Nissan Murano

I went into my new SUV search with no specific make or model in mind. I just wanted to find something that was beautifully stylish, good safety rating and would get me smoothly thru the MY NS highway. I test drove the Nissan Murano and knew this was the vehicle for me. Silky smooth CVT shifting, nice strong engine, AWD and the gorgeous interior detailing and exterior design that is sharp looking. I chose the 2.5l with the leather seats, moonroof, etc. Plenty of room to haul my dogs around in style and the many other items I move around for my work. It's like this SUV was built for me. The only slight disappointment I have is in the fuel consumption being a on the low side, (currently only at 6-8km/L) but trade off for the power and AWD it's still acceptable. Best vehicle I've ever owned and will hopefully own it for a long time.

My Jan 2009 Murano is aging well. Leather still hasn't cracked. Only real issue was that power steering memory didn't reset steering wheel height properly to different drivers. This was rectified just before warranty expired with a new motor. Otherwise everything is working very well. Still comfortable, fast with excellent ride. Installed a Garmin GPS with Bluetooth, Voice Control, Traffic and even a TV so electronics are up to date. Fuel consumption is still around 7km/l, which is tough as petrol prices are sky high. Can't afford to change car as COE is sky high. I bought my Murano for around $115K with $3K COE and I just checked and its now $122K with COE at $91K. It will be a pleasure to drive this car for 10 years.

*Update after 1 month ownership

Average weekly mileage has increased noticeably despite no change in lifestyle

The comfort makes long drives very enjoyable

Despite the weight, engine still pulls vehicle with a full load sufficiently

As one of the early adopters to introduce keyless entry into their fleet, Nissan has done a great job on this

Also, servicing is a breeze (authorized service agent is shared with Subaru); I think this creates economies of scale which allows for fairly competitive pricing..

Probably not cheaper than external workshops but certainly cheaper than the 2 previous AD that I have used.. Waiting times are also much shorter; I think as a result of having a rather large workshop

The peace of mind is worth it

Ended my MPV experiment after 8 months.. Revert back to SUV

Bought a used 2010 Murano 3.5 since brand new SUVs are currently out of reach

Having adapted to a MPV (that drives like a saloon car); my first drive reverting back to SUV gave an odd feeling.

Moving off from stationary was sluggish and I can feel the full weight of the car even though power-to-weight ratio and 100km acceleration were superior to my previous ride on paper (can't imagine how the 2.5L will fare)

Steering was very light also; even compared to my CRV previously

The reverse of all these happened when I switch my CRV to MPV so perhaps an update will be more suitable several weeks down the road

Interior was SPACIOUS.. Which was my key reason for getting SUV plus no transmission tunnel in the rear unlike X3, Q5 or Tiguan.. Thumbs up

Feature-wise was adequate considering the current prices but neatest feature would be keyless entry/start as well as electronic auto tailgate

Also reverse camera comes with helpful grid lines to track vehicle's path of move

Pity there's no Bluetooth connectivity

Overall, at over 200k brand new is probably too much to pay but worth considering for buyers looking at Lexus RX350

Being a not so fancy Nissan person, somehow the Murano looks made me went to test drive the Murano last weekend...

The front grill certainly looks FIERCER than its predessor. More mature look too.

The size is pretty similar to CX7 or a smaller Q7 (but wider than Q5).

Inside, the interior made me say a word "Wow" which is fully featured in comparison to other Asian makes such as Sorento, Captiva or even Santa Fe.

Its features are somehow pretty close to some conti like Land Rover Evoque or Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Features comes as STD for all models (2.5L and 3.5L) like Push Start, Panaromic roof, Bose 11-Speakers system, Reverse camera, etc....which is great that other Asian makes don't see or have.

The good thing is also both front seats comes with electric adjust, both Auto headlights and rain sensors which makes this Murano outshine from its other Asian competitors. Others either give only driver electric seats or either auto headlights or rain sensor (not sure why is it so to give one, not both).

Another feature is the electric tailgate which can be open / close from key fob, driver reach and the trunk itself. Plus point to this as no other Asian make has this at all.

There is also the Welcome lightings where it ons when you open the door and about to get off. And there is a feature where steering and seats auto lifts and widens up for ease of get off and board.

Not sure if there is feature to allow auto locking of doors when vehicle moves off a distance...forgotten to ask the sales person.

