Help deciding
I have narrowed my new car to either the Nissan Altima or the Morano. I'm scared of the bugs that the Morano may have. But, I like that body style better.
Can anyone give me advice that may help my decision. This is the car I plan to drive forever.
Thanks,
RonsKat@aol.com
Can anyone give me advice that may help my decision. This is the car I plan to drive forever.
Thanks,
RonsKat@aol.com
0
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Comments
Anyway, the only help I can offer is regarding your comment about the bugs in a new car. I have a car that I bought the first year out, in 2000. It has been in the shop for so many defects that I won't be keeping it past warrenty. The manufacturer isn't going to do a recall on one issue, so the part is being replaced with the same type part that failed, but at putting a revised part into the new model this year. They are being lazy about it. Hoping they can get passed warrenty and not have to deal with the customer after that or just let them pay for it.
So ya, I personally, based on my experiences, will not buy a car it's first year out. Although I would love and probaby slide with the infiniti G35, but it could just as well happen with a high end car also. But can't afford it at this time. So I am going with the Altima.
Good luck on your decision. It's a tough one huh?
Nicole
Living in Queens, I'm not a truck guy. I never have been and think that alot of people that drive them around here are a nuisance. Trucks barely fit onto some of our sidestreets and parking spots, and the owners get drunk with power and drive too aggresively.
I don't know where you live or what you need the car for. If you face alot of inclement weather and can use the hauling ability, a truck may fit you well but there is a price to be paid. Trucks are harder to drive and park in tight spaces, they're less efficient, and probalby less reliable in the long run. So will the benefits derived from the utility of the SUV outweigh the costs?
My dealer told me that the Muranos are moving well and selling for sticker. The one that the had on the floor stickered for 31k and still had cloth seats and no moonroof, so the Altima and Murano and in different leagues price wise.
It is also not true that the Murano is selling for sticker. They can be had for about $500 about invoice - like most Nissan vehicles.
The difficutly in parking a crossover SUV (sorry) or traditional truck is not only attributable to the length of the vehicle, but also the height. If you're parking between two cars that are considerable lower, it's difficult to get a good read on where the bumpers of you vehicle are in comparison to the hoods and trunk of the other vehicles. Of course, half the SUV drivers don't care about when they do to other people's car. Price you pay for city living I guess.
Regarding the car selling for sticker, I was just relaying what I was told by the dealer that sold me my Altima for $40 over. There may be regional differences and the Muarano seems to be a big hit in this area. The situation may not be representative of what's going on elsewhere.
The Murano has bumpers that are standard 5-mph and are basically at car height. It has about 3" more ground clearance than a standard car. The vehicle is about 7" taller total than a Altima, but that is cargo space, not ground clearance (as in a minivan). Parking may be harder for visability issues, but it is not much higher off the ground than a typical car and shorter than a Maxima or Altima. It may actually be easier to park in the end.
If it has 4wd (actually, AWD in post cross-over vehicles, which is a much different concept) and open cargo bay, and is relatively high, it is a SUV? You've just described about 50% of the station wagons sold in America (i.e., Volvo, VW, Subaru) and several of the Minivans. These sort of narrow definitions no longer work in a changing market.
About 40% of Toyota Highlander and Nissan Muranos are sold with FWD only. Even the models that are sold with AWD opperate as front-wheel drive vehicles most of the time, just like the Altima. The Murano, in fact, is a wagon based on the Altima FWD platform.
From a design perspective, the Murano is closer to being a minivan than a SUV. It doens't have any of the structural features of a truck-based SUV (i.e., body-on-frame design, true 4wd system, high ground clearance).
If the Murano is selling close to sticker in your area of the country, than your area is completely unique. The Murano is being heavily discounted everywhere else. Its sounds like you got mislead by your dealer.
How heavy is Murano being discounted? The cheapest price I can get from local dealer is $400 above invoice price. The other place I know of is carmax. Carmax currently has a extra $1000 promotion off their no-haggling price. What price could be considered as a "ok" deal since Murano is being heavily discounted at this point?
I know that carsdirect.com, which tends to have prices that are a bit higher than you can get by bargining, now has the Murano for $600 above invoice
I appreciate Uncle David's opinion, but when you're parking on a city street, a 7 inch height differential is pretty significant. At that difference, you're more than likely to lose perspective of where the grill and back bumper are of the cars that you're parking between.
I've lived here for six years, and based on what I've seen first hand, I think that my opinion on that is pretty well informed.
