LIKES
- Still looks great
- Plush front seats
- Comfortable ride
- Decent safety gear
DISLIKES
- Annoying transmission
- Interior feels a little old
- Can get expensive
- Top-end version isn’t that luxurious
BUYING TIP
- The Murano is at its best with leather seats, so look to the SL as a bargain-luxury cruiser.
Nissan packs a lot of style and comfort into the 2023 Murano, which can be an appealing choice against bigger SUVs if you don’t need a third row.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Nissan Murano? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Nissan Murano is a crossover SUV that trades any hint of ruggedness for a plush ride and a sophisticated style. Shop it against the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza.
Is the 2023 Nissan Murano a good SUV?
We like it well enough overall. Clean styling, good interior comfort for drivers and passengers, a great safety record, and a decent overall value work in its favor for a TCC Rating of 6.2 out of 10 rating.
What's new for the 2023 Nissan Murano?
Not much. This model has been on sale since the 2015 model year and has seen few major changes. It’s due for a revamp.
The Murano isn’t as progressive inside, though the dash wears a clean, simple layout, and materials are good for the money.
Underhood, the 3.5-liter V-6 churns out 260 hp sent forward or to all four corners via a CVT. This isn’t a recipe for excitement given the Murano can weigh upward of 4,000 lb. Though refined, the engine can snarl when pushed and it guzzles fuel at a rate of 23 mpg combined per EPA estimates. Better yet is the supple, well-damped ride quality that nudges the Murano closer to luxury territory.
The big cabin with its overstuffed seats gives off modern personal luxury vibes. It’s not all that dressy, and head room could be better, but the Murano has good space otherwise and can lug a hefty 67.0 cubic feet of cargo.
Great crash-test ratings combine with standard automatic emergency braking, though Nissan charges more for adaptive cruise control.
How much does the 2023 Nissan Murano cost?
The 2023 Murano S costs $34,955 to start, or $1,700 more with all-wheel drive. That money buys cloth seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and 18-inch alloy wheels.
For about $6,000 more, SL versions pile on leather seats, a surround-view camera system, 20-inch wheels, and adaptive cruise control.
In Canton, Mississippi.
Styling
Interesting outside, the 2023 Nissan Murano feels too ordinary inside.
Is the Nissan Murano a good-looking car?
It’s not the show-stopper it once was, but the 2023 Nissan Murano wears unique, avant-garde lines outside. Its mid-2010s Altima-grade interior doesn’t make the cut, though. It’s a 6 for styling, with that extra point awarded to good first impressions as you walk up to it.
A broad V-shape grille with a chunky chrome outline dives into the front bumper and is surrounded by complex headlights. From the side, the big fenders come across as flabby, not muscular, but those extra pounds give it a purposeful appearance overall.
Inside, though, it’s a relative dullard. The 8.0-inch touchscreen sits up high with easy-to-sort controls bunkered below. It’s convenient, but just without much excitement.
Performance
The 2023 Nissan Murano provides a calming, plush ride.
The 2023 Nissan Murano’s sporty looks don’t line up with its soft, luxurious ways on the road. It’s a 6 on our performance scale due to its comfy ride, not its acceleration.
Is the Nissan Murano 4WD?
Nissan offers winter-ready all-wheel drive for $1,700.
The smooth 3.5-ltier V-6 offers up 260 hp, but it has to overcome a 4,000-lb curb weight. Working more like an enemy than an ally, the CVT slurs its way up to speed. Around town and in traffic, the Murano is just fine. It can feel winded for highway passing, though.
The Murano is rated to tow a lousy 1,500 lb. Consider the optional trailer hitch mostly an accessory for a rear-mounted bike rack.
Where this big Nissan really earns its chops is in its ride quality. Even the optional 20-inch wheels don’t disturb the cabin much thanks to supple tuning and enough sound deadening to make smaller bumps register through the seat of your pants, not your ears.
Slow-witted steering discourages playful cornering, but that’s not what this boulevardier is about, anyway.
Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Nissan Murano has plush, if not exactly stylish, digs inside.
Front-seat riders and their luggage will find great space and comfort in the 2023 Nissan Murano. It’s a 7 on our scale.
The plush, almost over-padded front seats have good support, though power adjustment is stingily left off the base version. Rear-seat riders have an impressive 39 inches of leg room and a nicely padded bench, but opting for the big sunroof means limited head room for taller passengers. Two adults of average stature will fit, but they should take their hats off.
SV models swap in convincing synthetic leather, while real hides find their way into SL and Platinum trims. Materials are fine for the price, but nothing about the Murano’s cabin feels as special as a vehicle like this should. If you want adventurous materials in a Nissan-made product, head to the Infiniti showroom down the block.
Safety
The 2023 Nissan Murano has aced crash testing.
It’s an excellent choice, with a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a NHTSA five-star rating on its resume. Standard automatic emergency braking adds another point, for an 8 out of 10.
The NHTSA issued five stars in every test bar its measured rollover assessment, where the Murano achieved an SUV-typical four stars. The IIHS notes a “Moderate” score in its latest side-impact testing, but otherwise the Murano scored “Good” in its crash testing.
All versions have automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control, while adaptive cruise control comes on SV and higher trims. Nissan’s trick ProPilot Assist driver-assistance tech hasn’t made its way to the Murano, though; it allows brief intervals of hands-free driving, though it generates lots of warning chimes when it approaches or disengages from traffic.
Features
In certain trim levels, the 2023 Nissan Murano serves up luxury car vibes without sticker shock.
Starting at $34,955, the base Murano S includes a pretty good array of features for the money. You’ll find 18-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, cloth seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a host of USB ports, and automatic emergency braking.
Three other trim levels tempt, too. We wind up at an 8 out of 10 here due to good standard fare, overall value, and a decent infotainment system.
All-wheel drive runs $1,700 regardless of trim level.
Less impressive is the basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
Which Nissan Murano should I buy?
The Murano SV adds power-adjustable front seats, synthetic leather trim, automatic emergency braking, and parking sensors for $38,495.
At that level, we’d step up to the SL, which comes with real leather, a surround-view camera system, 20-inch wheels, and a motion-activated tailgate for $42,455. A power sunroof is a costly $1,495 extra, so think twice about how much you like the sun.
All in, a Murano Platinum with its softer leather, navigation system, Bose audio, and a few other niceties will set you back $48,600.
Fuel Economy
The 2023 Nissan Murano may have a sleek shape, but it’s not a frugal choice.
Is the Nissan Murano good on gas?
It’s not great. The big V-6 means fuel economy checks in at just 20 mpg city, 28 highway, 23 combined.
One plus: that fuel economy figure applies to both front- and all-wheel-drive versions.
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