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Comments
I live in Pennsylvania, and my salesman said they weren't going to have any Muranos in until end of December! What state do you live in? sean48 says his dealer in NY is telling him the same thing. I've been waiting so long for the arrival of the Murano, b/c it seems like a lot of vehicle for the money,and I think it's really different looking, but I'm really disappointed with the residual value. We wanted to lease, but $600+ a month for 3yrs for a non-luxury SUV is pretty high! ( and I don't even know if that was for a loaded one w/Nav)I just may wait for the Lexus RX330.
Thanks for the lease info, andrews928. By the way, was your dealer able to give you the lease numbers even before the Murano arrived? My salesman said he didn't have the money factor info, so he couldn't give me any lease prices at this time.One last question... How do you like your RX300? I've been checking out Town Hall for the new Lexus RX330 and there's only about 70 posts. Thanks for everyone's helpful insider views!
BTW... my salesman just called as I was posting this message. They will be getting 1 Murano at the end of Dec. for test drives only. Their shipments for sale won't arrive until January, and they will only be getting 2 or 3.
And again, loaded version might look much better. I just haven't seen one yet
If you love the car, let it go... it will come back to you sooner or later, way UNDER Msrp.
*wink*
It's great to hear you've had a good experience with both of your Lexus vehicles. (and a much better residual value) I think I'm going to wait until April to check out the new RX330, even though I originally thought the Murano was a sure thing( and I'm tired of waiting!) Thanks again!
I would have to agree -- both on leasing and resale. It IS a nice car, but too much to lose financially. If one's planning to keep it until it dies, then this is a moot point.
1. Were the monthly payment 0f $595 and $580 both including sales tax? 'cause based on your number, the murano should have a $544/month payment.
2. You said you almost had 3years/48,000 miles on your RX300, what was your lease term, 3 years or 4? Also, what was the selling price for the RX300 and what was the cap reduction? Without those numbers, it's almost meaningless to compare monthly payment.
Numbers aside, I do agree with you that Murano's 55% residual is low compared to imports' SUVs, but it is better than domestic ones.
Thanks again for the info.
The numbers I received were for a car that was due in December, MSRP of $ 35,332. 3 year lease with $ 1,000 cap reduction. Rate factor .00266, residual $ 19,433.00. Monthly payment $ 595.00. I have a 2000 RX300 that I pay $ 580.00/month and the vehicle had a list of over $ 40,000. The low residual is a killer. I went to an auto show in Hartford,CT and they had a Murano. I still like the way it looks but the interior cannot compare with the luxury of the RX300. The new RX330 due in March/April (a date I'm sure Lexus will keep) will be equal to or less than the current RX300. I had my RX300 for almost 3 years/48,000 miles and never a problem.
Regarding the difference, the dealer maybe adding some untold fees (doc fee, acquisition fee, etc) on top of the MSRP.
I think you got a GREAT deal on your RX300 lease. Considering the resale value of a 2000 RX is around 55~57% of its original MSRP, Lexus obviously overstated (intentionally or not) the RV back in 2000, which translated to a great saving to you. I don't think any Murano lease can match that, with dealer still charging full MSRP.
On second note, I think you can understand why I say it's meaningless to compare monthly payment without cap reduction amount. The Murano's $1000 cap reduction would be roughly $30-35 more in monthly payment, which would make the deal even more expensive. On the other hand, a $3000 cap reduction (trade in and/or cash down), would take $100 off monthly payment, making that number much more appealing.
I have to start with the proviso that I am definitely not a car afficianado but here are a few of my observations.
Roomy, good looking interior. Loaded with features. Tight sporty drive (similar to my husband's old Maxima SE). Reasonable accerlation. Very good braking. CVT seemed to work very smoothly. Sound system was great.
The second row is 60/40 split. Two smallish people could sit on the 60 side if you had to come up with more storage space. Cargo space behind the 2nd row is moderate at most, but larger than you would guess by outside appearances. It's kind of difficult to determine how much you can store in the back because of the "bubble-shaped" hatch door.
It is a very nice riding vehicle. I took it out on the highway and along some twisty roads. Smooth and fairly quiet on the highway (with some road noise), and went around corners with very little body lean. This was a loaded SL with almost every option available, including navigation system, which seemed pretty easy to use.
