[mtetzlaff]

Rented an Escape for 3 days and then test drove a Saturn Vue. No comparison to the Murano which I & my wife drove today. I love the Murano and will buy one when I can get the $$$. Escape seems bigger than the Murano and doesn't handle nearly as well. Vue seems Ok in terms of size but engine is thrashy and interior seems cramped compared to Murano. I liked the way the Murano was so smooth during acceleration and cornering. The color selection is not the best but I'm in love with the vehicle.

 

[Sgt_Beavis]

Of course there is no comparison. They are in different classes. The Murano is bigger, more expensive, more powerful, and more luxurious. The Escape pricing starts at under 20k and the Vue under 17K. You can't really compare them IMO.

Personally I would like to hear some Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander compairsons. These are the vehicles that the Murano really competes with in price and substance.

 

[davmp]

The Murano vs. Pilot comparison is kind of weird because while the base Murano compares well price-wise with a middle-range Pilot, when you factor in option packages (which if I'm remembering correctly, the Pilot doesn't have many of - just trim levels that top out at 32.5k), the Murano is way more than a Pilot.

Just based on cost, the Murano appears to be aimed above the Pilot if you ask me.

Besides, the Pilot is freaking huge compared to a Murano. 8 seats vs. 5!

 

[8301]

I would like to note that the third seat in the pilot wont fit any adults. It's a very small third seat.

 

[dborla01]

before buying our SE we were interested in both , Highlander and Pilot. Higlander is smaller , the front leg and hip area is tighter, Pilot on the other hand is much bigger. Pilot is more like a practical "working horse" SUV , Murano and Highlander are more luxurious. We actually ordered a Pilot but saw the Murano on the lot and after driving it we bought it. There was no comparison in smoothness, handling and luxury of the interior between those two cars. For almost the same price, you get much more car in Murano, than in Highlander or Pilot.

 

[Taylormade]

I just discovered the Murano 2 days ago and purchased it tonight. My wife and I decided about 4 weeks ago on a Honda Pilot and I thought we'd wait until January. A few days ago I decided to stop by the Nissan dealership and check out the Murano. Absolutely no comparison. The Pilot is a great vehicle, but I want something that has tight handling. The MDX is too expensive so we didn't consider that. I had really liked the Pilot for the flat folding seats and the 91 cubic feet of cargo space. The Murano offers 81 cubic feet of cargo space and flat folding seats as well. The Pilot and the Murano only differed by $1800 but the Murano feels more luxurious and I really like the 18" wheels. I realize the plain paper wrapping of Hondas has been working for them, but I wanted something that stands out and is different than the typical boxy SUV.

 

[MaximaFAN]

I drove a Ford Escape and was actually a little surprised by it. Acceleration was better than I expected and the interior, although leather, was very hard. I wouldn't own one with all of the recalls.

A few months ago I also test drove a GMC Envoy, another recall champ. I couldn't keep the thing going in a straight line down the road..not sure if it was out of alignment. The interior was better than what I was expecting from GM but is still not up to the challenge. Too many hard plastics.

Then things got bad. I started to walk around another Envoy...it was an extended version I think it is called an "EXT".. I noticed that the right rear vent window (between the C & D pillars) was hanging loose and drooping about 2 inches at the forward part of the glass. I asked the salesman what the heck was wrong with that...and he said "Wow..looks like this needs to go to service." The interior was open to the elements ..not to mention that the only thing holding the glass and keeping it from falling off was the rod that powers it into the 'vent' position! I lost faith in GM a long time ago...but that is it for me! NEVER AGAIN GM!

Anyway, for those that are considering a TrailBlazer or an Envoy...do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Preferably to Nissan.

I plan on testing a Murano sometime while I am on vacation.

 

[Taylormade]

FYI regarding Escape:

I had test driven the Vue, Escape, Tribute, Pilot and Murano before deciding on the latter. Initially I was considering just the first 3 because of size and pricing. The Vue's interior quality of materials was below average in my opinion. It also handle the worst of the 3. Next I drove an Escape and felt is was adequate but nothing special. Then I drove the Tribute. World of difference in handling. Don't let the Ford salesperson fool you into thinking they're the same vehicle. The suspensions are completely different and the Tribute handles very tight. The Tribute was my favorite of the small SUVs.

 

[nissanlove_2002]

before we bought our murano we had a Hyundai Santa Fe gls. yes a HYUNDAI. it was an amazing vehicle with it's 2.7V6 and it's 4 speed shiftronic auto.manual tranny. but then we saw the murano and ended up buying it the next day. same thing happened with the santa fe. the santa fe was a smaller car but i think it's much better than that ford crap or mazda or saturn or jeep for that matter. interior materials were a bit tacky but get a wood grain kit for a small fee and it makes a world of difference. also the santa fe was very easy to modify. so many acceosires. i'm hopping the murano will be like this in the future to. i really wonder what it would look like with some altezza tail lights in from the looks of it, there should be alot of engine upgrades for the 3.5V6. well if anyone feels that the murano just dosn't fit there budget and isn't in the market for a larger SUV, check out the hyundai santa fe. one great vehicle. some pics of ours are availiable at http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/view_page.pl?page_id=247861&make_type_query=make%3DHyundai&model_brand_query=model%3DSanta%20Fe&tree=Hyundai%20Santa%20Fe



amazing car. amazing style. Murano