2021 Nissan Murano

The 2021 Murano still gets the dated infotainment system that needs an update. The interior looks decent with freshened equipment but still, we find better placement in the rivals like Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda Passport. The Murano would please daily drivers who don't look beyond the design and driving dynamics. With four trims on offer, there's a hefty set of creature comfort and active safety features that gives it a purpose in the new age. The 2021 Murano starts at $32,510 and goes up to $45,610. Let's get into more details to find out how well it performs on the real ground. 

The Nissan Murano comes in four main trim levels: S, SV, SL, and Platinum. All trims get a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine that propels 260 horsepower, 240 lb-ft. The engine is mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). You'll find front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive across the lineup. 

The five-seater 2021 Murano gets a full-proof trim pricing with base S priced at $32,510 and the top-dog Platinum priced at $45,610. The Platinum comes with additional features like a panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable steering wheel, ventilated front seats, premium leather, and NissanConnect emergency notification services.

Each Murano trim comes loaded with standard safety aids such as forward collision mitigation, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking, lane departure mitigation, and rear parking sensors.

Which Trim should you buy?

Although, the base S offers a significant amount of features at $32,510. We found the SL as the most desirable Murano trim as it maximizes comfort with upmarket features like Driver-seat memory settings, heated front, and rear seats, leather upholstery, Voice controls, silver roof rails, and a hands-free liftgate.

The 2021 Murano comes powered by a 3.5L V-6 engine developing 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. The engine sends power to the front wheels via Continuously Variable transmission. The transmission is smooth enough to change gear shifts and offers proper feedback while cruising on highways.

The Murano comes with a towing capacity of 1500 pounds. 

The Murano feels short on torque production and you can't expect the car to go off-road with aggressive driving. The competitors like Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda Passport offer better power and torque output than the Murano. The acceleration is quite sluggish at 8.2 seconds and we believe that the CVT is just not enough for the 3.5-liter V6 powertrain that sits under the Murano’s hood. 

How well does the 2021 Nissan Murano handle?

The 3.5-liter V6 powertrain generates enough power to cater to your daily driving needs, delivering decent acceleration. The gear shifts aren't noticeable unless you go for hard acceleration in extreme driving conditions. The CVT is not the best in class and loses some points in offering fun drives at times. The initial acceleration might be time taking but once getting through a certain rpm, the car manages to carry out smoother acceleration. 

The pedals feel consistent and offer good feedback when applied. The steering is responsive enough to aid the car's overall ride quality. Cornering is easy with the Murano as its form factor is wide enough to maintain stability. With a decent curb weight, the Murano keeps itself footed to the roads and feels noiseless while cruising on the highways. 

2021 Nissan Murano Braking Performance

Murano’s braking performance is impressive with large brake motors in the front and rear. The braking distance has a good stopping power at 119 feet which is lesser than Santa Fe, Ford Edge, and the Passport. The best thing about the 2021 Murano is that Nissan has added an array of safety features and driver assistance ads that helps improve its performance altogether. 

With a curb weight of 3959 pounds, the Ford Edge is the heaviest among the group and facilitated braking distance of 129 feet. The braking performance of Murano is also supported by the latest safety aids like front and rear automatic emergency braking. The Murano also comes with standard Pedestrian control that helps optimize its speed and brakes efficiently. 

The 2021 Murano lies on a thirsty side with its powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine. The SUV manages to return 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The SUV comes with a fuel tank of 19 gallons that makes it travel up to 380 miles in the city. The 2021 Murano has started to reveal its age and needs a serious upgrade with its engine and transmission system. Not only the Murano is slow in terms of acceleration but also returns poor fuel economy in the city. 

On the highways, the Murano brings out around 28 mpg which is still justified but in the city, the SUV feels sluggish with acceleration and fuel economy. With a tank full, the Murano can go up to 532 miles on highways. Comparatively, the Hyundai Santa Fe offers better fuel economy at 25 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. It travels around 414 miles in the city with an 18.8-gallon tank fuel capacity. 

As you move inside the Nissan Murano, you are welcomed with a clean and crisp cabin with good placement of equipment and storage spots. The front and rear seats are equally comfortable and supportive. The SUV comes standard with dual-zone climate control.

The seats get extra comfy with heated and cooling features. You have ventilated seats on the range-topping Platinum trim. An 8.0-inch touchscreen is mounted on the dashboard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The infotainment comes with no major improvement and is similar to what we have seen in previous model years. 

The Murano has not pleased us with its limited cargo space. Compared to the rivals that offer better cargo space, the Murano is limited to just 32.1 cubic feet of cargo space. Otherwise, the interior offers ample legroom and headroom to the passengers. Some of the key interior features of the 2021 Nissan Murano are:

• Dual Zone Auto AC with In-Cabin Microfilter
• Heated Steering with Memory setting
• Intelligent Cruise Control and Push-button start
• Semi-Aniline Leather-appointed seats with diamond-quilted inserts
• 60/40 Split-folding rear seats with reclining rear seats and center armrest
• One-Touch Auto Up/Down Front Power Windows
• Power Tilt and Telescopic steering column
• Auto-Dimming RVM with adjustable Ambient Lighting
• Power adjustable driver's seat with 2-way power lumbar support and memory
• Power front passenger seat

What’s there to keep you entertained in the 2021 Nissan Murano?