The drive was great as I was brought to test drive on uneven surfaces and up slope along Bukit Timah area. The active suspension adjusts itself (even without 4WD or any gadgets to aid in this) which I did not feel much hovering.

Cruising was smooth and quiet that surpised me as the X-Tronic CVT or maybe known as CVT-2 gearbox switches up gears without any sound at all, compared to the earlier Nissans that I drove before that have this issue. Gear change down was also smooth and cannot be felt.

At stop point and move off, its not jerky or sudden push off...compared to the earlier Nissans that have this problem.

The FC, according to sales person is 11 to 12km which is yet to be tested.

Overall, its perhaps the only Nissan so far that makes me say good. Its certainly worth considering.

Decide to update my review of the "new" Murano after 18 months of ownership and 20,000km. Bought in January 2009 for $115K. Selling price now is $156K

Quite reliable with the only problem being a smelly aircon, which was rectified by Nissan under warranty. However, now it smells of their chemical every time I start the car for a few seconds. The service is very easy to book compared to most car brands and very efficient. Usually, you can get an appointment the next day for the Toa Payoh location and they finish service in a few hours. My other conti car takes one month to book and 3 days to service every time I bring it in. The Nissan paint is a little thin compared to most contis and my previous Lexus RX300. Being a very wide car, I've scraped the sides at a few car parks like Burlington Square and Liang Court. After polishing out the scratches, I'm almost down to bare metal! However, it does fit 4 Asian sized people in the back (with backs touching the seat) so it is a useful 6 seater in a pinch. Fuel consumption is still high at 7km/l but it seems to run great on cheaper SPC 95. I've searched high and low for an iPod interface, but the Singapore spec radio is unique and won't work with the US 3rd party iPod interfaces that hook in through the satellite radio connector. Installed a tire pressure monitor for about $400. Its a bit slow of the line due to the almost 2 tonne weight, but once going, it's 270hp can blow away most cars. I often surprise taxis who try to cut me off :) All in, still quite happy with the car after 18 months of usage. I think this car will definitely be with us for around 5 years.

In general, SUV's don't really make any sense in an urban enviroment like ours. We don't have snow, don't live in the mountains and there's no jungle for us to go trekking in with our gas-guzzling machines. But what ever it is, people still buy them and the SUV's appeal has been ever increasing.

The new car is most simmilar to the old long the flask-the strong shoulder line and distinctive rear three quater glass have became the signature of Murano. At the rear, there's a unique shaped screen as well as the tail-lamps that echo those on the Murano's baby brother, the Qashqai.

The overall look of the new car might be largely simmilar to the old model but it does feature stronger details to give the Murano a more sophisticated and 'expensive' look.

The ride is comfortable at all speeds as the suspension does a good job of cancelling out the bumps and isolating occupants from the shocks The car will hardly ever give you a backache on a long drive. Upfront, you get a neat looking dashboard that is dorminated by a prominent centre console. The large LCD screen in the middle displays settings for both the climate and audio system among others.

The new model's ditches its predecessor's 350Z-style instrument cluster with a set of contemporary looking one. The dials are easy and clear to read and there's a multi-function display to show useful trip information.

The boot is large enough on its own but it offers a further under floor compartments. The auto-flip-up rear seats are a really nice touch.

With prices starting from $148,800, the Murano isn't exactly affordable choice but you do get alot of features for the car you pay. It is undoubtedly huge but suprisingly easy to drive. Ride cimfort and pratically score well on the list too, where as the surefootedness of the all wheel drive system sould provide some peace of mind. Such sophistication and luxurious feel, coupled to its reliabity, and more than enough for it to be a step forward over the immensely popular model.

Nissan must have used the RX350 as its benchmark because I adapted to my 2009 Murano so easily from my RX300. Sound insulation is one of the highlights and amazingly, this car is quieter than the RX300 if you can believe me. A quick look around the car reveals why - there are large amounts of sound proofing material all over car including in the rear wheel well. Interior build quality is also as high as the Lexus with soft parts to the dashboard and plush Japanese leather. The thing which attracted me to the 2009 Murano is the number of features it has (1) memory for drivers seat, mirrors and power adjustable steering wheel (2) power rear seats (3) power rear lift gate (4) factory reverse camera with electronic guidance (5) factory leather (6) 18" rims (7) 4WD (8) 265hp engine with 0-100 km/h is 8 seconds (magazine test) (8) keyless entry linked to memory seats