Nissan Murano 2005 and earlier

porknbeans

The Murano is a real looker with power, performance and technology. What I'm having a hard time seeing is why I should get the Murano over a sedan or wagon? I haven't found anything that sets it apart from the competition? As cb70 noted the Murano will have heated competion in the crossover segment, with more attractive options for seating and storage from the competiton (IMO). And as artdecho stated we feel that Nissan is missing a large segment of the market. I'm looking at the Pacifica very closely, but I'm nervous about reliability. I would be beating the drum and leading the parade if the Murano had another row of seats. However, all of this discussion is mute until we can physically see and touch the Murano (and the competiton).

BTW, I also drive an Altima and think that Nissan is a great car company.

crikey

...as most have demonstrated. This is a sport utility that will come short on utility. Families don't even seem to be the target market for this vehicle as Nissan states: First-class seating for two couples with ample, flexible luggage space; special attention to interior comfort, functionality and detail.

I like Nissan too -- there are 2 Nissans in the family. And I think that the Murano is a technologically-advanced vehicle in comparison to its intended competition. But, I'm not sure that it has anything special to offer. I'm sure it'll go fast and, to me, it does look nice but I would rather have the capability of carrying more people and cargo.

whotheman

Not that a Nissan will get the same respect a Toyota would, but I expect the Murano to outsell the Xterra and Pathfinder.

whotheman

pschreck

cb70, I'm not sure what I'm wrong about. Anyway, why all the discussion about the X-Trail on this board? Why tell people that are excited about the Murano that you don't like it? Isn't there a board about the X-Trail on the SUV forum?

andrews928

First, what marketing research has any poster done in detirmining what the North American market wants?. Do you actually believe Nissan would have invested the millions in research and development on a new vehicle unless they had a good idea that it would be a success.

Second, I have been researching a new vehicle for 6 months. I just put a deposit on a Murano. There was nothing in the price range, style and technology offered by the Murano that any other mfg. currently has.

linzybel

andrews928, just wondered what the dealer wanted from you, and what they might have promised. How much does it take to reserve one? Any idea what the demand is? Do you have any idea of colors? Trim packages? When is the dealer going to know more? What part of the country are you from?

Sorry to grill you, but we're curious, might be willing to take the plunge, too.

andrews928

I'm in CT and the dealer wanted $ 500.00 for a deposit. No idea on details other than the promo from Nissan and a few other limited sources but I purchased a Lexus SC430 last April with a deposit in October of 2000 with even fewer details on the car. I normally do not rely on dealer info, I was told the Murano's would be in September and I know there is no way that is going to happen. I believe if you can get the Murano pretty much loaded for 30,000 they will sell. Over 30 and I think there is to much competition.

afty

I think the Murano will top out around $35k, not $30k. The Altima tops out at $29k and the Murano seems to slot in higher in the lineup, plus it has AWD and the CVT transmission.

moltar

I'm interested in the Murano and I want a sunroof with it. I have not seen any sunroofs in any of the pictures of the Murano. Does anyone know if a sunroof is an option?

Or will I have to add an aftermarket one?

whotheman

a $27k to $35k vehicle. Don't think they'll make a 4-banger available. Seems slanted towards the Luxury side of the SUV market.

whotheman

pschreck

Was just looking at the brouchure that Nissan sent me. God this thing is beautiful! I have to test drive one even if the wife won't trade her Outback.

stever

Anyone want to compare notes?

Nissan Murano vs Nissan X-Trail



Steve

Host

SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

pschreck

Saw my first commercial featuring the Murano last night. It was one of Nissan's "every product we make" commercials. Still, it was cool to see the Murano featured in a TV spot.

linzybel

What show were you watching when the commercial with the Murano came on? Was it the same old bronze we're tired of seeing?

pschreck

Not sure what we were watching. Could have been Star Trek: TNG on TNN between 8-9 or it could have been the History Channel between 9-10.

Yes it was the bronze or whatever the artsie guys are calling it.

crikey

The current episode showcases all the new 2003 models and the Murano was featured. I would have to say that it was the first TV show that actually had the Murano in motion. Looks cool. So, stay tuned to SpeedVision and see if you can catch the Murano there.

