2019 Nissan Murano

One can buy the 2019 Nissan Murano in four different trims namely: S, SV, SL & the top-level trim Platinum. All four trims are powered by a single powertrain 3.5-Liter V6 gas engine option and the only CVT gearbox transfers the power further ahead to the wheels. An FWD and an AWD drivetrain system can be availed on any trim level. The base trim S costs around $31,270 for an FWD system while the AWD system adds $1,600 to the base price. The S trim has some basic features like an 8-inch infotainment screen, LED headlights, taillights, and much more which can be seen on the table given below:

Which trim should you buy?

Amongst all four trims, the SL trim is the most value for money. It sits around $39,230 for FWD while the AWD system costs an additional $1600. If someone lives in an extremely cold region then the AWD drivetrain makes more sense for him/her otherwise FWD generates more than enough power. Other than that, the SL trim is equipped with all the important convenience features whereas the Exclusive Package adds more advanced safety technology such as Lane departure warning, lane-keeping warning, automatic rear emergency braking &, etc.

The 2019 Nissan Murano rolls out of the factory with a massive 3.5-liter V6 gas engine which delivers the maximum power of 260 horses with 240 lb-ft of vehicle pulling capacity. For a smooth ride experience, Nissan paired the V6 engine with a responsive CVT gearbox. Two different drivetrain choices make the vehicle more customizable and the customer can choose much more freely as per his or her pocket.

The CVT takes its own sweet time to take the vehicle from standstill to 60 but around 4000 rpm the SUV really takes off very quickly. Maruno takes 15.6 seconds to cover a quarter-mile leap and 7.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph sprint. It is not the sports car quick but all these figures are quite impressive for a car which is meant to be driven for daily purposes with family and friends.

Amongst all four vehicles, Murano has decent power and torque figures but Hyundai Santa Fe with the second most powerful engine which produces 290 hp of power, performs unexpectedly in the 0 to 60 acceleration and the quarter-mile timings. Whereas Chevrolet & Honda really pull the vehicle with all their might and outperform both Nissan and Hyundai. But for daily riding, Nissan makes more sense as it can cruise on the highways with its top speed of 130 mph.

How does the 2019 Nissan Murano Handle?

The 2019 Nissan Murano comes with a desirable CVT gearbox which is surely a convenient technology for today’s generation but one must not forget the sluggish nature of this transmission. Just like every other CVT car, Nissan Murano also feels a little bit sluggish at the start but after a certain RPM vehicle behaves responsively and changing lanes on the highways becomes easy.

The steering wheel feels light and accurate for a crossover SUV and it is quite effortless to maneuver the vehicle under tight traffic conditions, while the car travels dead straight on highways at high speeds. The suspension system absorbs all the bumps smoothly and the cabin feels completely silent. The front and rear row seats have an ample amount of space and are comfortable for short as well as long trips.

Braking Performance of 2019 Nissan Murano

The bigger the vehicle is the more clumsy it is in terms of braking but this isn’t the car for Nissan Murano as Nissan has equipped this crossover with a 12.6-inch front and 12.1-inch rear rotors. The car also has the latest tech as standard like ABS, brake assist, active brake limited-slip, and some advanced features like Rear automatic emergency braking for pedestrians that is either available with the optional package or as standard on upper trim levels. 

Both Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano come with almost similar rotor sizes. Nissan is the heaviest in the competition with a weight of 4029 pounds and it decelerates under 119 feet of distance, while the Santa Fe with the least curb weight of 3591 pounds performs slightly better and decelerates 3 feet before the Murano. On the other hand, Honda Passport and Chevrolet both weigh around 3900 lbs and have bigger rotor sizes than the Murano but with all the tech they perform terribly.

A family car must be fuel-efficient and the Japanese automaker kept this thing in their mind while designing the combination of the best combo of engine and transmission. The engine offers more than enough power to accomplish all the basic tasks while CVT maintains the hassle-free experience but that’s not it, one can claim 20 mpg in the city driving conditions, 28 mpg on straight highways, and 23 mpg under the combined conditions. Nissan Murano can travel up to a max of 532 miles of distance with a completely full tank. 

In the city driving conditions, all the vehicles claim a similar 20 mpg of fuel efficiency except Santa Fe. on straight highways and combined conditions, the Nissan leads the way with its best in class 28 & 23 mpg of economy numbers respectively. The Chevrolet Blazer is the only vehicle that gives a tough competition to Murano as it has a bigger 19.4 gallons of fuel tank which overall increases its tank-to-tank range. Hyundai Santa Fe not only disappoints us with its poor fuel figures but also with the lowest 18.8 gallons of fuel tank capacity.

The new Nissan Murano can carry up to 5 people with a driver included. The cabin on the base trim feels nice but the material used in the upper trims enhances the interior and radiates the luxury appeal. For front occupants, the seats are wide and there is massive legroom for tall people as well. Rear seats would not disappoint you and offer great comfort without letting you feel claustrophobic. On upper trims, Soft leather touches can be found everywhere inside the cabin with classy contrast, double stitching, and ambient lighting.

