2024 Nissan Murano Review: Silver Fox

We aren't surprised to see the 2024 Nissan Murano looking exactly the same as it did last year, since there's a new generation rumored to be in the cards. But considering that the midsize SUV goes up against the likes of the lightly updated Honda Passport and all-new Hyundai Santa Fe, the lack of updates puts it at a disadvantage. It's a good-looking car, sharing some both styling and a platform with the Nissan Maxima, but it just doesn't have the athleticism that this seems to suggest, especially with a lackadaisical CVT managing the gears. We assume this will be the crossover's last year before a redesign, so we'll give it a once-over for the sake of thoroughness.

New for 2024

For 2024, the new Nissan Murano SUV loses the S trim, while the mid-tier SL adds a sunroof for a touch more classy ambiance. It goes otherwise unchanged.

2024 Nissan Murano Price: Which One to Buy

With the SV being the new starting point, the price of the 2024 Nissan Murano is a bit higher at $38,090.The SL will cost you $42,050 and the Platinum $46,100. Each model can upgrade from FWD to AWD for an additional $1,700. These prices are MSRP and do not include the $1,175 destination charge or any other tax or registration.

When it comes to economy cars, you generally get the most bang for your buck in the base model or halfway up the range. Since the S was dropped, the one-time mid-tier SV is now the entry point. This means it meets both criteria and comes with a good list of standard features, such as leatherette upholstery, heated front seats with power adjustment, and safety features you often have to pay more for, such as front parking sensors.

Interior and Features

The cabin is extremely attractive, with a stylized center console, and twin center armrests, which distracts from the aging features.

Designed with a focus on form over function, the Murano has a premium-looking interior with well-placed controls and a dash-mounted touchscreen. Unfortunately, the infotainment is a little behind the times, so navigating the menus can feel like a chore compared to some newer cars. Nevertheless, it comes with all the essentials, and there are physical controls for some of your more commonly used features, like climate control. The strongest selling point here is the higher-quality materials, including standard leatherette upholstery, as the overall styling of the cabin is not overly inspired.

Space

While it may be located quite high up in the brand's lineup, the Murano is a standard five-seater SUV, with no option to squeeze in a third row. Luckily, this means that it offers a fair amount of room for all its passengers, with approximately 40 inches of legroom in the front and back. Headroom is a bit less generous, and now that the moonroof is standard from the SL, you have to settle for even less. As a raised SUV, it's easy to get inside the Murano, but the lower roof could give taller adults trouble. It also tapers off approaching the rear, and the windows back there are very narrow, negatively impacting visibility.

Cargo

Don't let its size fool you; the Murano is not a particularly practical vehicle. Once again, you can probably blame its overly stylized roof, which eats into what would otherwise be a spacious trunk. As such, you are left with 32.1 (31.1 with moonroof) cubic feet of cargo space, which is around 5-10 cubes less than rivals offer. Nevertheless, few buyers should find a reason to complain as this is still plenty for most daily needs. Folding down the back seats increases this area to 67 cubes (65 with the moonroof), which should accommodate more serious needs.

For smaller items around the cabin, you get a capacious glove compartment, but the bins around the console are not as accommodating as we'd like. The armrest cubby is about average in size, but the door pockets are small and narrow. More often than not, you'll end up using the cupholders for your loose items; there are two in front and another two in the fold-down middle rear seat.

Materials and Colors

Now that the low-tier S has been dropped from the lineup, the starting upholstery is leatherette, offered in Graphite or Cashmere. Interior colors are more limited for the Midnight Edition, which only allows for the darker Graphite hue. Moving up to the SL upgrades the materials to leather, but there are no addition color choices. Semi-aniline leather is standard in the top-tier Platinum, and it adds Mocha to the palette. Models with Graphite upholstery pair it with metallic trim, while Cashmere gets light wood. This is slightly different for the Platinum, which has unique dark wood trim regardless of the interior theme.

Features and Infotainment

Since it aims at more discerning buyers who want a premium product, the Murano comes equipped with loads of standard features. These include dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, remote start, a ten-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, a seven-inch drive-assist display, and an eight-inch touchscreen display. Infotainment features comprise Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM Radio, and Bluetooth streaming, all played back through a set of six speakers. This is perhaps the biggest giveaway of the Murano's age, as other products have larger screens that look much more modern.

