2005 Nissan Murano Review

The Nissan Murano is an excellent choice for someone who wants the smooth ride and responsive handling of a car, the cargo space of a wagon, and the high driving position of an SUV.

The Murano is a good example of a crossover vehicle: It's designed to haul cargo like a sport-utility, but ride and drive like a car. However, this crossover handles better than the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, and it drives more like a sports sedan.

Murano integrates aerodynamics and high fashion, with a sleek front end, smooth lines from front to back, and a greenhouse that slopes rearward, ending in a large but graceful C-pillar. Inside, Nissan resisted the temptation to cram in three rows of seats like the Highlander and Pilot do. Instead, like a car, the Murano has just two rows of seats, accommodating four (or at most five) passengers in comfort. It's not a substitute for a minivan, nor does it look like one.

The futuristic look is backed by sporty performance. The Murano is powered by Nissan's beefy 3.5-liter V6, the same engine found in the 350Z sports car, putting out 245 horsepower. It comes with a continuously variable transmission, a high-tech automatic that's smooth and responsive while offering superior gas mileage within its class. Murano's road-tuned suspension offers smooth and sporty handling. The Murano shares much of its underpinnings with the Nissan Altima and Maxima sedans (but is not related to the Infiniti FX).

All-wheel drive is available for better grip and stability in foul weather. A new entry-level Murano S lowers the base price.

The Murano is named after the glass sculpted in the islands near Venice, known for its beauty as well as for the high-tech methods used in its production. In the Nissan Murano, this duality is most obvious in the styling.

The Murano is designed to blend the look of a car and a truck. The top half of the body is sleek like a car, while the bottom half is bulky like a truck. Overall, the look is much sleeker than tall box-shaped SUVs. At first it looks a bit over the top. Get used to it, though, and traditional SUVs start looking boxy and dated.

The Murano's huge 18-inch wheels contribute to its muscular styling. Sculpted, vertical-stack headlights define the front corners. The highly styled rear hatchback is made of reinforced plastic because steel won't bend easily in such a complex shape. The windshield and front side windows are tinted green to deflect UV radiation; the rear side and rear windows are near black for privacy.

As its looks suggest, the Murano is an aerodynamic machine. Details in the design help it slip quietly through the air. Airflow-improving devices include an underbody engine cover, front and rear tire deflectors, a rear spoiler, and aerodynamic mirrors. Combined with the low frontal area and roof, these enhancements increase fuel efficiency and limit wind noise at high speeds.

To finish the high-fashion look, Nissan offers eight color combinations for the exterior two-tone scheme, with three interior hues to mix and match. The colors were chosen carefully to promote a luxury look.