Looks like Monday, September 16, 2002 at 4:30 pm is the next episode.

crashslammer

Here's some new photos posted in FreshAlloy.com's website- a purple... no, Cabernet? Pinot Noir? colored Murano.

http://www.freshalloy.com/site/cars/nissan/2003/murano/spy/home02.shtml

bcyim

Just read the preview from Car and Driver. They said the CVT will not be the toriodal "Extriod" CVT Nissan has been using on domestic applications. Instead, it will be a pully-type CVT similar to the one used in Audi A6.

Does anyone know if this is a brand-new transmission? If so, that kind of worries me...

njexpress

Hi,
Is that a rare combination? It looks like it is, from what I see on dealer inventories.
Any feedback on this would be apreciated.
I am looking to buy around Dec and my top three choices have been
1) Lexus RX 330 if I can get Premium package and HID lamps only and not any other expensive options that I don't need.
2) FX35 if the price is right AND If thewife has gotten used to it's polarizing looks by then and
3) Sunlit Copper/Cabernet leather Murano in SL AWD with Moonroof.
Thanks in Advance!

csmerts

I live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Nissan has a proving ground south east of Phoenix. I have personally seen three different Muranos on the streets in the last 2 months. My first car was a Navy Blue model going the opposite direction on Hwy 202 in Tempe. I think I was a bit surprised by the size of the vehicle. I was expecting something similar to a A4 wagon. The vehicle was much larger, similar to a Grand Cherokee or RX300. My second sighting was more interesting. I pulled out onto Rural Road in Tempe near Baseline. I looked back into my rear view mirror. I had to do a double-take as a Murano was pulling up fast behind me. I slowed down to let him pass. The vehicle was maroonish brown with a rust interior. The Nissan logos on both the gate and grill were covered in black duct tape. I was really impressed by the looks of the vehicle. It was much better looking in person than the web photos indicated. The driver must have thought I was crazy. I pulled up next to him, dropped in behind him and then pulled ahead so I could check out the entire vehicle. I also saw another Navy Murano last week on Hwy 101. The vehicle passed me going the opposite direction towing a white utility trailer. I thought the trailer was odd, but this must be part of the testing process. My lease on my Jeep is up in March, after seeing the vehicle I am going to give it some serious thought. I am a bit concerned about the cargo space, but I the rear seats fold down. I suspect that the vehicle is going to max out at around $34-$37K with all the goods.

stever

You need to get a digital camera for your glovebox. Maybe you could earn enough for your next down payment with a few spy fotos :-)

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

pschreck

What's Edmunds paying for spy photos these days? Maybe enough for a Nikon D1X?

stever

I was thinking more in terms of Car & Driver or Road and Track ;-) Our "spy" photos come mostly from the manufacturers. There are a few people out there making a living hiding out near the test tracks with their telephoto lenses. Wanna spend your waking hours driving around Scottsdale with a camera in your face Csmerts?

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

a_l_hubcaps

I've been keeping an eye on the Murano ever since the first sketches were released, hoping that eventually its appearance would grow on me. I mean, even the 2001 Aztek grew on me to the point that I now consider myself a fan of it.

But try as I might, I can't figure out what people like about the Murano. In fact, this recent spy photo makes the thing look even worse than the earlier official pics that showed it in a brownish orange color. Why on Earth does any road-going vehicle (and it seems clear to me that the Murano is not intended for off-roading) need wheels and tires that large? They just dominate the vehicle and make it look ridiculous, like a station wagon body dropped onto the chassis of a Hummer. Also, the way the rear windows decrease in size further serves to make the cabin look small and the wheels and fender wells look cartoonishly exaggerated. The whole vehicle is just extemely misproportioned. I'm usually a fan of utility wagon type vehicles, but I sure hope they don't continue in this direction.

