[junianby1]

I've been reading all of your post and I have one question, Should I buy a Murano? This will be my first foreign vehicle that I have ever looked at. And also my first SUV. Help me out fellows. Convince me that I should buy one.

Thanks for your input,
Nick

 

[GripperDon]

I think their is a thread on here about this already. Be that as it may, I have had two of them and If I didn't hve one knowing what I know, I would do it in a heartbeat. I think it's a great combination of Price, Preformance, Features and Styling. I would get an 05.

 

[elliotgb]

Hey Junian, where's Uniontown located?
I am in Chester Springs, Pa near King of Prussia.

I bought a 2004 Murano after driving a Jeep GC for about 12 years. No comparison, the MO wins in comfort, convenience, styling, etc.

The MO though is not an SUV. It's considered a crossover or urban Suv. It's not a truck and doesn't ride like one. I preferred the Fulltime 4wd Quadratrack system that I had on the Jeep and I never got stuck, but the MO is pretty secure in winter handling with AWD and VDC.

It's a fine automobile for the most part.

 

[junianby1]

Uniontown is 50 miles south of pittsburgh

 

[zebelkhan]

YES!

 

[SanPedroMO]

I'm an obsessive compulsive comparison shopper who bought a Murano two months ago. These are the vehicles I compared in narrowing my decision. They are in order by my personal preference:

1. Murano- purchased a new 04 in December, loving it so far
2. Volvo XC90- excellent vehicle, but too expensive
3. Infiniti FX- excellent vehicle, too expensive & bad fuel econ.
4. VW Toureg - excellent vehicle, too expensive & bad fuel econ.
5. Acura MDX- too expensive, rides like a truck
6. Honda Pilot- so boring I nearly fell asleep at the wheel
7. Chevy Equinox- cool looks, bad Chinese made engine, bad interior

The Murano is hands down the overall value winner, great styling, perfect balance of performance, handling & fuel economy. Buy it, you won't regret it.

 

[mikeyrider]

I've had my '04 SL AWD since September, '04. I considered the same alternatives as SanPedroMO, but ruled out the Volvo and Chevy because of poor dealers in my area; besides I'd never buy a new American SUV because of dismal depreciation the first couple of years compared to good import brands. My thinking was similar to San Pedro's, and for me it really boiled down to the Pilot or the MO. The Pilot EXL would have been cheaper than my well-loaded SL, it holds a bit more, and has a third seat [albeit located in the rear crumple zone like most third seats]. The handling and braking of the MO won the day for me--much better IMO [as a former race driver] than the Pilot or even its upscale clone, the MDX. Also, a loaded MO has many bells and whistles one can't even get on the Pilot, such as memory seat, power passenger seat, trip computer, sunroof, etc., and a loaded MO is still less expensive than an MDX Touring. Unlike many on this forum, I was ambivalent about the styling of the MO; certain angles I like and others I dislike--mainly the grille. If you plan to do serious off-road driving, you're probably better off with a Jeep SUV or a truck-based SUV; I find the MO adequate for occasional snow and USFS mountain roads.

 

[GripperDon]

That outa do it!

 

[JeffC]

Should you buy a MO?

I just brought mine in to a second dealership because the dealer where I purchased it considers a drivetrain vibration "normal" and Nissan's Customer Service people completely dismissed my problem. The second dealer was a little more sympathetic, but so far the vibration has not been fixed. The latest mechanic's opinion was interesting. He says that CVT's belong in snowmobiles, not cars.

Aside from that:
The AWD is pathetic.
The wipers are terrible in the snow.
The brake rotors continue to be a problem (I had all four replaced).
There are too many interior rattles.
The gas mileage is poor.
The heater has a mind of its own.

If you don't care about those things, buy one. It's more fun to drive and looks better than many other SUVs.

JeffC

 

[Murano_driver]

Very short reply - YES!

