The upright seating position that you get with a cross-over utility vehicle is basically comfortable to start with. When you add in the redesigned power bucket seats that Nissan put up front, you will find that long trips just pass on by. Add in seat heaters for those cool mornings and the drive to work doesn’t seem to be such a chore in the morning.
If you happen to be taking passengers with you, the back seat is nearly as comfortable as the front. You can even order seat heaters for the back seat. A couple of other great features for the back are the second row skylight and the power moon roof. In addition the fold flat 60/40 split rear seat has a power feature that lets the driver set the set back up at the touch of a button. Nissan calls this feature “power return” seating.
Under the hood, Nissan has made some revisions to the 3.5 litre V6 and some major changes to the CVT transmission used in the Murano. Power output is up to 265 horsepower and 248 lb.ft. of torque. Transmission electronics have been recalibrated for a bit more sportiness and smoothness while the standard AWD now reacts to changes in traction in less than a tenth of a second.
All of these changes make the Murano a true Cross-over Utility Vehicle. It can get groceries with the best of them thanks to a cargo organizer that really works. Murano is comfortable on long trips and gets pretty good fuel economy if you behave. If you choose not to behave, the Murano corners well with a minimal amount of body lean and gets to 100 kph from rest in less than 9 seconds.
Driving in town was a breeze. Engine torque and transmission responsiveness means that you can carve through traffic in town or on the highway as you choose. Ride quality is such that unless the pot hole is on the large side, you may hear a thump, but you’re not going to feel it. Steering inputs are precise which means that parking is easily done both in tight mall spaces and when parallel parking.
This was another of the vehicles that my wife and I agreed to like, both for different reasons. That makes the Murano a bit of a “Jack of all trades” and worth putting on your shopping list.
photo:Rob Rothwell
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| You can order seat heaters for the back seat. (SL AWD model shown) |
If you happen to be taking passengers with you, the back seat is nearly as comfortable as the front. You can even order seat heaters for the back seat. A couple of other great features for the back are the second row skylight and the power moon roof. In addition the fold flat 60/40 split rear seat has a power feature that lets the driver set the set back up at the touch of a button. Nissan calls this feature “power return” seating.
Under the hood, Nissan has made some revisions to the 3.5 litre V6 and some major changes to the CVT transmission used in the Murano. Power output is up to 265 horsepower and 248 lb.ft. of torque. Transmission electronics have been recalibrated for a bit more sportiness and smoothness while the standard AWD now reacts to changes in traction in less than a tenth of a second.
All of these changes make the Murano a true Cross-over Utility Vehicle. It can get groceries with the best of them thanks to a cargo organizer that really works. Murano is comfortable on long trips and gets pretty good fuel economy if you behave. If you choose not to behave, the Murano corners well with a minimal amount of body lean and gets to 100 kph from rest in less than 9 seconds.
Driving in town was a breeze. Engine torque and transmission responsiveness means that you can carve through traffic in town or on the highway as you choose. Ride quality is such that unless the pot hole is on the large side, you may hear a thump, but you’re not going to feel it. Steering inputs are precise which means that parking is easily done both in tight mall spaces and when parallel parking.
This was another of the vehicles that my wife and I agreed to like, both for different reasons. That makes the Murano a bit of a “Jack of all trades” and worth putting on your shopping list.
photo:Rob Rothwell
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