Used 2019 Nissan Murano

The 2019 Nissan Murano is a comfortable, substantial and refined crossover SUV. With two rows of seating and room for five passengers, this midsize utility vehicle slots between the compact Nissan Rogue and 3-row Pathfinder. Until recently the Murano primarily competed with the Ford Edge and the more rugged Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now it faces additional 5-passenger SUV rivals in the new Honda Passport, revitalized Chevrolet Blazer, and a forthcoming 2-row Volkswagen Atlas. Still, the Murano can hang with the fresh competition thanks to its standard V6, plush ride quality, premium design and updates for 2019 that include enhanced safety offerings. Starting just over $31,000, the Murano’s price is also competitive with its rivals.

The new Murano excels as a substantial, refined cruiser. It is arguably the most comfortable crossover SUV in its class, with a ride quality that quells road imperfections. As a miles-eating highway commuter or even around-town errand runner, it is refined and capable. We also like the standard 260-horsepower V6 engine. It has plenty of power, and better yet, it is delivered well through Nissan’s continuously variable transmission (CVT). This automatic is among Nissan’s best application of a CVT. It mimics traditional shifts well, and while there are no steering-wheel paddles, you can mimic shifts by throwing the transmission lever into manual mode. The flip side of the Murano’s above-average comfort is that, outside a straight line, it isn’t all that fun to drive if your idea of fun is athletic handling. Don’t expect to scream around corners in this thing — or really any other crossover SUV except maybe a Mazda CX-9. Another trait to be aware of are large rear blind spots due to the Murano’s swoopy styling.

One of the best things about the Murano is that it is roomy, and made in 5-passenger form only. Nissan hasn’t tried to stuff a third row in the Murano, leaving that to the family-size Pathfinder. Thus, the Murano grants good space for rear passengers. And if you happen to like reclining rear seats, those in the Murano boast a near-comical angle. When folded the other way to nearly flat, the Murano’s cargo room roughly doubles, up to 67 cubic feet. That’s just shy of what’s found in the Ford Edge, but not quite the capacity of the new Honda Passport, which boasts 77.9 cubic feet. Up front, we like the Murano’s front seats, especially if you spring for leather. Some controls are oddly placed, though, such as the volume buttons stuck on the lower left of the steering wheel.

Styling has set the Murano apart ever since the first one was introduced 16 years ago. It was among the first to buck the chunky and blocky style of traditional SUVs in favor of round lines, swept angles and smooth lines. The latest generation got even more daring with a “floating roof” and Nissan’s “V-Motion” front end, which gets a tweak for 2019. Other small updates include redesigned LED headlights and taillights, and new fog lights. Murano wheel sizes are 18 inches for lower trims and 20 inches for higher ones. For added utility, roof rails are standard on all but base models.

COMFORT AND REFINEMENT
Some crossover SUVs focus on being tough and rugged despite being built on a sedan platform. While the Murano offers all-wheel drive for better traction in inclement weather, the focus of this Nissan crossover SUV is comfort and refinement — and it nails both.

STANDARD V6 POWER
The Nissan Murano’s 3.5-liter V6 is about as tried-and-true as it gets. There’s a reason this engine has such a good reputation, and that’s because of its power and refinement. It’s not as cutting-edge as modern turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplants, but we still like the delivery of this V6.

The 2019 Murano is available in four trims: S, SV, SL and the top-line Platinum. The least expensive Murano S has dual-zone climate control, push-button start, automatic emergency braking system, and an 8-inch touch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity in addition to a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/Bluetooth audio system with USB and auxiliary inputs. Still, you’ll have to contend with a cloth interior and manual-adjust front seats. We think you’re better off skipping the S trim and stepping up to at least an SV, which adds power front seats, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, roof rails, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, auto-dimming rearview mirror and universal garage remote.

Continuing the trim climb, the Murano SL adds leather upholstery, power tailgate with motion activation, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, 20-inch wheels, parking sensors plus Nissan’s nifty Around View bird’s-eye camera system. The SL also gains navigation and an ear-pleasing 11-speaker Bose audio system with HD digital radio and SiriusXM. At the top end, the Murano Platinum could pass for a luxury SUV thanks to posh features like semi-aniline leather seats with diamond-quilted inserts, panoramic moonroof, power-adjust steering wheel, and front seats with both heat and cooling, and NissanConnect, which allows you to control functions such as locking the vehicle remotely from your phone. Also standard on the Platinum are active safety and driver-assist features like pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, and intelligent cruise control.

As we noted in Favorite Features, the Nissan Murano uses a 3.5-liter V6. It makes 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, which is still quite competitive and easily moves this big crossover SUV. One other perk of this engine is that it runs just fine on regular unleaded gasoline. Rather than use a 6-, 8- or 9-speed transmission like competitors, the Murano has a continuously variable automatic. These types of automatic transmissions are efficient but can be known to drone. Thankfully Nissan continues to improve its CVTs, and this one feels nearly akin to a traditional automatic. Muranos come standard with front-wheel drive (FWD), and all trims can be optioned with all-wheel drive (AWD). The Murano’s tow rating is 1,500 pounds, which is low for this segment.

3.5-liter V6
260 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
240 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 mpg