The Nissan Murano needs a serious fix with its dated infotainment system that features an 8.0-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, and a 7.0-inch gauge cluster display. The infotainment system lacks the responsiveness and user experience compared to what we find on the rival cars. The navigation feature is offered with the SL and Platinum models. Also, both the range-topping models get an 11-speaker Bose audio system. Some of the notable infotainment features are:

• Three 12V DC Power Outlets
• 8-inch touchscreen display
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Apple Car Play and Android Auto and 4 USB Ports with Type C Connectivity
• HD Radio
• Speed-Sensitive Volume
• Home link Universal Transceiver
• Traffic Sign Recognition and High Beam Assist
• Illuminated Steering Wheel Mounted Audio controls

Nissan has been carrying forward Murano’s concept-like design since its debut in 2003. The Nissan Murano exhibits a unique design styling that makes it different from other cars in the rival list. The SUV gets 18-inch wheels as standard that gives it a bold road presence. The front fascia is clean with LED headlamps on the sides. It is good to see Murano using Nissan's "V-Motion" design for the front profile. Notably, the SL and Platinum trims get 20-inch wheels. 

The Murano SUV is longer than most of its competitors. The compact footprint of the SUV allows it to get through tight spots in the parking lot. With a wheelbase of 111.2 inches, the Murano manages to offer a decent floor for the passengers. You can’t expect much off-road or towing capacity from the Murano as it manages to tow only 1500 pounds compared to rivals that offer better-towing capacity. Some of the notable exterior features are: 

• 20-inch Aluminum Alloys
• LED Headlights with LED DRL's
• Automatic Headlights
• Power Heated ORVM with LED Turn Signal
• LED Fog Lights
• LED Tail Lights
• Motion-activated Liftgate
• Silver Roof Rails
• Chrome Door Handles
• Power Panoramic Moonroof

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the 2021 Nissan Murano a five out of five safety ratings. In the front and side-impact test, the Murano scored five stars. It scored four out of five stars on the rollover test. The Murano gets an impressive set of standard safety features across the trim levels, making it one of the safest SUVs in the class. 

All Murano's features a Safety Shield 360 driver assistance suite, which includes pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, front and rear automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. 

Adaptive cruise control is exclusive to the SV, SL, and Platinum trims. Meanwhile, the 2021 Murano gets marked as Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, which is the highest award for any vehicle. It also earned a top rating of Good in all crash tests conducted by the IIHS. Some of the notable safety features included with the 2021 Nissan Murano are:

• Driver Drowsiness Monitor
• Rearview Camera
• Rear Automatic Braking
• Forward Automatic Emergency Braking
• Second Row Side Airbags
• Front passenger knee airbag
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Blind Spot Warning
• Lane Departure Warning
• Automatic High Beams
• Active Brake Limited Slip

2021 Nissan Murano vs. 2021 Ford Edge

With somewhat similar entry-level pricing, both Murano and Edge offer a complete package for small families and cater to their buyers effectively. In terms of seating, you'll find similar space and comfort in both SUVs, but the Edge offers a better cargo space than the Murano. The Nissan offers a bit upscale interior with premium appeal. Also, Murano's peppy V6 engine offers a refined power output. With higher torque output, the Ford Edge transmits power more effectively compared to the Murano. 

2021 Nissan Murano vs. 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Hyundai Santa Fe is similar in dimensions to the Nissan Murano, making space for five people. However, the Murano is a bit longer than the Hyundai Santa Fe. The 2021 Santa Fe is more powerful than the Murano with an absolute towing capacity of 3500 pounds. The Murano manages to tow up to 1500 pounds. In terms of interior equipment, the Hyundai Santa Fe looks neat and appealing compared to Murano's cabin. The Santa Fe also offers a bit bigger cargo space. Looking over various factors, we would choose Santa Fe over Murano any day. 

2021 Nissan Murano vs. 2021 Honda Passport

The Honda Passport offers a spacious interior with enormous legroom in the rear seating. Both SUVs offer equal space for five passengers. The 2021 Honda Passport is a bit wider than the Murano, making things challenging while finding parking space around tight spots. The Passport beats Murano in towing capability any day. Also, the Passport makes more power than the Murano. In the zero to 60 mph sprint, we are impressed with the Honda Passport as it does it in 6.2 seconds while the Murano takes more than 8 seconds. 

The Nissan Murano would be a great five-seater SUV to buy in 2021 as it delivers more than its size. The design is unusual, thanks to Nissan for keeping the design concept-like and subtle. The interiors offer comfortable seating with an array of features. The Murano is popular for its unique design and the driving dynamics look compromised due to poor outward visibility. The V6 is powerful but lacks the thrill that other cars provide in the same range. With a strong V6 engine and the latest safety features, the Nissan Murano is worth consideration.