The salesman told me that the CVT transmission had a lifetime warranty. Also that it had a 110,000 mile tuneup interval, with just oil changes along the way. I like the adjustable pedals with the memory seats feature, since two of us in the family will be driving it (me at 5'11" and my wife at 5'1".)
ok the test drive waas prety fun. i took it right onto the freeway to see how this cvt xtronic thing felt. accelaration was excellent getting this suv right up to 50mph was a cinch. i started to push the vehicle to pass a few cars and the response was pretty quick, before i knew it we were doing about 75mph passing many cars and onlookers. last week i test drove an xterra and there is no comparison with the power and comfortable ride. interior noise was pretty good, although i did notice a little noise from the engine during the passing of the cars.
i then took it up the mountain thru some pretty steep hills. it faired pretty well even though there were 5 stop signs up this hill. i did have the car in the "S" mode which i thought was for sport but when I read a flyer from nissan its actually to help "improved engine braking" and the "L" is is for maximum engine braking on steep downhill grades."
in many of the pictures the murano doesn't look that big but its actually pretty wide which gives it an aggresive but styling stance. coming back down the roads there were many sharp curves so i tested it and it handled really well. didn't feel like it was going to tip or oversteer. at the bottom of the hill there was a brand new honda pilot waiting to turn left, the lady just stared at the murano when i pulled up beside her. the murano looks way more stylish and impressive.
overall i think this suv is a good buy, although i'm gonna wait till the price drops. i agree with a lot of the others, its rediculous to pay msrp or anything above it.
in the show room they had a brown, silver and a dark blue. i think the silver or the pearl white is pretty nice but i need to go back to check out the interior some more since i only tested the cloth. anyone know where you can get a picture of all the colors and the interiors? appreciate the feedback.
The biggest negative to me was the rear quarter appearance...it reminds me of that famous AMC Gremlin. The visability out the rear from the driver's seat is not good at all...with huge blind spots. It also has vulnerable corners to get nailed in parking lots because the rear lights are so close to the corners. Insurance costs could be high on this baby! I was also disappointed with the slab door sides having no protective molding of any kind at all...parking lot kisses will be common. Just look at all the dinged Acura MDX doors to see what I mean.
Think I will stick with more traditional transportation like the Highlander or Subaru Outback.
http://www.nissan.ca/en/vehicles/murano/config_sl.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/cars/specials/warrenbrown/
I guess I know where I'm going after work today!
SE: ca$46500 (us$29430); SL: ca$39500 (us$25000)
Their standard lease for 36 months and 15000 mile/year (24000km/y) has a residaul value of 57% with money factor of 0.003 (7.2%).
I know the price won't be available to US consumers, but DAMN! I hope the same lease will be available to US buyers.
Here's another favorable review from Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/2002/autosconsumer/0211/25/g01-15075.htm
I went to the Charlotte International Autoshow last night (Sunday) and boy did I have a great time. The first display I went to was Nissan's!
First off, the Nissan display had many many cars. Three Maximas, two Frontiers, two Pathfinders, three Sentras, two Xterras five Altimas and 1 Murano.
The Altimas and Maximas looked great, but on to the Murano.
Upon arriving up to the Murano, I ran into a couple who was looking at it. The husband thought it looked great, while the wife thought it was ugly. He sat in it before I did, and he commented on how nice the interior materials were, and how roomy this SUV was. She wouldn't even get in it. "It's too ugly," she replied. This particular Murano was Polished Pewter with Cabernet Interior. Cabernet is NICE, but I would get tired of it quickly. It's just too fashionable I guess. It looks a lot like the red-orange crayola crayon color.
I sat in it for a few minutes. I only sat in the front driver's seat at first. The materials are pretty good, not Lexus or Audi good, but somewhat better than the plastics in the Altima. I think the design is a little futuristic though.
I left the Murano and decided to hope into the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder may look nice, but it's cramped in the back seat. The seats are WAY too flat and it's just not comfortable. I then went back to the Murano and sat in the back seat. I had plenty of space back there. The Murano is much more roomier than the Pathfinder. I had the Power seat in the Murano adjusted all the way back as far as it would go. The Murano is VERY roomy and comfortable in the backseat. I loved that SUV.
IT was a Muruno SL with Premium Pkg.
Polished Pewter with Cabernet cloth interior
If I wanted an SUV, the Murano would dominate my list.
