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4X4
The Murano has the tremendous performance and style of a coupe combined with the space and practicality of a family car, the height of a 4x4 and four-wheel drive to give it a little off-road ability. Nevertheless, it's on the road where the car is at its best.
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The 3.5-litre V6 engine (a detuned version of the one in the 350Z) gives fantastic performance, and the Murano is surprisingly agile. That size works to its advantage, too, especially as the car is just a five-seater - Nissan hasn't squeezed everything up to fit two extra seats into the boot. As a result, there's excellent room up front as well as enough head- and legroom on the back seat to make it a genuine five-seater; and enough boot space to make it a fine family car.
Running Costs
With very limited supply, and almost all cars still at Nissan dealers, prices are very high. True, they're not quite at BMW X5 or Volvo XC90 levels, but they are similar to those of BMW's other 4x4, the X3. Likewise, some may find the Murano's running costs dear, and more in keeping with those of more prestigious rivals. Its official combined fuel consumption of 23mpg is only equal to the equivalent petrol-engined versions of the BMW X3 and less than that of a Lexus RX350. There are no diesel or hybrid versions. That said, its insurance rating is lower than these rivals' and routine service costs less than for an X3. What's more, if you need unscheduled work, there's more good news: A leading warranty company says both dealer labour rates and average repair bills are at the lower end of the scale.