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By 
Marty Padgett, Executive Editor
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TheCarConnection.com’s team of car experts read all the competitive reviews on the new 2009 Nissan Murano to produce this conclusive review. TheCarConnection.com also drove the car to be able to give you an expert opinion on the vehicle, and to help you figure out the truth where other car reviews might differ.
Likes:
- - Much richer interior styling and materials
- - just-right size for city driving
- - available all-wheel drive
- - smooth, powerful V-6 engine
Dislikes:
- - Oddly styled grille
- - Slightly snug interior
- - CVT works well, but takes getting used to
Nissan’s Murano is a mid-size crossover vehicle derived from the company’s Altima sedan. It’s sold with a powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The S and SL versions come with front-wheel drive and an optional all-wheel-drive system, while the top LE version has standard all-wheel drive.
TheCarConnection.com researched Web reviews of the new Murano to compile this conclusive review. In the opinion of reviewers around the Internet and at TheCarConnection.com, we think the 2009 Nissan Murano is so relentlessly refined that the airy PR comparisons to Lexus's RX crossover actually hold water. The Murano is just as smooth as the Lexus RX 350, definitely sharper in profile, and very nearly the Lexus's equal in interior refinement. It also scores highly on the government’s crash tests.
The Murano can rightly be criticized for a slightly snug interior and an oddly tiered nose, but not much else. There's none of the wet-diaper dynamics of the Toyota Highlander or the egregious heft of the Ford Edge--just quick, natural responses, coupled to a right-sized crossover body with jazzy, urbane styling.
Ford’s Edge is similar in size to the Murano and, like it, comes only with two rows of seating. The same’s true of the Lexus RX 350 and Mazda CX-7, but those crossovers offer distinctly different driving experiences. The Lexus is geared to smooth driving and the industry-leading service provided by its dealers, while Mazda’s CX-7 is a sporty alternative to typical crossovers with tauter handling and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
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