area.
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    I've got 2.5k on my murano now, some noise start to come from central control panel and front-right door. I'm going to take it back to dealer to get it fix this week.
  • jmcwhorterjmcwhorter Member Posts: 8
    For those that have leased a Murano. What was your residual set at? Also what money factor did you end up getting? How long is your lease for? I'm trying to make sure I dont get screwed by the dealer.

    thanks.
  • sean48sean48 Member Posts: 37
    Here's one more comment on this topic. I've had my Murano SE since the first week in January, and haven't experienced any squeaks, rattles, pops or other noises. Most of my travel is on-road (except for the occassional gravel road or extended country driveway), but we do have more than our fair share of potholes, ruts and road faults here in New York state. Hitting a pothole generally results in nothing more than a muted "thump." Sorry for the folks who do have vehicle noises, but I'm really pleased with the quietness of my vehicle (along with virtually everything else).
  • lmp180psulmp180psu Member Posts: 399
    Post your questions about leasing the Murano, and FX35( saw your other post), in the "Lease Questions: Ask Here" thread; CarMan can answer all your questions based on your required model, mileage, term, etc.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Here's the link: Lease Questions - Ask Here

    tidester, host
  • xixisisixixisisi Member Posts: 17
    I brought my Murano to the dealer this morning, they were not able to get it fixed. They couldn't reproduce it. But as long as I drove it on U.S highway which is much rougher than Canada, I always heard that continuous noise. Anybody has any idea to get it fix?
  • oatsoats Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I bought our Murano SE AWD Dec 01 and we just love it. There is no rattles,squeaks or pops. When I read the posting about the buzzing sound I had to find out how to join edmunds, because we have that noise the odd time. On mine it's just the door on the cassette player vibrates the odd time.(I've been reading on edmunds ever since I found the site in Dec and enjoy it very much.) The only thing I wish I could change on the Murano,would be to put bigger mud flaps on the front before I brought it home. We live on a gravel road and the stones chipped the paint on the side before I realized it was happening. We have 19000 kilometers on it and have no other proplems.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    I also drove both and think very highly of the murano but I chose the FX. I thought the longer warranty, free loaners, better interior quality and looks and performance of the fx was worth it. I also live where you don't get snow so I have a rwd which is really fun to drive. If you need a lot of space and some sport go with the murano. If you want a lot of sport with some space go with the FX. Either way you won't go wrong. I got my FX for 435 over invoice so deals are out there.
  • revron1revron1 Member Posts: 1
    Just got our Murano 2 weeks ago.No rattles yet,nice and quiet.A little annoying with back windows down while driving around 40 mph or more.
    We did not drive the fx but we did drive or look at the izuzu rodeo, toyota highlander, hyunda santa fe, ford escape,honda pilot,and I'm sure there were others. We liked most every thing about the murano, over the others. I do like the fx but did not want to spend thousands more. As of now we are very happy with our murano
  • u1deryu1dery Member Posts: 7
    I have been driving my Murano now for two weeks I drive 1.5 hrs each way to work so I have time to evaluate the car. It has been raining almost daily back here in New England, the other day I went to a customer site and had my radio off, I did hear my windshield wiper blades and there is a loud sound when they reach the base of the windshield before coming back up. Has anyone noticed this and can it be adjusted? I have never heard on any other vehicles I've owned that much noise. Usually blades are extremely quiet.
    Would appreciate any feedback.
    I am the one who wrote about my pricing and the experience with a windshield crack 4th day on the highway! I will continue periodically to visit and read all the reports, I do enjoy them and all I'm learning about the Murano. Oh yes, I am also looking in to having the front end, mirrors and headlights Xpeled or 3M Protection Shield applied.
    As I reported I drive 650 miles weekly on highways and am prone to pits from the stones on the road surface.
  • ace1000ace1000 Member Posts: 151
    According to Consumer Reports' April auto issue, the Murano's maximum load is only 860 pounds, about the same as that of a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. The only mid-size SUV lower than this is the Lexus RX 300. Most others have a much higher maximum load.

    Does the owner's manual give a maximum payload?
  • ace1000ace1000 Member Posts: 151
    I got the servicing costs from my local Nissan dealer for the Murano: $65 for the 3750 mile service, $145 for the 7500 mile service, $200 for the 15000 mile service, and $600 for the 30000 mile service. Routine service for the first 30000 miles would be $1,350 plus tax, disposal fees, etc., which is over 4.5 cents per mile. It could be more because the dealer did not include some of the items that the Murano web site says are required maintenance.

    Road & Track's long-term test of the Volvo V70 T5 described its routine maintenance cost as "dear" and "hefty," but it averaged only about 4 cents per mile. That would make the routine maintenance on the Murano even "heftier." Volvo now includes the maintenance cost for the first 30000 miles in the price of the car and requires service only every 7500 miles.

    Is this what the dealers typically charge for service for the Murano? I noticed that Nissan sells prepaid service packages. Does anyone know what these cost?
  • dklaneckydklanecky Member Posts: 559
    What exactly are they doing for that amount of money? Which model are they quoting the awd or the 2wd?

    I bet he's quoting from some price sheet for a pathfinder or maybe xterra with the old style 4wd, not the cvt on the Murano.

    I suppose he could just be a crook too. What's his prices for the V6 Altima, just for comparison?

    Payload capacity according to the owner's manual is:

    USA vehicles:

    2wd 1050lbs
    awd 1090lbs
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