2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD Evaluation & Take a look at Drive : Automotive Addicts

Whereas automotive producers are struggling to discover a new footing in a courageous new world right here in America, there are a number of newly redesigned automobiles that will do nicely within the new political local weather that we have now. A kind of automobiles is the redesigned 2025 Nissan Murano, which I discover to be considered one of Nissan’s greatest merchandise and a wise transfer for all that they’ve carried out to such a automobile.

The Nissan Murano was as soon as a severe contender within the mainstream midsized crossover section. Now, the Murano has seemingly discovered itself within the background, considerably overshadowed by top-selling compact crossovers. Nevertheless, the newly redesigned Murano takes an method to cast off the unbearable CVT (constantly variable transmission) and brings us a 9-speed automated transmission mated to the model’s formidable variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder. The mix of such a powertrain coupled with all-wheel-drive within the new Murano Platinum trim makes for a moderately respectable bundle, one which I didn’t discover a lot fault with throughout my week with the plush two-row crossover.

The brand new Murano will get a very new look, one which may be considerably of an acquired style for some with its Ferrari-esq higher entrance finish and a play on resembling a brand new face of the model present in automobiles just like the electrified Nissan Ariya. There are lots of different respectable proportions of the brand new Murano’s design with design traces that attempt to trick your eyes for a sloping roof impact – regardless that the rearward roof does slope to a level that constantly hinders rearward visibility out of the rearview mirror. Right here, Nissan ought to have supplied the digital rearview mirror to mitigate the higher a part of your rearward view that will get lower moderately brief, stopping you from seeing far down the highway behind you.

Having the brand new 2.0-liter variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder engine within the Murano makes excellent sense as there’s much less weight to hold round when in comparison with one thing like the marginally up-market bigger and heavier Infiniti QX60 brethren that now makes use of the identical engine. With the Murano, the turbocharged engine does nicely to scoot the automobile alongside and hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque really feel enough for such a automobile with out being a automobile that’s shy about hiding the buzzing sound from such an engine. Nevertheless, the brand new plushness and premium really feel of the Murano may cause some second-guessing as as to whether it’s an Infiniti product as a result of, within the Platinum trim, there’s loads to love about its luxury-ish theme.

General, there’s a small dose of sport hidden within the Murano the place it feels properly planted, probably the most it has ever been, partly due to its middle-of-the-road suspension tuning, bigger 21-inch wheels, and extremely praised Bridgestone Alenza all-season tires. For probably the most half, the brand new Murano is competent on the highway, and the all-wheel-drive setup, customary for the center SL and higher Platinum trims (optionally available on the bottom FWD SV trim), the entrance wheels for the front-wheel-drive biased setup gained’t peel off from a cease or out of turns.

So far as gasoline economic system, having the variable compression turbocharged engine contributes to some financial savings, as I used to be in a position to match the EPA figures of 21 mpg metropolis, 27 mpg freeway, and 23 mpg mixed. I mustered out about 22.8 mpg total however did see the freeway quantity practically bounce as much as 27 mpg when cruising on a flat Interstate highway after settling in at 70 mph. Filling up the 18.7-gallon gasoline tank with common unleaded will get you a freeway cruising vary of as much as about 504 miles.

The reworked inside of the redesigned Murano is an inviting area with a premium feel and look. Whereas there are nonetheless some plastics that simulate an upscale trim, they’re nonetheless plastic that will cheapen the inside for some who take the time to truly really feel the floor. In any other case, the inside is finished very nicely with a number of soft-touch surfaces and stitching that accent the blue leather-based to raise the premium enchantment to a near-luxury stage, along with color-selectable ambient LED lighting and a shade head-up show. There’s additionally newfound area all through the cabin with exceptionally cozy seats, which is one thing Nissan has practically perfected in utilizing their Zero gravity seat idea.

Up entrance, you get heated, ventilated, and back-area massaging seats – one other near-luxury enchantment for the Murano. Out again, the outboard seats have heating, and there’s a great little bit of workable area for 3 passengers. Furthermore, there’s an influence tilt/telescoping heated steering wheel, which is one thing you usually don’t discover on a mainstream crossover on this section.

The dashboard has the correct tech gear to maintain with as we speak’s expectations at there’s a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that’s configurable to show maps and even mapping kind your smartphone by means of use of wi-fi (and USB-connected) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The mixing is fed by means of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, which has a simplistic interface however does take a short while to get used to navigating the system and using the moderately smallish touchscreen space for citing further local weather controls aside from the haptic-touch buttons etched into the simulated wooden trim floor beneath the display..

Cargo area is nice as nicely within the new Murano with 33 cubic toes having the rear seats in place, or as a lot as 64 cubic toes when folding the seatbacks down with an simply reached rear cargo space latch. The cargo space is accessed by a wise energy liftgate.

Security stays paramount for Nissan as the brand new Murano has the entire anticipated lively security options, together with the highlights of its ProPILOT Help that retains the automobile centered within the lane and a secure distance from the automobile in entrance – the system does require maintaining your hand on the steering wheel. Different highlights embody the 360-degree digicam system and hood view to provide you a digital space view of what’s usually blocked by the entrance hood space.

In all, Nissan has carried out justice to the redesign for the Murano, which is, in my view, probably the greatest merchandise they’ve proper now. Some could balk on the pricing of the brand new Murano, which begins at $40,470 and will get to as excessive as my loaded-up Murano Platinum AWD take a look at automobile at $55,030 (together with a $1,390 vacation spot cost). Nevertheless, with the brand new Murano, with its near-luxury angle and well-to-do drivetrain with an automated transmission that has actual gears, there’s loads to love right here and take into account when purchasing for a midsized two-row (5-passenger) crossover.