Further up the trim line, the SL adds driver-seat memory, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and a dual-pane moonroof, along with navigation, SiriusXM Traffic, and an 11-speaker Bose sound system. At the top of the range, the Platinum concludes with ventilated front seats and Nissan Connect services.

Performance

Nissan has chosen to go with natural aspiration for its V6, and while it has character, it severely lacks power and quickness.

Every Nissan Murano comes with a 3.5-liter V6, which makes just 260 hp and 240 lb-ft, since it lacks any turbocharging. The gears are managed by a middling Xtronic continuously variable transmission, and you can choose between a front- and all-wheel drivetrain. The latter helps it deal with tricky road conditions, but the Murano is not meant to go off-road.

Due to the lackluster engine and indecisive gearbox, acceleration is nothing to write home about: it takes the Nissan Murano 7.3 seconds to go from 0-60 mph. Top speed is utterly average at 120 mph. Despite these figures, the crossover is not unpleasant to drive, and the engine sounds as good as we'd expect from a nat-asp V6. The lack of power also means that the minimal steering feedback shouldn't be a problem when driving, but at least the suspension is good, and it takes a rather large bump to upset the cabin. This is definitely more of a sedate city cruiser, and pushing it for performance will result in an irritating drone from the CVT.

Fuel Efficiency

Without turbocharging, you'd expect the Nissan Murano to get only middling mpg returns. However, the CVT steps in to help it out, and the results are actually on par with, if not better than, models equipped with a turbo-four. According to the EPA, there is no real difference between the FWD or AWD variants of the Murano, and both achieve 20/28/23 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles. A fuel capacity of 19 gallons allows the crossover to travel up to 437 miles on a full tank.

Safety

Equipped with an impressive bevy of safety systems as standard, the Murano will help you avoid a crash and keep you safe in the event of one.

In terms of the safety review of the Nissan Murano, the NHTSA and IIHS have slightly differing opinions. The former gives it an overall five-star rating with four stars for rollovers. For the most part, the IIHS agrees, and scores in every category save for rollovers got a top score of Good. However, the updated side crash test only resulted in a Marginal.

On the plus side, even the entry-level model comes with a long list of advanced driver-assistance features. These include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver alertness warning, a rearview camera, and front parking sensors. This is on top of the basics like ABS, EBD, stability and traction control, and a total of ten airbags. Upgrading to the SL adds traffic-sing recognition and a surround-view camera, while the platinum rounds out the offering the emergency-notification services via the Nissan Connect.

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Reliability

Japanese automakers make some of the most dependable cars in the world, and even organizations in the USA, like J.D. Power, agree. This is clear by the 89 out of 100 score for quality and reliability, as voted for by consumers. Few cars have the years-long clean recall track record that the Murano has, so you can rest assured that you won't get any nasty surprises. The 2024 Nissan Murano gets a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty that includes roadside assistance, and the powertrain is covered for five years/60,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

There is no denying the Murano is a handsome vehicle, but the fact that this is one of its strongest selling points is worrying. Still, the V-motion grille mounted on the sleek front fascia is eye-catching, and the sharply wedge-shaped LED headlights slotting into it further accentuate it. Running along the edge of these are slim daytime running lights. The rear end sports LED taillights, starting on the bulging sides and overlapping the tailgate and rear windshield. 18-inch alloy wheels are standard on the base model, while the rest get 20-inch variants, with Dark Hyper Silver accents for the Platinum. Serving as a cosmetic makeover for the SV, the Midnight Edition gets the larger wheels, which are accented in black, along with the grille, roof rails, and mirror caps.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Nissan Murano A Good SUV?

While it may still look the part of a svelte predator, the 2024 Murano is long in the tooth and can no longer keep up with the big namea. The naturally aspirated V6 engine may sound good, but there are plenty of smaller SUVs that can outpace it thanks to their turbocharged four-pots, and they get better fuel economy. This weakness is further compounded by unengaging driving dynamics, but at least the ride is comfortable. Safety systems are also quite impressive, but at this price, that is nothing special, and you can get a better overall product elsewhere. The Murano is in desperate need of an overhaul, and we are a little surprised that Nissan has let it go so long without the level of love that the prestigious nameplate deserves. We look forward to seeing a new-generation model soon.