If you meant a Pilot does not have a sunroof, I apologize for being so rude. Yes, that thing does not have a sunroof.
Here are the major differences.
The Pilot is an 8 seater. If you need to move more than a couple of people, I think the Murano would be useless.
Also, the Pilot comes only in 4X4 (as far as I can tell) They should probably have considered at 4X2 version to punch up the fuel economy.
Both cars will be hard to make a "deal" on in the first 6 months or so. Very popular.
First, the price. I was suprised to see a sticker price of 36K. It was a fully loaded 2wd with a nav system, but at that price I could afford an AWD RX300.
CVT and engine--although it had plenty of low end torque and got up to speed quickly, I was expecting much more. It wasn't truck-like slow but it wasn't Toyota v-6 quick either. It was, however, smooth and quiet and I never noticed the "sewing machine" sound others refered to.
The exterior is great. The pictures don't do it justice. My only concern was I heard a number of rocks being thrown up from the tires to the body. Mine didn't have any obvious flaps and I'd be a little worried about the paint. Also, the doors seem at risk for dings--they're big and flat with no protection.
I am impressed with the interior, the fold flat seats and the Bose system. The pictures I had seen did not do it justice. The charcoal (black) leather is beautiful, but Texas summers dictate lighter colors. My only 3 concerns were:
1. I did not like the steering wheel controls at all. They looked cheap and tacky.
2. The spare tire was a tall, skinny standard spare with the subwoofer lying in it's rim. It is only accessable by lifting the mat and cargo holder and lifting it out...not convenient but necessary given the low stance.
3. The dash. Very long and distracting and I can already tell there will be complaints about glare on sunny days. I felt like I was driving my mom's old minivan on a few occasions.
Insurance. I'm not sure how this would affect my premiums, but I'm sure that it would raise it higher than most of the other vehicles I'm looking at. Resale value is also a concern of mine.
Other than those few things, I felt that the Murano was great to drive. It was comfy and my wife even liked it. The only other thing I think it needs would be a button to lock in a 50/50 torque split for those snowy or rainy days when you just know it's going to be bad.
2 Canadian publications -- Mississauga News and Winnipeg Free Press -- say that there is an Auto Mode that allows one to lock the AWD system for a 50/50 torque split up to 30 KM/H. Now, this is a Canadian-spec Murano. I have not seen/testdriven the Murano so I can't say the same for the US-spec. If the US-spec lacks this Auto Mode, then that would be a significant difference in the AWD system. But frankly, I don't expect Canadian-spec and US-spec Muranos to be all that different. Can someone verify Auto Mode AWD in US-spec Murano?
Mississauga News Murano Review Winnipeg Free Press Murano Review
Take note of the following blurbs:
From Mississauga News Review of Nissan Murano
In the 'Auto' mode it routes power where needed from 100 per cent front/0 per cent rear up to 50/50. In unstable conditions, the transfer case can be locked into 50/50. In the 'Lock' mode and at 50/50, the system switches back to Auto above 30 kmh, but returns back to Lock if speed drops below 30 kmh.
From Winnipeg Free Press Review of Nissan Murano
The Nissan system is actually an automatically-engaging part-time four-wheel drive. The car is front-wheel drive until wheel slippage at the fronts exceeds a pre-set threshold, upon which a series of clutch packs engages variably to transfer up to 50 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels. Alternatively, you can push a button at any speed below 30 km-h to lock the clutch packs, creating a forced 50/50 front-rear split.
Our engineering guru Gerry Malloy, refers to this type of system as "too-late" four-wheel drive, because by the time the system knows you're in trouble, it's "too late" to do anything meaningful about it.
If you read the reviews, the Mississauga News writer makes mention of
One of our more esteemed Canadian writers drove the Murano out on the beach in front of the hotel and promptly went down to the axles in soft sand. I guess he never watched the Paris-Dakar Rally where even specially-built $200,000-plus sand runners are useless in soft sand.
And then, read the Winnipeg Free Press that makes mention of:
You see, we were staying at the lovely new Bacara Resort, north of Santa Barbara, on a beautiful stretch of beach. You've got a vehicle that seems perfectly designed to handle some luxurious resort beach-type driving, so the helpful staff there allowed me to take the car onto the sand at sunrise for some photographs.
Sunrise! Me!
