If I wasn't getting so old and crotchety, I would have bought another Maxima. I really liked my 2005, the performance and handling. But on a 10 hour drive to the beach, I just can't handle sitting that low. By the time I stopped every 2 hours and tried prying my self out of the car, I felt like someone beat me with a Louisville Slugger! I wanted the Murano because it sits up higher and has better utility.

It still doesn't have the performance and style of a Max, though.

 

My wife and I were looking for our first non-sedan and had narrowed it down to the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Murano. We drove a friend's Pilot, but the road noise removed the Pilot from our list. We test drove some 2012 Highlander SE's, liked the ride and quiet but disliked the black dashboard with the tan leather that we wanted. Evidently Toyota has gone to black dashboards to cut costs. Still, we told the sales rep that we would probably be back but wanted to check out some Muranos.

At the Nissan dealership, I mentioned to the rep that we were looking for a 2012 Murano but preferred to buy used, though used prices hardly justified going that route today. He showed us a 2009 Murano SL, nicely equipped, 2.5 year, 50K lease that had been returned the previous business day for a new Murano in the same Glacier Pearl. CarFax revealed nothing but maintenance records, almost all oil changes, and the car looked like new. It's in our drive.

 

4 years ago when I was looking at getting a new vehicle I looked at an 05 Hyundai Santa Fe and my 03 Murano. The Murano won hands down.

 

I had an '08 Caliber and was looking to upgrade to bigger/AWD or 4WD. The Murano was compared to a Escape, Acadia and an '03 4Runner (vehicles I tried out before the Murano). I drove the Murano for a day and swear the salesman and my husband had to pry me out of the car. I loved it.

It was a given that it'd be a fit for me. I was already used to a CVT trans with the Caliber. It was big enough for me to shove my camera equipment and dog in at the same time. I could toss my kayak on the roof. And it was better on gas than a 4Runner, had better ground clearance than the Acadia and I just loved the all around ride compared to the others.

 

I compare the Murano to the RX, MDX, RDX, Q7 as far as SUVs but the Murano had more options with less mileage and lower cost. The only one that rode better was the Q7 but ultimately I really loved the Murano.

 

To be honest, I had gone shopping with every intention of buying a Subaru Forrester. I had done all my research, my only complaints with most SUVs is the lack of manual transmission (I still love them.) However, the folks at the Subaru dealership were not very nice so we went to the new Nissan dealership in town as I had a Sentra as my trade in. Not only were the folks awesome, I immediately fell in love with my car when I test drove it

 

Tribeca vs Murano..

Tribeca is overall much nicer car. Sorry guys, had to say it. The Subaru's only problem is stupid light bulbs keep burning out. But thats tiny compared to all the problems the murano has had.

 

I posted above about buying our 2009 Murano last year. We're three weeks shy of a year and have had no problems. It's been a great car, and we get compliments on it as though it were new.

 

Just bought my Murano a few weeks ago and compared it to the following:

• Highlander
• Venza
• Rav4
• Pathfinder
• Pilot
• Tribeca
• MDX
• RDX
• Rogue
• Sorento
• Santa Fe
• Journey (nasty...bad nasty)

There are probably others but the Murano has always been a favorite of mine. My Sister and Brother-in-law have an 03' SL and love it which was just icing on the cake :29:

 

I test drove the new 2013 RDX and RX350. The RDX was too small had to get the tech pkg just to get fog lights! The RX with the options I wanted (like blind spot, back up camera, etc) was almost 50k. The Murano had everything I wanted at a price I wanted to spend. Love my Murano!

 

Murano is my fave, but I actually had the Highlander up near the top of my list, anyone think the Highlander should be a close second?

 

I actually have a '07 Tribeca, '10 Highlander, and '06 Murano in my immediate family's fleet (if you want to call it that) and the Highlander certainly is up there. The murano has a special place in my heart though, im not sure why.

 

I like the Highlander a lot too and rank it at the top of the list.

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We had an 07 S AWD and the lease was up, so we were part of the 80+% of Murano owners who said they would purchase another Murano, and leased and upgraded to a 2010 SL AWD. Now, the lease is up on that in about 4 months. We will not be getting another one. We felt the tires wore out fairly quickly - at 14,000 miles with our 07, and about 16,000 miles on our '10. We might be financing the 18k buyout at the end of the lease, but we're still debating it.

Our 2010 only has 22,000 miles on it, and even with the buyout of 18k, and compared to our monthly payment now, I'd have it paid off in about 2 years. Also, where would I find another 2010 Murano SL AWD (which we knew the car since brand new) in as good as condition as ours for a little of $400 monthly - we're paying close to $600 now. (payment is high, but I only put a total of $500 out of my pocket when we acquired the car).

