Well, well, well. If it isn’t Nissan’s variable-compression turbo engine, an enemy I haven’t looked in the eye in many years. This time around, it’s in the new 2025 Nissan Murano, but my first experience with this powerplant came back when I still worked at MotorTrend and ended up with the Infiniti QX50 as my long-term tester. To say I was not a fan of the fancy new engine would be a serious understatement, and considering how hard I was on the car, it’s a miracle anyone at Nissan or Infiniti still talks to me. Although, I’m pretty sure my reporting also led directly to an infotainment system recall, so really, they should be thanking me.
The good news is, Nissan’s engineers had the sense to avoid pairing the variable-compression engine in the Murano with a continuously variable transmission. One engineer I spoke with said the new nine-speed auto was just a better choice in part because people had previously complained there was too much going on when the engine was paired with a CVT, likely not knowing that it was me. I am people. I’m sure plenty of other owners complained, too, but I was one of the first. But is the engine any better with a conventional automatic? And if not, is the 2025 Nissan Murano good enough to make up for it?
Full Disclosure: Nissan wanted me to drive the new Murano so badly, it included a Murano drive on the Armada trip I was already on. Food, drinks, and accommodations were provided, as well, and Nissan would have paid for my flight if I hadn’t decided to drive myself instead.
Arguably, the Murano doesn’t need to exist. If you want a two-row crossover with a Nissan badge, you can just buy the slightly smaller Rogue, and it’ll be fine. But back in the early 2000s, Nissan wanted a stylish, premium crossover that empty nesters would love, and while the interior design of that first-generation Murano may not have held up, the exterior absolutely has. The second-gen Murano was more questionable, but then Nissan returned to form for the third generation that’s been on sale since 2015.
In the time since Nissan designed the third-gen Murano, though, the mainstream crossover market has also changed significantly, in large part thanks to Hyundai and Kia really pushing the limits of what’s possible with mainstream car designs. If you’re going to introduce a design-forward crossover for 2025 you have to take some chances, and I get the feeling it’ll probably be at least a few years before we really figure out what we think of the new Murano. I’ve heard it looks both great and awful, whereas I tend to fall sort of in the middle with the opinion that it’s forgettably good-looking. Like one of those actors who simultaneously manages to be conventionally attractive but in a way that doesn’t really leave an impression. Then again, I also thought Glen Powell was forgettable, and now he’s everywhere.
While I’m not sold on the new Murano’s exterior design, the interior definitely delivers on the promise of a near-luxury experience. Physical controls are in short supply unless you count the push-button shifter, and there’s some piano black plastic in the center console. You do, however, get a capacitive touch panel for climate controls, and while it may look like wood from a distance, touching it dispels any notion you might have that it’s real wood. That’s probably better for durability and keeping the cost somewhat reasonable, but it’s also a constant reminder that you didn’t actually buy a luxury vehicle. The rest of the materials, including the semi-aniline quilted leather, feel appropriately high-end, though, and Nissan’s designers did a good job of adding contrast and little details that owners will probably appreciate as they get used to their new car.
Not everyone is going to be a fan of the two-spoke steering wheel, either, but I actually liked it. It felt good in my hand, and the flat bottom made highway cruising comfortable even without a third spoke to rest my hand on. However, despite all the steering wheel controls, the button to activate the surround-view camera system is still located in the center console instead of on the steering wheel where it would be more convenient. This is a complaint I have about basically every car with a surround-view camera system except for Mitsubishi, but Nissan and Mitsubishi part of the same corporation now, so you’d think at least Nissan would copy that idea.
Under the hood, you get Nissan’s turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 with variable compression cranking out 241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, in place of the old model’s 3.5-liter V6 with 260 hp and 240 lb-ft. It didn’t feel slow, and the nine-speed automatic felt more natural than I remember the QX50’s CVT did, but it’s still just not a great engine. Despite the promise of six-cylinder power and four-cylinder fuel economy, it sure didn’t feel like the former, and as far as the latter went, I think the best computer-estimated gas mileage I saw was 24 mpg. That generally tracks with Nissan’s claim that the new Murano gets 21/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined, and while it’s not bad, it certainly isn’t great, either.
Then again, the Murano isn’t really about driving or maximizing fuel economy. Instead, it’s about comfort and luxury. Initially, I thought the Murano might actually be fun to drive, but then I realized I’d just gotten out of the Armada, and the sporty character I was enjoying was just its comparatively smaller size and lower weight. If you try to take a corner too fast in the new Murano, it’s going to lean. A lot. It didn’t feel unsafe at any point, but I also learned pretty quickly to just relax and enjoy the drive.
If you don’t push it too hard and just let the Murano be the near-luxury crossover that it wants to be, you’ll be much happier. Aside from the body roll in the corners that can be unpleasant, it’s an incredibly comfortable car. Forget hustling or making up time. Just enjoy the seats and the comfortable suspension tuning. You can even get ventilated front seats with a massage function that will make long drives more enjoyable, and as usual with Nissan, the seats are pretty dang comfortable even if they aren’t doing their best to get the knots out of your back.
Nissan also gave the Murano dual 12.3-inch displays, support for both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a legitimately useful head-up display that can display turn-by-turn directions if you’re using CarPlay or Android Auto, and 64 choices of colors for the interior ambient lighting. It’s hard to imagine many people regularly playing with the color of their car’s ambient lighting, but it’s there if you want it. Nissan also includes the cameras necessary for the Invisible Hood View feature it added to the Armada, even though it’s hard to imagine anyone taking a Murano off-road. At best, they might park it on some grass, and it’s not like the Murano pretends to be an off-roader. But again, that feature is there if you ever need it.
One feature that’s notably absent is ProPilot Assist 2.1, the version of Nissan’s advanced driving assistance software that allows for hands-free cruising on mapped highways. Including it probably would have required Nissan to charge more for the Murano, but at the same time, it feels like the wrong decision. If you’ve got a luxury-focused crossover in your lineup, wouldn’t you want to fit it with the latest technology that you have? It’s not like the Armada, which does have ProPilot Assist 2.1, and the Murano compete directly. Hands-free driving would be a great selling point and really drive home Nissan’s focus on its premium position in the market. You still get the more basic version of ProPilot, but it’s not like we’re talking about the Rogue here. It’s the pricier Murano.
Speaking of price, the base front-wheel-drive Murano starts at $40,470, up slightly from the $38,740 that Nissan charges for the 2024 version. With all-wheel drive only costing an extra $1,000, though, it’s hard to imagine you’ll see many, if any, front-wheel-drive Muranos on the road. The mid-range SL, on the other hand, includes AWD as standard and will cost you $46,560, while the top-of-the-line Platinum will run you $49,600. There also aren’t really any options to choose from other than color, so it’s nice that Nissan decided to offer two blues and a red.
Will Nissan’s decision to stick with a more luxury-focused crossover resonate with the buying public, or will they prefer other SUVs that look a little more ready to go camping? I honestly have no idea. There has to at least be a certain level of demand that exists, or else we probably wouldn’t have seen Nissan bring back the Xterra first. On the other hand, the Murano didn’t really leave much of an impression beyond just being generally nice and a pleasant place to spend some time. Still, if the exterior design really does it for you, you probably won’t find much to complain about, and I can only assume you’ll be happy with the ownership experience. Unless you care about the engine. I’m still not sold on the variable-compression turbo, and I don’t know if I ever will be, even when paired with a conventional automatic.