The egress and ingress become easy as the doors of Murano can be opened up to 90 degrees and anyone can find a comfortable driving position with the power-adjustable driver seat and steering wheel. Murano lacks in practicality in terms of storage spaces, other than the center console there are not enough storage spaces to keep the occupant’s personal items, even the small opening ahead of the center console is barely big enough for a phone. The front windshield pillar blocks the side view and creates a blind spot.

In the competition, Hyundai Santa Fe is the only crossover that comes with a seating capacity of 7 people which certainly reduces the cargo capacity to 13.5 cu-ft. The Honda Passport seems the spacious one in more front and rear row in every aspect and besides being the spacious one, it doesn’t hamper with its biggest in the segment 41.2 cu-ft of cargo space. Santa Fe may surely offer 7 seats but the third-row seats are only suitable for the small kids due to their low head and legroom. Some salient interior features are:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 60/40 split-folding rear seats
• Four USB ports 
• Push start button
• Power-adjustable front seats (on SV trim)
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel (on SV trim)
• Heated front seats (on SL trim)
• Driver seat memory function (on SL trim)
• Leather upholstery (on SL trim)
• Power-adjustable steering wheel (on platinum trim)

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2019 Nissan Murano?

Nissan has made sure that its customers won’t get bored in the 2019 Murano and that is why it even loaded the base trim with the good to go entertainment features like an 8-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and 4 USB port to keep your phone fully charged. The touch display is clear, responsive, and easy to use but Nissan should change the graphics that it comes with. In the upper trim level, you can listen to all your songs on the 11-speaker Bose audio system. All the entertainment-related features of the 2019 Nissan Murano are mentioned below:

• 8-inch touchscreen display
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Apple CarPlay & Android Auto smartphone integration
• Satellite radio
• 4-USB ports
• 6-Speaker audio system (on base trim)
• 11-Speaker Bose audio system (onwards SV trim)
• Steering mounted audio controls

In 2019, Nissan gets a fresh front-end design with the new signature V design front grille and the full front LED head & foglights with LED DRLs. The base trim rides on the 18-inch alloy wheels with high profile tires for better comfort and has a keyless entry feature, whereas the features list doesn’t end for the top Platinum trim as it has 20-inch alloy wheels, Panoramic sunroof, LED foglights, 360 parking camera system and much more.

Heaviest in the lot with the curb weight of 4029 pounds, the Nissan Murano is also longer than the Passport & Blazer by a couple of inches. The height and width ratio is also balanced to experience less body roll than the other three. But the only disappointing fact is the exterior design is the low 6.9-inch of ground clearance, whereas Passport features a big 7.5 inches of clearance. The wheelbase of all the vehicles is almost similar to one another. Some silent exterior features are:

• LED head & foglights
• LED DRLs
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Keyless entry
• Heated ORVMs
• Hands-free liftgate
• Panoramic sunroof
• 360-degree camera parking system
• Parking sensors 
• High beam assist

This year the base trim is not left out with the standard safety features, Nissan has implemented the basic as well as some advanced technology like automatic rear emergency braking & forward collision system. With all these standard features, Murano has scored a 5 out of 5 stars overall rating in the crash tests done by the NHTSA, while IIHS has also been granted the “Good” overall rating. These crash tests result represent the care of Nissan towards its customer. Some salient safety features of the 2019 Nissan Murano are:

• Rearview camera 
• The rear automatic braking system
• Forward collision warning
• Front row head, side, and knee airbags
• Second-row side airbags
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane departure warning
• Active brake limited slip
• Energy-absorbing steering column
• Driver drowsiness monitor

2019 Nissan Murano Vs 2019 Honda Passport

The 2019 Honda Passport has a more powerful 280 hp engine which is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, the gearbox not only offers great convenience but also doesn’t feel sluggish like the CVT. Passport is a new product but it has acquired quite a popularity in the market due to its spacious interior and massive cargo capacity. With respect to its performance, it also claims a decent fuel economy.

2019 Nissan Murano Vs 2019 Chevrolet Blazer

The Chevrolet Blazer is the most powerful crossover in the segment and it actually represents its performance in real-world 0 to 60 and quarter-mile sprints. Chevrolet has tuned its 9-speed automatic transmission in such a way that it gives tough competition to Marano in gas mileage. It also looks exotic as compared to the Nissan but Murano has been in the market for a very long time and time builds up trust towards the product.

2019 Nissan Murano Vs 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Hyundai Santa Fe is the only one in the competition that offers a seating capacity of 7 people and it also has 30 hp of more power than the Murano, but it certainly lags in the acceleration tests. The problem behind its laggy performance is the outdated 6-speed automatic transmission offered by Hyundai. It also compromises on the third-row space which is only suitable for kids and those extra 2 seats eat up the cargo space.

Nissan has been manufacturing Murano since 2003 and this vehicle has seen a lot of updates. This certainly makes this vehicle best suited for the customers who want a 5 seater crossover to fulfill their daily needs, while not missing out on the modern tech. Surely the CVT offered by the Nissan feels somewhat sluggish but it won’t affect the performance at high speeds and lane changing with this vehicle is as easy as with the other cars. For someone who wants decent performance, the best fuel economy numbers, and overall better interior space then the Nissan Murano is one to consider.