 

Hate to tell you this but you're wasting HELLA money leasing a car. You spend $600 a month? Smh, that's more than our mortgage on a $130,000 house! Get yourself a car you can afford!

 

MDX is my next car, since all the others don't measure up:

Highlander- too truck like
Venza- too flimsy and 20 inch wheels make ride uncomfortable
Pilot- just ok ,but if feels outdated
RDX-too small
Outback- plain interior
Tribecca- too heavy , based on truck design 15 MPG
Lincoln MKX- too expensive

 

I have compared the Murano to the Ford Edge, Subaru Forester and Tribeca, Mazda CX9 and CX5, Hyundai Santa Fe, Acura RDX and the Jeep Cherokee.

Based on size and features the closest would be the Hyundai but it does not handle quite as well, has a turbo that requires premium gas and isn't as nicely fitted and finished although in comparable trim it is slightly less expensive.

I expect a Murano will be my next purchase but I also intend to test drive a couple of others including a GMC Terrain.

 

Im coming from a 04 SL, 2WD with 180,000Km. I loved the car. It is 10 years old so its time to say good bye. Will not buy a domestic. Pilot and 4Runner too big, CRV and Rav4 too small. I compared the Mo with only one other car - Toyota Venza. Like the Mo (based on Altima) , the Venza is based on a car. Venza had a bit of a fuel consumption advantage, but all else pretty close - ride, AWD, V6, safety features, dual moon roof, interior room, colour. After driving both, I liked the silky smooth CVT ( never had any troubles unlike some other members ). So the winner was.... another MO. 2010 SL AWD Glacier Pearl.

 

I hope I'm posting in the right forum. I am looking to replace my 2005 Chevy Equinox LT.

I wanted something approx. the same size, but it also "must have":
Heated Steering Wheel
Heated Leather Seats
Sunroof
AWD
Android/iOS support

I have taken test drives of the following:

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Turbo
2016 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
2016 Subaru Forester XT
2015 Ford Edge SEL (they didn't have the Titanium)
2015 Nissan Murano Platinum

In order to stay "objective" I used a sound meter to measure the interior sound, so that I had some semblance of hard-core proof vs. "I think I remember it sounding louder/quieter). Unfortunately I did not find my g-force/accelerometer app until today so I will have to re-test. I took the same route for all test drives (it's my daily commute route, as that's what I drive the most). It's a mix of city/highway along with some nice lovely potholes.

My car has a V6, so I'm used to how it drives/accelerates. It also has a fairly smooth ride (or so I think) compared to a stiff suspension. Coincidentally that also means it leans a bit on corners, but I don't normally hang corners at racing speeds. I also think my vehicle has a bit of road noise (but not much engine noise). Mostly due to the tires I have on the vehicle.

I will rule out the Subaru right now for the following reasons:
1) Outback has no heated steering wheel (you cannot get it).
2) Outback is a few inches shorter in height, which affects the cargo opening, so I can't fit some stuff in the opening
3) Outback was LOUD. LOTS of CVT engine whine for first few gears--especially on heavy inclines. LOTS of wind noise around front A pillar. Decibel reading got up to 85db.
4) Forrester has no Blind spot detection available (go figure) and no heated steering wheel. Engine loud (but quieter than Outback).

I am keeping the Edge, Murano and Hyundai in my final tally. Thoughts so far:

1) Hyundai - Would go with fully loaded Turbo. Base unit doesn't have the power I am used too although engine isn't bad for a 4 cylinder. Engine noise seems louder than my vehicle, but road noise more subdued. Average "high" db was 76-77db. Ride seems a bit stiffer than mine, but not as bad as the 2005 Highlander I tested a long time ago (or so I remember). VERY nicely apportioned for the price. Love the BlueLink (remote start with cell phone) and heated rear seats/etc. Styling is very nice. MPG pretty good. My roomate has 2014 (non-turbo) sport and in ECO mode averages about 24 mpg.

2) Edge - A few inches longer than my vehicle and it's competitors. I think it has the most smooth ride and quietest, although sound meter says average "high" around 75-77db, so I may need to re-test. IF I can test drive the Titatanium with Driver's Assist package, it has the most features of all. Also more expensive. Seems to have the largest rear seating leg room, but didn't measure. Cons are reliability and MFT/Sync. Ford will be putting Sync3 out in 2016 model which will have full Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support. Reliability issues in 2015 seem due to complete redesign and include water leakage/damage (supposedly fixed now due to defective robot in Canada assembly plant), and "cooled" front seats actually heating because the idiots didn't put an air vent discharge for the fan (really?).

