Nissan Murano Ti 4WD Review

Overview

Sure, the Nissan Murano Ti's well designed exterior is definitely an amazing sight, but how does the heart of the SUV perform? The Nissan Murano has a respectable engine and ground breaking Continuously Variable Transmission or known simply as CVT. It comes equipped with all of the features found on the ST as well as: Driver/passenger seat heaters, electric glass sunroof, roof racks, and leather seats. Definitely a vehicle worth looking at if you are looking to purchase an SUV. It doesn't matter if you are heading off into the grass or driving down smooth city roads, the Nissan Murano Ti has something to offer any driver out there.

Details

Nissan wanted to make a car that would fit in between the Patrol and the X-Trail, which lead them to the design and production of the Murano. The Nissan Murano has a respectable engine and ground breaking Continuously Variable Transmission or known simply as CVT. Unlike most manufacturers they stuck with the look of the concept car all the way to production. This was praised by many drivers since they knew what they were going to get rather than seeing something new and astonishing, later to see the production model looking like a much duller version. Since the concept car had a look that was a little ahead of its time it was a gamble, but in the end it turned out great for Nissan and consumers.

Sure, the Nissan Murano Ti's well designed exterior is definitely an amazing sight, but how does the SUV react when heading off road? That will certainly be answered by the end of this article. Though the Murano name is very similar to Holden's Monaro, there is no relation between the two-whew! That is definitely a good thing since the Holden Monaro was quite the disaster. With that said, let's get down to the business of this and find out what the Murano Ti has to offer.

The interior of the Murano is very impressive and spacious. Normally you would expect a decent amount of space in a vehicle when it's an SUV, but this SUV takes it even further giving you a huge amount of room. The dashboard itself is extremely large as well and the divider in the center is pretty thick and defined. All of this combined makes you feel like you are surrounded by a massive amount of space.

The steering wheel, speedometer, and tachometer are very similar to those found in the almighty Nissan 350Z. It all works very well while maintaining a sporty look and feel to it. One very noticeable downfall of the interior is the black and orange screen sitting near the top of the dashboard. When it is in action is only uses 1/5 of the screen! That practically cancels out the need for it and is makes it more of an eye sore than anything else.

Once you get over the size of capacity the Murano offers, you will see a very elegant dark leather interior lining throughout the vehicle. The interior is soft and very comfortable as well. The driver and passenger sears are equipped with two-mode warmers that don't hesitate to do their job once they are turned on. The driver's seat is lucky enough to have height and lumbar adjustment, which can be done by the 8-way power adjustment feature. You can very easily fit up to five adult passengers comfortably with everyone having plenty of leg room.

The rear end of the vehicle was designed to look good, which it does very well, but creates a few blind spots and can be a little difficult to conquer. To counter this though, the Nissan Murano Ti comes equipped with rear parking sensors. Although this doesn't completely get rid of the problem it certainly helps.

As far as storage goes, there are ample amounts of slots to store things in the deep center console without any hassle. Another great feature would have to be the sound system. When you find a car with a BOSE brand stereo system, you are pretty much set to go in the audio department. Not only do you get 6 speakers installed in the dash and throughout the rest of the vehicle, you also get one subwoofer to provide you with top quality tunes even with low frequency sounds.

The Nissan Murano, when viewed from the side, sports 18 inch alloy wheels that really add to the effect of the car. During the night, you can see the Murano's Xenon (HID) headlights which are the standard across the range. These lights produce up to three times the amount of light than that of the regular Halogen headlamps. The exterior of the vehicles appears to be very sturdy and well built. There is no denying that the Murano is a very appealing and attractive looking car. The appearance is a breath of fresh air and offers something new and different. When driving down the road you will notice that people are noticing you. Turning heads and dropping jaws just comes with car.

The engine inside of the Murano Ti mixed with the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) make a great combination and work perfectly in sync together to thrust the vehicle in a somewhat nontraditional SUV way. The CVT delivers ample amounts of power and an eye-catching temperament. Another great feature of the CVT would have to be the sequential shift mode. The driver can move the gear lever in to the left of Drive (D) and begin to manually shift gears, which I thought was a really cool option to have. The Continuously Variable Transmission will then set up six different ratios that the driver has the option to move through at their own pace. In turn, this gives you a nice impression of the regular transmission. The brakes, however, are rather strict and harsh feeling. At the same time though, they do feel a bit springy and could use a little bit of an improvement. The Nissan Murano is available in two different models, which are the ST and Ti. The ST is lower end version and is priced at $49,990, while the Ti is the high end version and is priced at $56,990.

When driving the Nissan Murano Ti you will notice that not only is it different in appearance, but it is unlike anything you have ever driven in the past. The super soft suspension provides a considerable amount of body roll w hen going through turns, but that certainly doesn't taint the vehicle in any way.

Once you take it out for a drive you will not only enjoy the performance and handling, but you will also see that Nissan successfully achieved exactly what they were going for. This SUV has tons of great features, generous amounts of space, on target handling, a refreshingly unique design, and a top of the line engine to top it all off. In my opinion, this is the ultimate package to have when it comes to SUV must haves.

The ST model comes equipped with the following features: Cruise control, climate control air conditioning, electric mirrors, 8 way power adjustable driver seat, Antilock Brake System (ABS) brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution (EDB), power windows, BOSE audio system along with 6 speakers and a subwoofer, Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), 5.8 inch LCD display along with a drive computer, luxury seat trim, 6 disc changing built in CD player, HID Xenon headlamps, driver/passenger SRS airbags, driver/passenger side impacted airbags, front/rear curtain airbabs, and active front headrests. The Murano Ti comes equipped with all of the features found on the ST as well as: Driver/passenger seat heaters, electric glass sunroof, roof racks, and leather seats.

Overall, I can easily say that I was impressed from start to finish with this vehicle. It doesn't matter if you are heading off into the grass or driving down smooth city roads, the Nissan Murano Ti has something to offer any driver out there. If you are thinking about purchasing an SUV anytime soon, then you definitely want to consider taking a look at the Murano. If nothing else, just give it a test drive and form your own opinion. One thing is definite, and that's the fact that there's no way you'll hate it.

In conclusion, the Nissan Murano Ti is definitely a vehicle worth looking at if you are looking to purchase an SUV. All of the features you get definitely make it worth the asking price. If you compare the Murano to any other SUV out there, you most likely won't find many that can give it good competition. The engine is absolutely wonderful and the car handles like a dream. If you don't believe me then head out and go for a test drive it for yourself. You will see that I am not exaggerating anything and that this SUV can handle city roads, gravel roads, and going off road.