-Andrew L

andrews928

I hope as the discussion on this message board grows we can stay away from "I think this thing is ugly". First, and not to be rude, as far as looks MY opinion is the only one that counts when I buy a vehicle. Second I would not waste to much energy going over to the Corvette message board and telling them their cars backend looks like a brick wall or going over to the Honda Pilot board and telling them their car is the most boring looking vehicle I have seen in a long time. It serves no purpose

a_l_hubcaps

andrews928-

I didn't mean to make a blanket "this is the ugliest car on the road" statement. I know all too well, from reading Aztek forums, that such comments are pointless and quickly get out of control.

But that is different from having a more detailed discussion about styling. In a forum about a future vehicle, where not much is known about features, price, reliability, and such, you have to expect a certain amount of styling debate.

-Andrew L

curtnheidi

I saw a beatiful silver Murano today in Scottsdale, AZ. It had a Michigan plate. I knew what it was as soon as I saw it. It was parked, but the driver was in it. This was the only time I was ever contemplating bothering the guy to let me see inside. I guess I should have. Anyway, these are sharp vehicles. Seeing one that close is impressive. It looks powerful with the large wheels. It exudes "executive" without being a lincoln or an escalade. BTW, the silver is a wonderful color. It is much better than that rust color I keep seeing in all the print material.
To be fair, one must see it "live" to be able to accurately weigh an opinion of asthetics. I have seen lots of printed material, and it is a completely different view when it is parked right next to you.

Like Csmerts, I was surprised by how meaty, or "large" it looks. It's not that it is "large", it's just that it is so different from the pics I have seen.

It does seem targeted to a luxury audience. Why didn't they call this an Infiniti? Is Nissan getting more hoity-toity across their line?

Curt

ambuono

I for one am very interested in the Murano. I currently drive an Audi sedan and for my next car I'm looking for something different. The current crop of SUV's don't really excite me and I will give the Murano a long look.

I wholeheartedly agree with the recent posts that state you must see the vehicle in person before making any judgments on styling. I'm encouraged by those who have seen the Murano saying it is larger than they expected. The spy photos and brochure do not give me that impression.

hairong

Exactly. One has to see it in person to get the real feel. I like what I see from all the photos, but won't (can't) make up my mind until I see it in the flesh.

The 18" wheel thing, if done right, it won't distort the proportion at all, plenty of small sports cars have 18" rims, and most of them look pretty good. Of course, I'll have to see for myself before handing out my verdict.

andrews928

Hubcaps--

I'm probably a little sensitive to this issue from a previous message board on the Lexus SC430. After awhile people spent more time either defending or complaining about the style, the board basically collapsed. I love it, that's why I bought one last year. As far as large tires and wheels, my SC430 has 18's and they look great and that vehicle is a lot smaller than the Murano.

I recorded the Motortrend program on Speedvision (not much to it) and they estimate the price between $27,000 and $ 30,000.

a_l_hubcaps

andrews-

For the record, while I'm not usually a sports car person, I love SC430s too...they look great in bright red. I like the large disc center covers on the wheels, rather than the open 5-spoke alloy wheels that everyone is using these days.

The thing that bothers me about the wheels on the Murano is that not only are the wheels huge (especially the ones in that photo I linked, which look even larger than 18" to me), but the tires are also huge, and the wheel wells are even bigger.

Normally, people put 17" or 18" wheels on sports cars with low-profile performance tires in order to "fill out the wheel wells". On the Murano, it looks like they did the opposite...they enlarged the wells in order to accommodate huge wheels and tires.

That, coupled with the fact that the wheels are pushed out to the corners and the front end of the truck is kind of small and stumpy, gives it a sort of "monster truck from the future" look. Seems kind of silly to go to such great lengths to get an off-road appearance, considering that these are mainly going to be used on smooth suburban streets.

-Andrew L

sean48

Has anyone picked up any recent information on Murano pricing, equipment levels, options and availability? I'm waiting for a brochure from Nissan, but haven't received anything yet.

I'm planning on buying my new vehicle no later than early November (hitting the expiration of the extended warranty on my current vehicle), and the Murano is in my top three choices. The others are the 2003 4Runner Limited (number one) and the Volvo XC 90 (number three). They're each different in their own way, but they each have advantages and disadvantages...based on how and where I use my vehicles.

