| Onarum |
I've had my new 2007 SL AWD for almost 48 hours, and I have to say how impressed I am overall with this vehicle. It has a firm ride and nice seat-of-the-pants feel, not as firm as my BMW 323, but definitely not spongy like a lot of American cars.
The gauges and displays are intelligently laid out, and are easy to read and operate. The fit and quality are generally very good, although there are a couple of items they could have done a little better with, for example, the cargo cover's "sub-cover" (that's what it's called in the manual) doesn't quite line up with the attachment clips on the backs of the rear seat headrests.
I really like the intelligent key, although not having to worry about keys will happily take a little getting used to :D I'm about halfway through reading the manual, which is actually very humorous as well as informative. I can tell it was written or translated by someone whose first language was not English. While it explains adequately about the car's features, the wording is funny.
Murano has a very different driving philosophy than does my dead BMW. The 323 was nimble and fast. It didn't like to go slow, and liked to be driven aggressively around curves. The Murano has a more sedate feel to me, although if I punch it, it responds impressively. So far it's a pleasure to drive. |
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| njjoe |
Onarum-
The Owner's Manual, like the Service Manual, is a hoot to read. The translation errors are all over the place. Some are funny and others are just plain stupid. You would figure Nissan would have someone on staff to proof-read the manuals before they are released, but I guess not.
-njjoe |
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| HuskyFan |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
Onarum-
The Owner's Manual. like the Service Manual, is a hoot to read. The translation errors are all over the place. Some are funny and others are just plain stupid. You would figure Nissan would have someone on staff to proof-read the manuals before they are released, but I guess not.
-njjoe
Njjoe
Sounds like a job opportunity for you since your posts are easy to read and technically informative. |
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| Onarum |
quote:
Originally posted by HuskyFan
Njjoe
Sounds like a job opportunity for you since your posts are easy to read and technically informative.
I used to live in Japan, and worked for a software company who marketed their products into the US. I offered to "correct" their manuals and other documentation, but they weren't interested. Some of my Japanese counterparts seemed to be insulted by my suggestion. |
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| mkaresh |
quote:
Originally posted by Onarum
Murano has a very different driving philosophy than does my dead BMW. The 323 was nimble and fast. It didn't like to go slow, and liked to be driven aggressively around curves. The Murano has a more sedate feel to me, although if I punch it, it responds impressively. So far it's a pleasure to drive.
In general SUVs feel more "sedate" than cars. It's a matter of mass, seating height, and center of gravity. |
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| Onarum |
I've got all of 525 miles on my new 2007 Murano. The tire pressure sensors are either right on the button or 1 lb. off. The gas mileage the car tells me (21.2 mpg) matches my manual calculations very closely.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is the display screen, specifically that during the daytime the screen is difficult to read, even with the brightness turned all the way up. What it really needs is a hood to shade the screen from light. Is anyone aware of an aftermarket hood or shade? |
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| scolba |
| how about a baseball cap with your favorite sports teams logo on it? :) |
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| Onarum |
Another thing that could use a little improvement are the turn signal indicators on the dashboard. They're at the bottom of these little holes, and difficult to see unless you are positioned correctly. It's a minor annoyance among lots of other stuff that seems to be intelligently laid out and designed.
The wife and I went on 150 mile round trip to one of our favorite restaurants. Our new Murano made the trip a comfortable pleasure. |
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| htown_gator |
I'm finding that I do love the ride of the Murano, but I don't like my driving position. It's probably because I'm a car driver and not a SUV person (I like sitting lower, not higher, in the seat), but it'll take some getting used to. Quite often I find my right foot getting sore or tired for whatever reason... I wish that my knees could be a bit above my waistline and not even with it (although I know that it's probably better ergonomically).
Anyone else notice that their doors don't exactly shut with a nice even "thud"? Mine will shut fine, but will sometimes seem as if they aren't exactly even (they seem to "hit" then latch with a click before it shuts). I guess I'm used to my Acura's doors closing with a nice even thump and no other sounds that make me think the doors weren't machined properly. |
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| HuskyFan |
quote:
Originally posted by htown_gator
[BI wish that my knees could be a bit above my waistline and not even with it (although I know that it's probably better ergonomically).
