The 2025 Nissan Murano is the latest two-row SUV from the legacy Japanese automaker. It features a reworked interior, plenty of tech, a revitalized infotainment system, and a punchy new powertrain sits up front — along with a host of other tweaks and enhancements designed to take it to the next level.
But is it worth the price tag? Nissan has priced the Murano directly in line with some stiff competition. It’s competing with brands like BMW, premium three-row vehicles, and full on American luxury brands. I recently got behind the wheel of Nissan’s new two-row SUV, and here’s everything I learned.
It handles very well, and has a surprising amount of punch
This may be the contrast between the Murano and the Armada (Nissan’s full-sized SUV) talking. I did drive the smaller vehicle the day after spending hours in its larger brother. But the Murano seems to handle very well. It’s easy to put this vehicle where it needs to be on the road, and it won’t give you any trouble–even in slightly adverse weather. The 20-inch rims (which increase to an almost oversized 21-nch on the Platinum trim) ensure a very smooth ride.
In terms of power, there seems to be a good amount of punch coming out of the new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. It will move when you get your foot down, especially in “Sport” mode which pumps up the throttle response noticeably and makes everything sound a bit more aggressive. All in all, you get 241 horsepower, and 260 lb-ft of torque, which is pretty solid for a vehicle of this size.
As is often the case, the transmission seems to be the weak point in the powertrain. It likes to hang on to gears, and doesn’t seem to know where it wants to be a good chunk of the time. This may sap the vehicle of power at vital moments, and could cause issues with fuel economy, though I didn’t have time to test either extensively.
These may be the comfiest seats you’ll find in a sub-$100k vehicle
The seats in the Murano are coated in a “semi-aniline quilted leather” and are said to have a “zero gravity design,” kind of like those lounge chairs you can float your way back on. And like something expensive you’d park in your lounge, the seats in the Murano are exceptionally comfortable.
These are certainly the most comfortable seats you’ll encounter in the vehicle’s class, and arguably easier on the posterior than anything you’ll see this side of $100,000. Basically, you’ll have to start looking at the luxury sector, and going a few trims up on top of that, to find this level of comfort elsewhere.
Rear passengers won’t miss out, with the Zero-G design extending to the back. The rear row also benefits from more legroom, thanks to a thinner front seat design this time around, and easier access due to wider opening doors. While the option of heated seats is available for the back row, the front seats can opt for ventilation and a massage function too. Power adjustments come as standard up front.
The interior improvements stretch beyond seating
The rest of the interior has also seen improvements. The steering wheel has a new shape, taking a cut off the bottom to give your legs more room. At the back, a motion-activated liftgate on the Platinum trim makes loading and unloading the rear easier. Said rear includes 32.9 cubic feet of storage, which extends to a generous 63.5 when the rear seats are dropped.
Infotainment has also had a noticeable boost, similar to what we’ve seen in the Armada. While the central screen isn’t as big in the smaller car, you still get a 12.3 inch display in the middle of the redesigned dash, and a color heads-up-display should you wish to use it. You can even play around with the colors in the cabin, with Nissan including 16 set themes and 48 additional colors for you to use. A 10-speaker system by Bose handles the audio, and includes both Active Sound Enhancement and Active Noise Cancelation.
You also get Nissan’s new camera system, which is so good it could arguably be class leading. It allows you to essentially see through the hood, see where the wheels are, and even includes an ultra-wide view to give a better indication of hazards in your peripherals.
There are still areas where it falls a little short
There are still areas on the Murano where you’d expect a little more for the price, on the top trim anyway. Despite the quality feeling soft-touch materials coating a lot of the interior, there’s still an off-putting amount of plastic. It’s not particularly texturally pleasing, and you worry about how prone to scuffing it is. The exception is the “Murano Glass dashboard finisher” which is apparently inspired by venetian glass and looks very good.
With a starting price just shy of $41,500 for the basic trim, moving close to $50,000 at the high end The Murano is certainly playing in the small to midsize premium SUV ballpark. This pretty much places it in direct competition with the BMW X2, or the soon-to-be departing Lincoln Corsair. The infotainment, camera system, and general level of comfort place it ahead of vehicles like the Chevy Blazer, in my estimation, but I don’t believe it can hold up against some of the true luxury brands operating at a similar price point.