Right now, I'm leaning toward the 4Runner, primarily because of the apparent finish and room in the interior (managed to see the 2003 info yesterday on a link posted on the 'Runner forum...and then dropped per Toyota's request). I like the Murano's styling and GPS navigation option. I'm hoping its CVT will yield reasonably good fuel efficiency vs. a heavier truck-based vehicle like the 4Runner.

Thanks to anyone who has some recent info on the Murano.

gschultz3

If I was able to design an SUV for myself it would be simular to the Murano ..... I think.

- Agressive but sporty design ... all SUV's look the same or even worse like minivans.
- Big wheels 20"
- Car like handling & response.
- Car like gas mileage
- Prefer front & rear passenger room over cargo space (5 only).... above average headroom and legroom.
- At least 260/260 HP and torque.
- 20 gal min gas tank
- Mid-size to improve handling
- Normal mirror,seat,window,lock power options
- Good navigation system a must!
- Options .... HID, Nav with video plug-in for computers, dvd, IR & rear camera video, special chrome wheels, no sun roof, more leather color options,dark rear windows compass, weather station (temp(in/out),humidity, barometric press)
- Upgraded audio - subwoofer
- AWD with option to set 4WD manually.
- Prefer RWD AWD over FWD AWD.
- Tilt and telescoping steering
- Outside lighting when entering or leaving
- Tire pressure readings
- easy access to the cargo area ... 98% usage is for small packages.
- Ease of lowering rear seats to increase cargo space .... some wagon's/SUV's have impossible setups to lower the seats .... can never remeember how to do it.
- Front, side, curtain airbags a must.
- Must rate high for tendency "not" to roll over. I had a Landrover Discovery that did that!
- "Large" rear lights. I've been hit from behind more than once.
- Superior braking a must!


I'm not looking for a cargo hauler, off road experience, trailer hauler, seating capacity for 7 or 8 ..... usually 5 adults and 2-3 little people who can't exit anyway! I wonder why some of you prefer a pilot (MDX) over a minivan if all you are looking for is cargo space. I want handling, reasonable mileage, performance, quite ride at 80 mph and interior luxury. The BMW looks the best so far. The new Volvo XC90? Maybe the Murano at $10,000 less! The Toyota Highlander is close. All of these cars are or will sell well ..... the Murano will too. I can't wait to see all of the details on the Murano. It seems to have most of the things I want in an SUV. Should be an Infiniti? Names don't matter to me .... I'd be happy to pay $40,000 for the right Nissan SUV. If the Pathfinder had more options the price could approach $40,000.

linzybel

I may be missing something, but is the Murano's optional navigation system really a GSP-based one? In the literature, it just says DVD-based, which I assume is a fancy map-like system with perhaps SOME computer navigation. But not necessarily GSP.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks.

kullenberg

Your not necessarily wrong. The DVD portion contains all the map info, and being a DVD it can contain a huge amount of info; the whole USA for instance. The GPS tells the system where the car is located by using 3 or more of the gyosyncronus sattelites to pinpoint it's position, on the map to within a meter or so. Hope that helped
Cheers
Pat

moltar

I just noticed that Edmunds is indicating the release date for Murano is now December instead of November. Anyone know what's up with that? The "official" information sure is slow with this vehicle. I don't think the Nissan site has been updated with any Murano info in months.
And I want a sunroof on the Murano....

greyt_autumn

I've been looking at SUV's to replace my Jetta, and I'm frustrated more than anything- anything with the real size that I want gets horrible mileage (except for the Highlander and Pilot) and the mini utes collectively seem cheap. The Murano look like a more edgy RX300 to me, but very limited on the practicality for seating- At minimum I need seating for 5, and flat folding seats (my big personal retirement for my dogs) As far as size goes, SUV's (especially the mini's) are similar to my Jetta, save for the cargo space, and the mid-size are not much larger- the pathfinder is amazingly close to the interior of a CR-V!