Anyone else notice that their doors don't exactly shut with a nice even "thud"?[/B]
I find the seats can be adjusted so my thighs rest on the seat cushion and my my knees are above my waist. I tilt the seat cushion up in the front so my thighs rest on the cushion and tilt the back so I feel comfortable. I adjust the lumbar support for my back and move the seat back so my left foot rest on the foot pad. The pedals can be moved also so my right foot easily can reach them.
I have no problems with how the doors close. They close very easily with no rattles or the need to slam them shut. Maybe your latches need adjustment if you hear a metallic sound. |
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| craigster |
quote:
Originally posted by htown_gator
Anyone else notice that their doors don't exactly shut with a nice even "thud"? Mine will shut fine, but will sometimes seem as if they aren't exactly even (they seem to "hit" then latch with a click before it shuts). I guess I'm used to my Acura's doors closing with a nice even thump and no other sounds that make me think the doors weren't machined properly.
I would disagree. Having "thudded" a few Acura doors myself, the Murano's are rather solid, perhaps more so. I particularly like the fact that there are no obvious seams in the exposed inner sections. It does sound like yours may need an adjustment.
For door thudness, I would recommend a top contender is a 90's Mercedes E series - now that's a thudder ... and a half. ;) |
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| Onarum |
The doors of my 1999 BMW 323i RIP :>( closed with a very solid and satisfying thud. My new Murano's doors aren't quite as "thudly," but pretty darn close, and without any extraneous noises or feelings that would make me doubt my purchase decision.
Contrast this with noises my wife's 2000 BMW 323Ci convertible doors make when they close: a lot of extra rattles and shaking. The dealer says there's nothing wrong. Who would have thought that a US$35K Japanese car would have better quality than a US$50K German car (at least, in this regard)? |
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| hotspur |
quote:
Originally posted by craigster
I would disagree. Having "thudded" a few Acura doors myself, the Murano's are rather solid, perhaps more so. I particularly like the fact that there are no obvious seams in the exposed inner sections.
Acura TL doors in particular sound cheap and tinny when closed. Yes, I still marvel at the absence of obvious seams on the door sills and jambs. |
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| htown_gator |
quote:
Originally posted by hotspur
Acura TL doors in particular sound cheap and tinny when closed. Yes, I still marvel at the absence of obvious seams on the door sills and jambs.
You can't be serious, right?
Acura even had a "door shutting" demo on their website for the TL where you could open the door and shut it with the recorded sound. It really does hit with a satisfying THUD and not this click-thud sound that Nissan does because the door seems to be off-line.
I'm planning to take it in and see about it. |
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| GripperDon |
| Just line the inside with either Acoustamat or B=Quite, works wonders and also keeps the road noise out. |
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| hotspur |
quote:
Originally posted by htown_gator
You can't be serious, right?
Acura even had a "door shutting" demo on their website for the TL where you could open the door and shut it with the recorded sound. It really does hit with a satisfying THUD and not this click-thud sound that Nissan does because the door seems to be off-line.
I'm planning to take it in and see about it.
No, I'm dead serious. At the car show in Boston, I closed the doors of the TL and was appalled at how cheap they sounded. Almost as cheap as that awful shiny black trim around the windows. Sorry if I offended you, but that's the truth.
If you were taken in by a web-site demo, that's your problem. If the door on your Murano is "off-line," just get it fixed. |
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| HuskyFan |
| I can close the doors with a gentle push, no noise. I don't need to slam the doors to get a thud sound. |
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| Onarum |
I just got back from a 750-mile round trip down to Los Angeles (actually, Van Nuys) and back. My Murano, now with 3100 miles on it, made the trip a real pleasure. I had the CD changer loaded up with 6 MP3 discs I burned just for the trip. I haven't gotten around to installing the XM satellite radio yet.
On the way back I fell in behind a Porsche Cayenne, and we cruised at speeds up to 100 mph for a couple of hours. The Murano handled it easily without any apparent loss of ride comfort or steering capability. In spite of the speeds, I still averaged 21.9 mpg.
I'm really happy I bought my Murano. |
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