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I love my Murano, but I'm starting to crave a few things....
Some days, I miss having a car. Why? I don't know, I'm trying to nail this down... Especially since the Murano drives like a tall car.
OK, maybe it's not so much a car I'm missing, but a performance car. One that I can put fairly large boxes into. Hmmm, well that just about trashes most cars as being feasible.
But there's the Magnum. Hmmm RWD or AWD. I admit, there have been a half dozen days in the past 2.5 years that the Murano's AWD truly have been significantly useful. Could I live without AWD?
Well RWD sucks in bad weather. Well at least that's what I thought. However Daimler Chrysler seems to have that addressed pretty well with their ESP system. It's still not AWD, which they have as well (and is truly AWD, not just part time, like Nissan's Murano), but could I live without it? Sure did in the past...
OK, so if I was to look at a Magnum as an alternate, which one? Well, I was targetting the R/T as it has a fuel efficient version of the 5.7 litre Hemi V8 with a lovely V8 sound (heavily muted, but there) and lots of power.
What about the CVT? Won't I miss that? Well when test driving an R/T, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the 5 speed auto was.
OK, so how about pricing? Well for the price of a loaded Murano, I can get a Magnum SRT8. (So much for the fuel efficent V8) The SRT8 has Brembos, 20's, high performance for a land yacht and 425 HP from a 6.1 litre Hemi V8. If I got another Murano, it would be a loaded one.
Fuel mileage? Hmmm... Is it significantly worse than a Murano with a heavy footed driver? And is that extra money on buying outragously expensive gasoline, worth the entertainment? I'm still pondering this, but the answer might just be yes....
It's still a long way off, before I have to decide. With a six month build time, the last time I was checking, I'd be ordering one next summer for the end of the Murano's lease. But it's awfully tempting.
So why else would I want one? Well, I have a home office and the vehicle rarely sees rush hour traffic, as a result. My commute consists of a few steps, not a drive. Plus, as much as I want a toy car, there's not the room for it, so it's a bit of a PITA to arrange for one.
So why not make the daily driver the toy car?
Of course, it helps when my wife saw one with an old guy (her words, not mine) and asked him what he thought of it. His answer? A big smile and "Vroom Vroom!".
In a perfect world, I'd want to keep the Murano and have an SRT8. I might have to make a sacrifice. We'll see. I have this terrible habit of thinking out loud and then changing my mind!
I kind of like the idea of a 5.1 0 to 60 speed with a 13.1 second quarter mile time. Totally uneeded for the daily driver. But I didn't get a Honda Element either...
Oh, one more thing... My cousin works for DC. Employee discount. OK, now the SRT8 is cheaper than a loaded Murano. Guess that will help pay for the gas.
Just thoughts, nothing more, but I'm curious if anyone has done the Murano/Magnum comparison. When you're not sure you need an SUV, but like some of the capabilities of an Urban SUV, maybe it's a good alternate?
Some days, I miss having a car. Why? I don't know, I'm trying to nail this down... Especially since the Murano drives like a tall car.
OK, maybe it's not so much a car I'm missing, but a performance car. One that I can put fairly large boxes into. Hmmm, well that just about trashes most cars as being feasible.
But there's the Magnum. Hmmm RWD or AWD. I admit, there have been a half dozen days in the past 2.5 years that the Murano's AWD truly have been significantly useful. Could I live without AWD?
Well RWD sucks in bad weather. Well at least that's what I thought. However Daimler Chrysler seems to have that addressed pretty well with their ESP system. It's still not AWD, which they have as well (and is truly AWD, not just part time, like Nissan's Murano), but could I live without it? Sure did in the past...
OK, so if I was to look at a Magnum as an alternate, which one? Well, I was targetting the R/T as it has a fuel efficient version of the 5.7 litre Hemi V8 with a lovely V8 sound (heavily muted, but there) and lots of power.
What about the CVT? Won't I miss that? Well when test driving an R/T, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the 5 speed auto was.
OK, so how about pricing? Well for the price of a loaded Murano, I can get a Magnum SRT8. (So much for the fuel efficent V8) The SRT8 has Brembos, 20's, high performance for a land yacht and 425 HP from a 6.1 litre Hemi V8. If I got another Murano, it would be a loaded one.
Fuel mileage? Hmmm... Is it significantly worse than a Murano with a heavy footed driver? And is that extra money on buying outragously expensive gasoline, worth the entertainment? I'm still pondering this, but the answer might just be yes....
It's still a long way off, before I have to decide. With a six month build time, the last time I was checking, I'd be ordering one next summer for the end of the Murano's lease. But it's awfully tempting.
So why else would I want one? Well, I have a home office and the vehicle rarely sees rush hour traffic, as a result. My commute consists of a few steps, not a drive. Plus, as much as I want a toy car, there's not the room for it, so it's a bit of a PITA to arrange for one.
So why not make the daily driver the toy car?
Of course, it helps when my wife saw one with an old guy (her words, not mine) and asked him what he thought of it. His answer? A big smile and "Vroom Vroom!".
In a perfect world, I'd want to keep the Murano and have an SRT8. I might have to make a sacrifice. We'll see. I have this terrible habit of thinking out loud and then changing my mind!
I kind of like the idea of a 5.1 0 to 60 speed with a 13.1 second quarter mile time. Totally uneeded for the daily driver. But I didn't get a Honda Element either...
Oh, one more thing... My cousin works for DC. Employee discount. OK, now the SRT8 is cheaper than a loaded Murano. Guess that will help pay for the gas.
Just thoughts, nothing more, but I'm curious if anyone has done the Murano/Magnum comparison. When you're not sure you need an SUV, but like some of the capabilities of an Urban SUV, maybe it's a good alternate?