I tried to position it to take the perfect pic - just a wee bit farther back ..... Oops. Those front wheels spun, the car went about 10 cm straight down into the soft sand, and it wasn't going anywhere else. Flick the lock-up switch. No difference.
I wasn't exactly sure where the torque was going. The engine was revving about 3000 rpm, but no wheels were spinning. I guess it was being eaten up by the CVT - something which, for wear-and-tear reasons, I didn't want to do for long.
A John Deere "Gator" came out to help - and promptly got stuck too. I guess this sand was just too soft.
Anyway, a tow truck was necessary to extract the vehicle.
Now I'm considering a '03 4-Runner.
If someone in the US has an AWD model, let us know.
I have to admit that I was blown away by the driving characteristics. The CVT transmission is silky smooth with flawless acceleration. Cornering is amazing for an SUV, more like a higher end sports car. Road feel is very tight, but incredibly smooth and stable. The car is a dream to drive. Nissan has done an amazing job of merging the layout of an SUV with the driving characteristics of a sports car. I look forward to driving the SE model with the sports tuned suspension. You really have to drive this vehicle to appreciate it. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is a joke compared to the Murano. I can not wait for my lease to expire in March. I do not think it is fair to compare this vehicle to a Pilot or a Highlander. Our other vehicle is an Acura MDX, we love it, but it is a bit of a family truckster. I personally think the Pilot looks like a bloated CRV. What an incredibly boring looking vehicle. I am sure that is shares the same quality as our MDX, but I can't get past the bloated appearance. The Highlander on the other hand is the ultimate family truckster. I could not even imagine driving one. This vehicle looks and drives like a high-end station wagon. I guess there is a fine line between an SUV and a station wagon. I think it is only fair to compare the Murano with the Acura MDX and Lexus LX300. Loaded up, the Murano is every bit the vehicle but with distinctive cross-over styling. We actually considered buying another MDX, but the Murano is everything I am looking for, especially since I don't need a third row. Sports car styling, SUV cargo space and luxury interior. Even at full MSRP, this vehicle is a great buy in it's class.
On another subject, has anyone driven both the SL and SE and noticed a difference in the suspensions on the different models. The SE is supposed to have a sport suspension but darn if I can tell the difference. They both feel
"sporty" to me. I find the Murano handles well and has a fairly stiff suspension, which I like, about the same as my TL-S and my wifes G35.
First, some answers.
1. US Murano has the same AWD system as the Canadian one, it has both "auto" and "lock" mode. Regarding how this system works, here's a very good discussion.
2. Pilot's (and MDX) VTM-4 system is the same as Murano's AWD, or as close as you can get. Since most of the time this system is in FWD mode, a 2WD Pilot/MDX/Murano won't improve much on MPG. For the Murano, 20/25mpg-2wd, 20/24mpg-awd.
3. The sewing machine sound is there, but very low. I can only hear it when I let go of the gas(coasting) and the cabin is real quiet. With any noise, talking/fan/radio, it's gone. I don't know what causes it, might be an over-run clutch.
Now the driving experience. This is with a SL AWD.
The Good,
1. This thing drives like a sports car, it feels responsive, tight and powerful. If you want more performance and passing power, shift the transmission from D to S, and it's gone. From a Nissan pickup to the Murano, I can't tell the effect of "wider turning circle". OTOH, I never had any problems parking my truck, I just don't know what the fuss is about.
2. Exterior styling. If you like it, you like it. If not, it's a whole different story (see below).
3. Interior design. It's unique, tastful and very functional. A lot of little things here and there showed Nissan's attention to detail.
4. Quiet ride. On highways, there's minimal road noise and engine noise, no sewing machine noise either. At speed of 70mph or over, there is some wind noise from front windshield. It may not be up to luxury car standard, it certainly is better than most cars and minivans.
The Bad,
1. Styling. Before test drive, my main concern was I may not like the front grill and/or the big D-pillar. After seeing it, well, let's just say I still need more time to get use to it.
2. There is a big blind spot on the passenger side (no problem on driver side), caused by the D-pillar and the sloped up side window. You will need a carefully adjusted passenger side mirror.
3. More on D-pillar. It blocked a lot of outside view for the rear passengers. My wife complained she can't see much and can't feel the openness of a SUV this size.
