[Bambus]

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.

 

[mjonis]

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.

 

[jkruseelle]

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.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free Apppic of had to remove clips

 

[mjonis]

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.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free Apppic of had to remove clips

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.

 

[joshb00]

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).

 

[lxs]

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

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

 

[KBrian]

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

 

[Freedom55]

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!

 

[Freedom55]

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.

 

[Robotaz]

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.

 

[Holger Cordero]

"MDX: gorgeous. Why pay that much for a car, when you can have a Murano?"

Right...

The MDX sorry to say guys is hands down a better SUV than the Murano. They are UNCOMPARABLE. TWO TOTALLY SEPERATE MARKETS. I have both... I would know. KSMurano... how can u trash the MDX like that? Have you seen other third row seats? The MDX has by far one of the best. The ride is also a lot smoother than the Murano and the car is faster and i feel more sporty (eek... i'm gonna get it for that one). No doubt I love the Murano, but I love my MDX more. It's totally different from the Murano... u can't compare the two. Lol... on purpose I asked my salesperson what other SUVs does the Murano compare to... she said the Acura... Lexus blah blah blah... when she said the Acura I started laughing in her face. She's like what? So i took her to my MDX and showed her it... and she said yeah... not in the same market. I do agree that the Murano is better than the Lexus... but not the MDX... sorry guys!

What can I say I am resurfacing old post lol


I read this and about lost it lol thinking it was a new post.


My little brother has a MDX 2015 SH AWD Tech pck. I cant say it beats the Muranos interior at all. The body puts up a good fight just because its a little bit wider so you would think its more stable. It does have and definetly feels like less head room than my Murano but its got a little more shoulder room it being 2 inches wider. The MDX has more ponies but it does not justify the gas difference as well since in my case I bought my car as a family SUV not a race car. The Murano has a much smoother ride the MDX is super sporty. I will say the Navigation system on the MDX all though it does not look as nice as the Murano since its satellite is much more accurate. Overall I would definitely pick my Murano Platinum over MDX all day even if both cars are provided to me free lol. Just my two cents.