Just what are the off road capabilities of this machine...there seems to be some debate as to whether it should ever leave the pavement. I am not looking to do any hard core banging around, but I would hope to be able to handle beaches/creek beds/and the like!:2:
Off Road Capabilities of the MO
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Well, my $0.02 here is that it's obviously not designed for heavy off-road use. It's a unibody, so if you rack it too much you could easily twist it up. Taking it gentle through a shallow creek bed or on the beach, etc., I think you'll be fine. Just keep in mind that it's NOT an Xterra or a Jeep, and go easy on her, and you should be fine.
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same thoughts drove me into a pile of snow
well, this feb i had same thoughts about how would the MO perform on the snow. im not talking about some concrete road with snow,... an off road snow adventure... well guess what... it did really well there but eventually got stuck... it was about 12" snow so i would say any on-road SUV would get stuck there.
also dont forget the Nissan's theme for Murano.... " an SUV for Civilized world"
well, this feb i had same thoughts about how would the MO perform on the snow. im not talking about some concrete road with snow,... an off road snow adventure... well guess what... it did really well there but eventually got stuck... it was about 12" snow so i would say any on-road SUV would get stuck there.
also dont forget the Nissan's theme for Murano.... " an SUV for Civilized world"
Re: same thoughts drove me into a pile of snow
I got my MO stuck in some deep snow too over the winter, which prompted my rant about the open differential. But, for all "normal" applications it handled quite respectably though the winter mess.
I thought it was "Urban SUV" or something like that?hasaanbhutta said:also dont forget the Nissan's theme for Murano.... " an SUV for Civilized world"
I got my MO stuck in some deep snow too over the winter, which prompted my rant about the open differential.
But, for all "normal" applications it handled quite respectably though the winter mess.
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In terms of off-roading, I plan to treat mine like I did my little Honda Civic Hatchback that I used to have. Sure, it can handle a creek bed or a pretty harsh dirt road, even a beach (if it's nice compact sand) but any more than that I wouldn't chance it.
I plan to take it camping up on forest service roads. They can be pretty rough, but you just have to be careful. My wife's Prizm can handle those roads just fine, as long as I go slow enough and dodge the larger rocks.
Low clearance, shocks designed for comfort rather than abuse, standard all-weather tires. You don't have to baby the thing, but you do have to be smart. Just because it's larger than a car doesn't make it a Hummer.
(note I said Hummer, meaning the true Hummer. Not that POS-sorry-excuse-for-a-tax-break H2)
I plan to take it camping up on forest service roads. They can be pretty rough, but you just have to be careful. My wife's Prizm can handle those roads just fine, as long as I go slow enough and dodge the larger rocks.
Low clearance, shocks designed for comfort rather than abuse, standard all-weather tires. You don't have to baby the thing, but you do have to be smart. Just because it's larger than a car doesn't make it a Hummer.
(note I said Hummer, meaning the true Hummer. Not that POS-sorry-excuse-for-a-tax-break H2)
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Last time I went fishing (which includes some off-road driving), I spent some time taking the dirt out of my CVT scoop. Keep this in mind and try to keep the left side of the MO as high as possible.
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Murano is not for heavy duty off roading!
If you expect a jeep like performance where there are 3 lockable differential, murano is NOT for you.
My dad has the older model Grand Cherokee. He uses it mostly to ship yard / container inspection site, where there are many muds and unpaved roads. While it is no match to murano in terms of smoothness, HP, and comfort, a Jeep is what he need for his job.
When i purchased the murano, i know the following:
1. It will only be driven on paved road 99% of the time.
2. It must have AWD, but no need for off roading through sands, desert, rivers, mt everest, and woodlands.
3. It must have light snow capability. If the snow get really bad, I will stop and wait it out.
4. I need the mpg of a car based suv.
5. I want the smooth ride of a sedan.
If i had wanted to go beaches/creek beds/and the like, i will not buy a murano. An exterra or a jeep is a better choice.
Furthermore, I feel bad off roading a $35K+ vehicle like the murano :4:
If you expect a jeep like performance where there are 3 lockable differential, murano is NOT for you.
My dad has the older model Grand Cherokee. He uses it mostly to ship yard / container inspection site, where there are many muds and unpaved roads. While it is no match to murano in terms of smoothness, HP, and comfort, a Jeep is what he need for his job.
When i purchased the murano, i know the following:
1. It will only be driven on paved road 99% of the time.
2. It must have AWD, but no need for off roading through sands, desert, rivers, mt everest, and woodlands.
3. It must have light snow capability. If the snow get really bad, I will stop and wait it out.
4. I need the mpg of a car based suv.
5. I want the smooth ride of a sedan.
If i had wanted to go beaches/creek beds/and the like, i will not buy a murano. An exterra or a jeep is a better choice.
Furthermore, I feel bad off roading a $35K+ vehicle like the murano :4:
I'll chime in here as probably the most crazy Mo Offroader of the bunch, but mostly what's been said above is spot on.
It can handle dirt roads of various sorts with ease, and the AWD system actually provides quite good traction and control on the slick stuff until you run out of ground clearance and bog down in the snow (especially if you have the VDC which includes a brake based limited-slip function). Better tires than stock also go a long ways towards improving things.
But for bouldering or seriously going where there are no roads (not just off-paved-roads, but off-any-semblance-of-a-road), no, please don't go there. While the oil pans are fairly well tucked away under the front crossmembers, the fuel lines that run the length of the vehicle are very exposed as are the plastic fuel tanks. Also up front, not protected by any metal at all, is the lower edge of the radiator, highly un-cool.
So the golden rule here is have fun on the soft/slick/rough stuff, but never get so extreme as to risk grounding the undercarriage on anything hard or you may easily break something you need to get home.
All that being said, I just finished installing class 3 hitch, rocker bars & nudge bar, and next comes the custom exhaust for better ground clearance and then the custom fab'ed skid plates. Wheeee!
It can handle dirt roads of various sorts with ease, and the AWD system actually provides quite good traction and control on the slick stuff until you run out of ground clearance and bog down in the snow (especially if you have the VDC which includes a brake based limited-slip function). Better tires than stock also go a long ways towards improving things.
But for bouldering or seriously going where there are no roads (not just off-paved-roads, but off-any-semblance-of-a-road), no, please don't go there. While the oil pans are fairly well tucked away under the front crossmembers, the fuel lines that run the length of the vehicle are very exposed as are the plastic fuel tanks. Also up front, not protected by any metal at all, is the lower edge of the radiator, highly un-cool.
So the golden rule here is have fun on the soft/slick/rough stuff, but never get so extreme as to risk grounding the undercarriage on anything hard or you may easily break something you need to get home.
All that being said, I just finished installing class 3 hitch, rocker bars & nudge bar, and next comes the custom exhaust for better ground clearance and then the custom fab'ed skid plates. Wheeee!
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