2023 Nissan Murano Review

The midsize SUV segment has a lot to offer in today’s market—it bridges the gap between cramped compact SUVs and massive full-sizes, comes at a reasonable price point, and is preferred by families. Unless you’re looking for excellent road thrills and driving demeanor, you’d be satisfied with the 2023 Nissan Murano’s engine and performance. The interior is comfortable enough, but the best specs are reserved for the higher trims.

Murano’s engine is made for the highway, which makes it a great choice for families who love to go on road trips often. The droning engine sound is an issue, but otherwise, there’s not much to complain about.

Engine 

Under the hood of the Nissan Murano is a DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine. It’s not the most fuel efficient engine out there, but it’s particularly great for highway driving and promises a pleasant journey.

Transmission 

The engine pairs with continuously variable automatic transmission, and manual shifting mode is also available.

Suspension

Murano’s suspension is impressive—it smoothes out road bumps to make the riding experience seamless. Four-wheel independent suspension is standard across all trims.

Steering 

While driving on highways, the steering feels stable but it becomes less responsive on city roads. As for the steering wheel, you get a powered tilt and telescopic wheel with audio and cruise controls located on it.

The 2023 Murano received a 5-star safety rating from NHTSA, and it was a part of IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ last year. JD Power gave this SUV a score of 86/100. The automaker has kept driver’s and passengers’ safety in mind, which is evident from its long list of standard features.

Brakes

Murano is equipped with front and rear ventilated disc brakes.

Airbags

The vehicle comes with front and side-impact airbags, overhead airbags, and knee airbags, and passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation as part of the standard safety suite.

Electronics

Nissan has included a large number of standard features, including 4-wheel ABS, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, accident avoidance system, driver attention alert, emergency braking preparation, child safety lock, and anti-theft alarm system.

Lights

The standard package includes LED headlamp, daytime running lights, front fog lights, and dusk sensing headlamps.

Traction control

Traction control is a part of this vehicle’s standard safety features, so you can maintain wheel traction even while driving through slippery roads.

In 2023, automakers are trying to bump up the efficiency of SUVs. But unfortunately, Nissan falls short in this department—the fuel economy is subpar, and there is no form of electrification available to make up for it.

Engine size 

The SUV is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine which generates 260 hp @ 6000 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque @ 4400 rpm.

Gas per mileage consumption

As per EPA, Murano is expected to offer 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. The numbers aren’t at all remarkable, more so when the market is brimming with more efficient options.

There is not much to say about Murano’s interior. It’s designed with convenience in mind, and manages to offer a comfortable experience for long rides. The infotainment system is not the best out there, and the overall cabin design appears to be archaic. In 2023, most newly launched cars will have a tech-heavy cabin with futuristic designs. In comparison, Murano falls short heavily. We are looking forward to seeing some changes in the upcoming version of the vehicle next year.

Seats 

The two-row setup of Nissan Murano comes with soft leather upholstery, armrest, and dark wood trimmings. The front seats have thick cushioning, 40.5 inches of legroom, and power-adjusted and height-adjustable bucket seats for extra comfort. Multi-level heating is also available for both the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The reclining rear seats are equally cozy and come with 38.7 inches of legroom.

Design 

The Nissan Murano has a simple design in the cabin, with plenty of elements to keep you comfortable during long journeys. However, the aesthetics and the design look outdated—a facelift is much needed to make the lineup attractive to present buyers.

Infotainment 

The vehicle comes with the NissanConnect 8-inch infotainment display unit with speakers, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB connection, and satellite radio.

Overall height and space

This midsize SUV is 192.8 inches long, 75.4 inches wide, and 67.8 inches in height. The wheelbase is 111.2 inches, and it has a ground clearance of 6.9 inches.

Trunk space

When all seats are upright, Murano has 32.1 inches of cargo space.

In a market dominated by the likes of Jeep Grand Cherokee and Honda Passport, Murano attempts to stand out, but fails to do so. Its aging design and tech screams for an upgrade. If you’re looking for a value-for-money option, refrain from shelling extra on the top trims of this lineup.

Nissan Murano is available in 4 trim levels currently—S, SV, SL, and Platinum. The middle trim SV seems to be the most logical choice among all, if we consider the price point and the list of offerings. Since this aging midsize SUV is competing with a bunch of newly-launched vehicles which are way more tech savvy and comfortable, it doesn’t make sense to go for the higher trims of Murano.

AWD/FWD

Front-wheel drive is the standard setup across all trim levels. But you can get all-wheel drive with any of the trims, if that’s your preference.

Warranty 

The warranty offering is pretty basic—you get a 3-year or 36,000 miles limited warranty and roadside assistance, along with a 5-year or 60,000 miles powertrain warranty and rust warranty. Nissan doesn’t offer complimentary maintenance, nor does it match the 10-year powertrain warranty that some competitors are offering.

Extras 

The vehicle can tow a maximum up to 1500 pounds, which is not exactly impressive for a midsize SUV.