Oh CVT... what to say about you?
For anyone who follows my work, you know by now that I am (by no stretch of the imagination) not a fan of CVTs in any shape or form. From the moment I drove my first Continuously Variable Transmission I fell out of love with it. Sure, it's economical on fuel, it's smooth no matter what and it's “easier” to drive, but really? This is the future? I'm not sold, not at all. And, unfortunately, Nissan has grabbed the CVT bull by the proverbial horns and they're running with it like no one else.
No matter which Murano trim level you choose to go with, you'll get the same engine: a 3.5L V6 good for 260 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. Also included on all models is Nissan's electronic drive-by-wire throttle and Intuitive AWD system. I've gotten so used to driving my mother's Rogue that getting behind the wheel of the Murano pretty much felt the same. I'm not sure if that's blasphemous to Murano owners everywhere, but it's true. Nissan's Xtronic CVT system makes most of their cars drive so similarly, it's hard to make that distinction.
I quite enjoyed the Murano, actually. Visibility is great as you're sitting high and interior space is more than enough for four adults to travel in style and comfort. Pack the back with groceries and other goodies and the Murano is being used to its full potential and as it was meant to be used.
Worth the bigger price tag for the bigger brother?
So, what it really comes down to is this: Is it worth making the investment to step up to the Murano over the Rogue? At least, in my mind that's what it comes down to. After having precisely that conversation with my own mother when her first Rogue lease was up, we realized the decision was quite simple: Stay with the Rogue.
It's not that the Murano isn't a good vehicle, just that it's rather pricey for not that much more. Sure, you're getting more cargo space (but I've seen what my Mum can fit in her Rogue and in all honesty doesn't seem like that much more), more sophisticated looks, bigger engine, more luxurious interior, but is it worth the $10k-$15k price difference? In my opinion: nope. Because the Rogue and Murano drive so similarly, I think the Rogue will satisfy most crossover shoppers who might have thought they were set on the Nissan Murano.
For anyone who follows my work, you know by now that I am (by no stretch of the imagination) not a fan of CVTs in any shape or form. From the moment I drove my first Continuously Variable Transmission I fell out of love with it. Sure, it's economical on fuel, it's smooth no matter what and it's “easier” to drive, but really? This is the future? I'm not sold, not at all. And, unfortunately, Nissan has grabbed the CVT bull by the proverbial horns and they're running with it like no one else.
No matter which Murano trim level you choose to go with, you'll get the same engine: a 3.5L V6 good for 260 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. Also included on all models is Nissan's electronic drive-by-wire throttle and Intuitive AWD system. I've gotten so used to driving my mother's Rogue that getting behind the wheel of the Murano pretty much felt the same. I'm not sure if that's blasphemous to Murano owners everywhere, but it's true. Nissan's Xtronic CVT system makes most of their cars drive so similarly, it's hard to make that distinction.
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| No matter which Murano trim level you choose to go with, you'll get the same engine: a 3.5L V6 good for 260 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
I quite enjoyed the Murano, actually. Visibility is great as you're sitting high and interior space is more than enough for four adults to travel in style and comfort. Pack the back with groceries and other goodies and the Murano is being used to its full potential and as it was meant to be used.
Worth the bigger price tag for the bigger brother?
So, what it really comes down to is this: Is it worth making the investment to step up to the Murano over the Rogue? At least, in my mind that's what it comes down to. After having precisely that conversation with my own mother when her first Rogue lease was up, we realized the decision was quite simple: Stay with the Rogue.
It's not that the Murano isn't a good vehicle, just that it's rather pricey for not that much more. Sure, you're getting more cargo space (but I've seen what my Mum can fit in her Rogue and in all honesty doesn't seem like that much more), more sophisticated looks, bigger engine, more luxurious interior, but is it worth the $10k-$15k price difference? In my opinion: nope. Because the Rogue and Murano drive so similarly, I think the Rogue will satisfy most crossover shoppers who might have thought they were set on the Nissan Murano.
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| So, what it really comes down to is this: Is it worth making the investment to step up to the Murano over the Rogue? (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
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