 

[junianby1]

Well it looks like we have some yes' and one no. I'm still trying to make my mind up before I spend 35 grand on a new ride. Keep the suggestions coming.
Nick

 

[9231]

Junian:

Look around at the competition. Price for value, you won't beat the Murano. Ultimately, you have to decide what you need. For me, I was looking for a vehicle that could carry the family (wife, son, two dogs), tow a bass boat, have AWD and other amenities, and plenty of versatility. I was NOT planning on going off-roading to any great degree. When I looked around, the Murano fit the bill. Other vehicles that I compared them too (and their downsides for me) included:

Acura MDX ($$$ and boring ride)
Honda Pilot (visually unappealing and not a lot of interior room)
Lexus RX330 ($$$ and boring ride)
BMW X5 ($$$$$$$$$$$$$)
BMW X3 (small interior, $$$ when options are added)
Chevy Equinox (small interior)
Chevy Trailblazer (a close second to the Murano)
Volvo X90 (unappealing styling - to me)
Subaru Forester (not enough amenities)
Infiniti FX ($$$)

That's not to say the Murano is perfect. I have had to quiet some interior rattles (most found thanks to the list), it doesn't come in a standard transmission (this is the first A/T I've owned), the roof rack crossbars are not adjustable, and I had to add an aftermarket back up warning system (the 05's now come with rear view camera option). Given what else is out there, however, the Murano was closest. Also, after visiting the Detroit Auto Show and seeking what Subaru, Mazda, and others are doing, I'm convinced the Murano was the right car for me. The other manufacturers seem to be all developing "crossover" vehicles that look remarkably similar to the Murano.

As for an SUV - as other posters have noted, its more of a car with a higher profile than a true SUV. That suits me just fine. I didn't need a "real" truck and do not miss the ride and handling of one. Coming off a Chevy Camaro, I though the Murano was a nice compromise between family obligations and driving fun.

Good luck in your car search.

 

[zebelkhan]

Jim C,

Good analysis!

 

[NatasG]

Right-O Jim

 

[GripperDon]

NA! Do it or don't.

 

[SugarRushMurano]

DO a search in this forum on why one should buy a murano..

and then do the same search why one should NOT buy the murano.

Write down the number of happy ppl who bought the murano and the number of grudgy people who bought the murano. List out their reasoning points as well. Using this list, I hope you can decide.
TO me, the answer is crystal clear: "YES!"

 

[GripperDon]

I think I will


I think I woun't

 

[Murano_driver]

I was driving to the work today, and while I was driving I was looking at other cars/SUVs and ask myself the questions; if the money was not in issue what would I buy???? Well I was in Manhattan and a lot of cars around…but……I realize that I am driving the most impressive car out there…….a lot of people on sidewalk turns their heads when I am passing by. I think this is mean a lot…

 

[dejongj]

I was driving to the work today, and while I was driving I was looking at other cars/SUVs and ask myself the questions; if the money was not in issue what would I buy???? Well I was in Manhattan and a lot of cars around…but……I realize that I am driving the most impressive car out there…….a lot of people on sidewalk turns their heads when I am passing by. I think this is mean a lot…

Even though I have not yet taken possesion of mine, that was exactly our reasoning. We like the elevated driving position but didn't want to buy a Van...

Land Rover Discovery - Too ugly (pesonal opinion ofcourse)
Volvo XC90 - Too ugly and ££££
VW Toureq - Loved it, but what did they do to the boot, our pushchair stroller (tiny fold-up thing doesn't fit!!!), just a Golf on steroids - Nah
BMW X5 - £££ And too common
BMW X3 - Too small
Lexus RX300 - Too old
Mercedes M-Class - New one arriving later this year
Range Rover Sport - Love it, but with Range Rover reliability I wouldn't dare to drive it to Italy...
Audi Q7 - Yes please ;-) But not available in the UK until later this year...

Nah, eventhough it is not out yet, we haven't been able to make a test drive, we did order a Murano - especially as it has this unique feature (UK only though) called exclusivity...

 

[Trev]

After visiting the local auto show last night, I quickly came to the conclusion again that the MO was the ideal choice for myself considering style, comfort, and interior ergonomics. There wasn't even a close second.

Of the SUV's tiered at the next price point, MDX, RX, Pilot et al...
IMO the FX 35/45 is the clear winner.

YMMV