3) Murano - I'd say #2 for ride/quiet. The Edge may only be a smidgen smoother on the ride (hence why I need a more objective measurement). Also the largest (longest). I think a full 8" longer than my Equinox (?). I didn't think quite as quiet as Edge, but sound meter says they are the same - average high of 76-77. Acceleration/power is the best, although the engine noise was more noticeable if you punched it vs. the Turbo in the Edge. Requires premium fuel, according to sales guy. Not as many features as fully equipped Edge, but also about 1,500 cheaper. App/Phone support seems sketchy at best. Apparently with Nav Unit, you only get google search????!!!!! Reliability rating seems very good so far. Supposedly also re-designed for this model year. Leg room seemed a little shorter vs. Edge. Not quite keen on the styling of the rear tailights (they kinda stick out on the sides).

So those are my thoughts so far. I plan on waiting for the 2016 Edge/Murano and then making my final decision. Based solely upon ride/noise and price, the Edge would win at this point, followed by a close second of Murano. I'm basing on MSRP. However, Edge's 2015 reliability issues concern me. Murano's total lack of phone support on their premium model disturbs me greatly.

I plan on owning this vehicle for 13+ years.

 

You can buy a 2015 now and save 4 or 5k vs. 2016 Murano. The Murano does not require premium fuel. My choices also came down to the Ford and Nissan and I am very happy with the Murano.


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You can buy a 2015 now and save 4 or 5k vs. 2016 Murano. The Murano does not require premium fuel. My choices also came down to the Ford and Nissan and I am very happy with the Murano.


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Yes, the sales guy apparently was wrong. Owner's manual says 87 octane, so that's good.

However, the lack of any smartphone support/remote start via the smart phone is a huge killer for me. I'd be a bit tweaked if I spent $40k on a vehicle and all I could use was Googlesearch. (I routinely use Pandora and iHeartRadio). Plus I really would like Android Auto/Siri Eyes free.

Truecar lists the Murano for about $39,831 in my area.

I can definitely wait a year (i hear November is the good time as end of month/year deals).

Ford's reliability has me worried for the 2015 model (apparently 2014 model was just fine). but I'd wait for the 2016 Edge anyway for Sync3.

Wish Nissan would update folks about the NissanConnect app/smartphone issue, but apparently they don't know.

 

mjonis, check out the new Kia Sorento. It was at the very top of my list, but was slightly more expensive than the Murano (SXL with tech package). The ride was like butter, and it was the quietest SUV/crossover that I test drove. I didn't look into the infotainment functionality that closely, though.

Another that I was really surprised by was the Jeep Cherokee Limited. Super smooth ride and quiet, loads of features, uconnect, etc. But it came down to not being able to find one with all the features I wanted. Apparently I'm the only person in the US that wants the advanced safety package.

My choices were limited to vehicles with cooled seats (Ford/Lincoln don't cool the seat backs, just the bottom - ridiculous - so they were all out).

 

2015 Nissan Murano - type 1 with all the options, red/maroon

Next choice might have been recent LR2 HSE, but for 25% additional cost

 

We came out of an 08 Ford Edge Limited AWD and liked almost everything about it (in town fuel economy was horrible-15 L/100km or 18 mpg. Also, it had a lot of hard plastic inside), and it served us well for 5 years and 70000km.

We looked at the current Edge, but even the discounted price (Ford Employee Pricing) was close to 50 grand. We considered the Suburu Outback and came close, but the Limited was almost 40 grand. Also looked at the Mazda CX5 and the Nissan Rogue. Interior was too cramped compared to our Edge and they both seemed pretty slow at full throttle.

The Murano (2016 SL AWD) fit us best from those we considered

BTW, we rarely buy new (4 cars out of since 1985) and the Mo was no exception. 1 year old to the day we purchased and 10000km

 

My neighbour just got a 2018 Outback 3.6R Limited; it's quite an upgrade from the base 2015 Mazda 3 she was driving! It's a mid-cycle refresh as it's still built on the old platform. It has a few goodies the Murano is lacking, directional LED headlights, lane departure warning but it's lacking pano sunroof, cooled front seats, around view monitor, foot activated liftgate to name a few. Also Subaru is not giving much discount which makes the Murano the best bang for the buck for my needs; they claim having retuned the CVT, suspension, steering, front side glass is acoustic.


The 3.6 has been more reliable than the 2.5 and both have very good resale value; it looks pretty good but not like the futuristic Murano. I don't like the thick roof rails but they incorporate swing out cross bars. A nice car (raised wagon) for those who don't want to be seen in a SUV!

 

For those who were considering the Forester XT hurry up as the all new 2019 will ditch the turbo and only offer the normally aspirated 2.5. I don't always understand car companies...Subaru probably figured most of their major competitors only offer one engine.

 

I drove a loaded ‘17 Explorer that my company uses and it was a long, long way behind the Murano. My Murano feels more sturdy and robust in every way.