4. Interior material. Frankly, I don't like the material quality of the leather and plastic. It's not as good as a leather trimmed Mountaineer, let alone the RX300. Granted, Nissan is not a luxury marque, but at this price range (mid30k), people are expecting more. This car has the black interior (pewter outside), and the dealer was swearing the red (cabernet) one he drove at Nissan training was a lot better.
5. Back seat. My wife and daughter both complained the back seats are too firm. I felt it is firm but not to an uncomfortable level. Maybe bigger and heavier people will like 'em better than lighter ones.
The surprise.
The Murano was number one on my shopping list before the test drive. But, despite that and the fact that I had negociated a very very good deal, we walked away. In the end, the deciding factor was, my wife and daughter didn't like the styling. I am not too warm on the exterior either, but I can live with it. I guess we like the traditional SUV look better, high seating, big greenhouse, open view, etc.
Regarding the price, let me just say this, if the dealer does not have a waiting list, you can negociate just like any other nissan vehicle (Z excluded).
Sorry for the long post, hope this can be helpful to some people.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Thanks for confirming this.
Pros:
- CVT is very nice and sleek. did not expect so nice performance. 10/10
- drive as it is glued to the pavement - very stable; drives as smaller sports car, feels the bumps on the road as BMW 7 !!! viva 18inch wheels. 10/10
- has low speed, S position for towing, button for full time 4wd (winter condition) like more serious SUVs.
- Engine seems capable although is asks for premium - 8/10
- good head/leg room for this size car. 7/10 (because of the huge D pillar).
- seat, mirror pedals position memory can have up to 3 settings per driver.
- lots of small details like: buttons from the rear to fold the back seat, headlight adjust, laptop space & 110V outlet inside in the center console.
- the interior has nice touch, could be compared to the up scale vehicles. Brushed alu panels. No wood trim (I hate wood trim) - 9/10
- outside - either love it or hate it. I love the exterior desing. It is not goofy like the Altima rear side. May take a while to get used to the front side - overall 9/10
- pilot, highlander, rx300, mdx look & feel like my granma's vehicles compared to this jewel.
Overall first feeling 9/10
Cons:
- cargo space seems smaller than the others. No way to have third row seats.
- garage opener is place on the central rear miror - a little strange, i don't know if this good or bad.
- D-pilar again - too big - for sure is strange but i don't know if is too bad.
- demand will be probably big, so negotiating a deal will be an issue.
- Premuim fuel
- seats 5 (not 4 or 7)
- It is exactly what Nissan calls it - Urban SUV, it is neither fully off-road capable car, nor crosover stupid thing like forester, matrix, vibe (is the name derived from vibrator anyway)
- central rear mirror visibility is limited.
- Nissan nameplate - with some small touch-ups could compete with luxury brands like Lexus, Acura, MB, BMW (i'm not sure about bmw?)
FX45 will be in higher price range anyway, and it is on different plattform maybe.
- CVT again - how reliable is this new piece - thay claim more than the normal transmission since it has less moving parts, I would say only the time & experience can judge.
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Issue is - this piece should have longer warranty than the standard Nissan all car warranty 3/36K bumper2bumper, 5/60K drivetrain in order to become popular.
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Overall cons are not to big and probably this new vehicle will blow the competition away next year due to the sleeker design, detailed touch, and the swiss watch precision drivetrain and handling alltgether.
cheers!
Is it even fair to compare the Murano to the more performance oriented A4 and 325xi? Sure, it's got more horsepower than both these, but that doesn't necessarily mean much in my book. Still it's an attractive package and the extra cargo space is nice, so how do you think these models stack up?
By the way, I priced all these out the way I would buy them using Edmunds TMV and came up with a range of $31,800 to $33,300, although the level of options in each varied. The Passat for example is totally loaded at $31,800. My only must have options are heated seats, a sunroof, and at least 16" wheels (option on A4).
Thanks
Thanks
Speaking of Audi and MPG, I gate the Allroad a close look. I loved the styling of the car, but man, that thing burns more fuel than a Hummer.
I bargained the price down to Nissan supplier VPP level (Murano is not eligible for VPP yet). If you don't know what I am talking about, let's just say, the money I would have saved is almost twice as much as what the dealer would have made.
What is supplier VPP pricing? And what was the lowest price you were able to bargain down to, relative to invoice pricing.