As for your dealer, he was simply misleading you. You can go to carsdirect.com and check the selling price for the Murano at your specific zipcode. Or, you can check the TMV at this site. There isn't anywhere in the country where the Murano is selling for sticker right now. There are purchase prices posted from all over the country at the Nissan ethusiast site and nobody has paid close to Msrp ANYWHERE IN THE U.S.A or Canada.
Other than a brief comment by your dealer, which may or may not be reliable, have you actually done any real research on the selling prices of Muranos?
Anyway, it hardly matters what your particular dealer is willing to sell the Murano for. The point is, it is widely available all over the country for a lot less than sticker. Anybody who is reading this thread, could go out and get a Murano today for a few hundred more than invoice.
Not every wagon is taller than a car. The Murano is and also has a smallish back window. With as much parallel parking as we do around here, the respectful thing to do is to park so as not to rely on your bumper nudging the cars around you to tell you that you're in. You should not have the disposition that since the bumpers are the same hieghts, it's OK to tap the cars around you when parking.
Bumper strips on cars have gone the way of tailfins. I don't appreciate seeing my bumpers get scratched up and wish they people would be a little more considerate than to bash their way into a partking space just because the percieve the owners of the other cars to not be around.
When I've started to get down to actual negotiations with the sales manager, it was a good deal cheaper. So far, the lowest offer I've had is the Murano for $500 above invoice. If I wait, I can probably do better than that. My experience mirrors the information on other websites and in the "how much did you pay" thread in this forum. Nobody should be paying even close to MSRP for the Murano.
That said, I do agree with your complaint about the Murano's small back window. Visability rearward is lacking. And, because you sit up high, there will be more of blind spot in the rear. So, I'll concede your point that parallel parking with the Murano may be harder than parking with the Altima or Maxima.
Bumper height is close to a car's height, so that shouldn't be an issue, however.
I understand your frustration with people scratching your bumpers. I have the same problem, living in a urban environment.
The Murano is actually not as tall as many minivans, and for comparison purposes, it is about 5 inches taller than a Passat station wagon and about 2 inches higher than a Subaru Outback.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your new Altima!
It's funny, a year ago I went out looking for a truck or SUV, narrowed it to the Toyota Highlander or the Mazda Tribute, then read all the "bad" posts about the Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape problems and was set on getting the Toyota Highlander.
Then a friend suggested that I just keep my truck (because was I really going to drop a bunch of junk from Home Depot in my new SUV?), and pick up a car instead.
I hadn't considered a "car" because most sedans are so BORING, but then I went out and test drove a bunch, and here I sit today with an ALTIMA... (*Note: Really wanted the G35, but figured I'd save the money and just make it my next car).
Funny how quickly things can change, huh?
(:-D
I can see myself needing something to transport big stuff, so I think a Vibe might be a good compromise. I really don't need a big SUV, and I sure don't want bigger gas bills. The Vibe is sporty looking, fun to drive, reliable and gets good gas MPG. On the other hand, the Altima seems more like a luxury car and probably has a better ride.
I'm still mulling this over and waiting to see if rebates or incentives get better.
I am trying to make the same decision between the TSX and Murano. Any advice? I have been racking my brain over the decision.
Also, for those of you who have Glacier Pearl-are you happy you got it? Is it easy to keep clean, or least appear to keep clean?
Any help would be appreciated!
The Glacier Pearl however, while I really like the color, doesn't stay clean as well as I thought it would. It shows lots of road dirt (grime and mud) along each side and in back.
Hope this helps,
Don
Anyway here goes: I live in the Palm Springs area and trying the buy vs lease issue.
Anyone have any experience with "The Lease Outlet" I think they are in Manhattan Beach or somewhere like that.
On the "Buy" side am also considering Toyota Sequoia because they come more loaded and have a $1K discount and have a travel trailer to tow, though infrequently. Anybody out there ahve any experience towing with Murano?
Thanx
Nissan Murano
Toyota Sequoia
and there's a lot of helpful lease information on our Finance, Warranty & Insurance board.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Monkstermann
SUV to big and boring.
Sedan boring.
The Murano was the best thing I ever bought!!
I Love it.
Stylish, Sporty drives like a car.
I really can't say enough!!!
Would love a 350 Z so went with the Murano, it's a Z (almost) with a trunk.
(Unless of course you need the extra seating in the Pilot, or you just hate the styling of the Murano.)
The pilot is a no doubt great transportation appliance. The Murano is a stylish, sporty, luxury, ride that still gets my heart pumping just a little faster every time I start it up and drive away.
Enjoy whatever you choose, just let your heart choose after the test drives, not your head.