I'm also one that refuses to go the minivan route for the obvious reasons even though they are so practical- to get one configure the way I like puts me over 25k- I'm in the Highlander ball park there but I'm intrigued by the Murano (but would love to see an X-trail up close!)

Tim

tidester

Welcome aboard! There are a lot of good folks here willing to share information and help relieve you of the frustration.

tidester
Host
SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories

gandhim3

Video from Motor Trend television

http://www.trucktrend.com/trucktrend/mtvo/ny02/ny_nissan_murano_bb.mov

totalnet

Video sponsored by the Honda Pilot? :-)

gschultz3

This video is the best description of the Murano!
Since Nissan seems to have abandoned the Murano Honda has taken over keeping it in the public eye. They know that the Pilot is going to kill it because nobody can get any information on the Murano's interior size, interior and exterior colors, CVT transmission, tire size options, chrome wheels (like the pictures), price, HP and torque, sun roof option, 0-60, braking, release date, handling ........ Honda hates to win by default!

stickguy

from what I've seen so far about the Nissan, it doesn't look like it will be competing with the pilot. More likely the Lexus RX, maybe the MDX. Basically a cheaper, Japenese version of the X5 (at least that should be the concept of it).

andrews928

Since I have a deposit on the Murano I stopped by my dealer to see if they had any new information. The product lit. that the sales people have( not for the consumer) target the Pilot and the Highlander. Although there was no information on colors and pricing they still say the Murano will be delivered during the first week of November. If they go up against the MDX or RX300 they will be DESTROYED. They need to stay in the low $ 30,000 range to be competitive against the 2 other vehicles(Pilot/Highlander) that have a much better quality perception.

mkaye

In downtown Phoenix. It was the rust/sunset color from the ads. I think it looks great! Much better than the photos. The size of the wheels is perfect IMO. A lot of family resemblance to the new Z and the Infiniti G. May have to think about this one when it comes out. Unfortunately, with the traffic, I couldn't keep up with it to see where he went.
I too think that the Murano is more of a competition for the X5, ML, or even the MDX, but not the Pilot. Def. not the Highlander or the RX300, these are not really performance oriented (in looks at least).

stickguy

has 8 seats, and no sporting pretentions. Murano is a 4 seater (although it probably has 5 seatbelts) that is supposed to be coool/edgy/sporty, so I don't really see the comparison.

My choices weren't based on price, more on concept or function.

andrews928

Well somehow Nissan thinks the competition is the Pilot and Highlander. I am certain that people will not pay the same price for a Murano as they would for an MDX,X5 or ML. Nothing against Nissan but the perception of their cars would not put them in the same league as BMW, Acura or Mercedes.
Bottom line, Who cares!!! about the competition.
I think Nissan will need to be very aggresive in price, through discounts or MSRP. I still am the ONLY one at my dealer to have a deposit on one.

ambuono

andrews928,

I saw from a previous post that you have a $500 deposit on the Murano. Having never put a deposit on a car before it was available, I am curious to know how that works.
Specifically, is the deposit refundable? Does it hold a specific car for you or do you get a choice of the ones available when they arrive? What if I have a deposit at the same dealer and we both want the same car when they arrive? First come, first serve? Are there any other risks involved? I might consider doing this as well and info you can share would be appreciated.

diploid

I saw one in NJ yesterday. It was the sunset colored one that's shown in photos.

Basically about the size of a Lexus RX300, although the wheels were bigger and made the Murano look more sporty. It looked very "futuristic."

pschreck

The Pilot has, at best, five and two half seats. The back seat is useless for anything beyond a twelve year old. It's a nice vehicle, but let's be realistic.

Why do you think the Murano is a four seater?

a_l_hubcaps

pschreck-

"Why do you think the Murano is a four seater?"

Because Nissan is crazy

I don't really understand this. I can't imagine why anyone would want a vehicle that large that is designed neither for serious cargo hauling, nor for carrying more than four people. I guess I'm just not in the demographic. I wish them luck selling these things, but I'm puzzled about what the point of this vehicle is.

-Andrew L