I just feel good and well treated in this vehicle - the cabin is large and accommodating; the Bose sound system rocks; the rear seats fold completely flat providing 2,311 litres (81.6 cu ft) of space, better than Highlander, Pilot and Acura MDX by a touch; and a huge center console stores up to 60 CD's or locks your laptop out of view. Nissan has obviously done their homework and provided features buyers want in this type of vehicle.
But the best is yet to come. Motivating almost 2 tons (1,805 kg) of metal requires some muscle, and the Murano's 3.5-litre, 245 HP V6 engine delivers. Putting my foot in it from standstill the SUV immediately responds with an eager whine and decent low-end thrust as the all-wheel drive system grabs the pavement (it's automatically activated up to 30 km/h and kicks in again at 80km/h, unless there's slippage before that) and it rushes forward to 100 km/h in about 8 seconds flat. It feels distinctly quicker than average for this class and not too far off the pace of its Maxima sibling - the sport sedan is about a second faster to 100.
Making full use of the engine's broad torque band, the Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) adds a real dash of athleticism to the driving experience. There's instant response at whatever speed you need it, the transmission always ensuring the engine is in its power "sweet spot". Kind of like nailing the perfect downshift on a motorcycle and finding yourself "on-the-cam" right where all the power is. To be even talking about motorcycles and downshifts while driving an SUV gives some idea of the new tasty flavors Nissan has cooked into the Murano mix.