The SE touring package alone is $4K, and if I just wanted the GPS navigation system, not only would I have to get this touring package, but I'd also have to spring for the VDC/TCS dynamic controls. On an AWD it seems to me that these things are not really necessary, and they certainly have nothing to do with the computer navigation maps. By the time I would be done, and including sales tax, I'll be well up above $40K for this thing.
As a result, I'm leaning more and more towards the Subaru Forester XS premium where most stuff is included as standard, and any additional option choices are not so uncompromisingly connected.
As a second vehicle, I think the Forester will do just fine. It's too bad about the Murano though. I really like the looks of it and its performance, and if I were to have only one vehicle I'd probably bite the bullet and get the whole nine yards worth of options.
PisceanZ
My SE with AWD 28,278
SE touring Pkg 3470
Dynamic Control 651
Mats 61
Splash guards 73
Cargo protector 53
Roof rails 136
XM radio 347
Delivery 540
Total Invoice cost......33,609
A nav system is 1735
If I can find this vehicle, I know I can purchase at or near invoice price. A few alternatives might be to go to the SL to lower the cost? 80+% are SLs.
I don't know much about the Forester XS but doubt you'll get it near invoice. In any event, good luck on you final decision. adnips
This is what I'm looking at as far as retail price is concerned for a 2004 AWD Murano SE:
Base Price= $30750
Dest Charge= 650
Delivery Chg= 350
SE Tour Pkg= 4000
VDC/TCS Pkg= 750
Nav System= 2000
Cargo Protect= 70
Floor Mats= 80
Mud Guards= 100
Sun Roof Defl 70
Sub Total= $38820
Sales Tax@8.75%= $3396.75
Grand Total= $42,216.75
Plus about another $50 for registration and new tire surcharge.
If I was able to get everything at invoice that would be another story and I'd be looking at around 37-38K, but around here that's wishful thinking. Perhaps I could get about $2000 off of the total price, then I'm still looking at 40K.
Piscean
In any event, I hope you can do better. In my case, the Murano is the ticket. Though I just bought an Infiniti G35 coupe this weekend & could have gotten a great deal on the FX35, I'm opting to go to Nissan for this vehicle. Good luck!......adnips
Btw, good luck with your new G35 Coupe. I also considered that one, but decided on the Z instead because I didn't need the two back seats.
Piscean
Has anyone seen this option actually offered on a vehicle? Knowing that SLs are much more available, should I just consider stopping my search for an SE? How harsh is the SE vs the SL? Is there that big of a difference?
The new feature on the 04 SE I like the best is the auto shift. Being in the N Geogia Mts on winding roads I think it would be a bit safer
overall. Any thoughts? Thanks.....adnips
I'll try to hold out for the SE but if I can find the dynamic control on either model, I may change my mind. Thanks for your input..........adnips
Honda Pilot- dealer has 2 Pilots in stock, one is a loaded EX showroom model with DVD-RES and the other one is a cloth EX. You can order one with the NAV and get it in about 4 weeks, and they're willing to take maybe $500 off or so.
I would favor Murano if you like the style, better handling and futuristic,exciting looks. Go for the Pilot if you prefer conventional style, third seat and reputation for good quality. The Pilot looks so boring that I could fall asleep looking at it. Driving experience is no better. Both vehicles are exceptionally quiet that the only difference in the noise level will depend on the tires you choose (believe me it makes a big difference) You will find plenty of gadgets to play around in he Murano, a killer Bose audio and very comfortable seats with lots of leg room in the front and back. The Pilot has so so seats, somewhat cramped leg room in the back because of the third seat and a so so audio system. You will get curious looks from people when you drive a jet black murano into town and most people will think you are riding a alien spacecraft if you are in the liquid copper Murano as compared to a yawn when you get off a Pilot. The color selection in the Pilot is so boring that none of them look good. If I were to decide between the two it would (and it is ) the Murano. One piece of advise- Dont buy the murano for the MSRP! Most dealers will sell it for invoice price or couple hundred buck over invoice. Get an extended warranty instead for 7yr/100000 miles and you cant beat the deal. Go for the premium package as minimum option. It will cost you at least 2000 less, warranty that is 3 times better than a pilot for a comparable model. You will drive home with a lot bigger smile on your face and some extra cash in your pocket.I hope this helps.
Based on the cars you mentioned eliminating it would seem to be in the same breed and they now have an AWD version if that is important to you. I have owned Infinitis for nine years now and can tell you that as far as reliability they are very good. The G has a little more backseat room than most its competitors (don't know about the IS didn't look at Lexus when I was shopping).