Climbing into the Nissan Murano couldn't be easier. The seating position and steering wheel orientation make it feel more like a car than an SUV. Slide into the driver's seat and you'll notice outward visibility is excellent in all directions. This isn't a small vehicle, though, and you can't see the corners of the fenders, so you'll need to be extra careful when parking. The view rearward, however, is not compromised as much as we had expected by the stylishly thick D-pillars.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive, even for people well over six feet tall. Petite drivers are also able to get comfortable, with optional power-adjustable pedals that help ensure a good driving position without getting too close to the steering wheel where the air bag is housed. The overall interior fit and finish are good. Murano's instrument cluster is garnished with genuine brushed aluminum trim that gives it a younger, sportier look. Wood-tone trim is available in the SL, but the aluminum trim seems more appropriate here. The gauges have a classy grayish background with amber backlighting. Steering wheel audio controls are illuminated.
A prominent pod juts from the center of the dash presenting audio and climate controls. A seven-inch color LCD screen enhances usability and access to vehicle information. We aren't in love with the appearance of the pod, but it puts the switches close at hand. The dual-zone, fully automatic climate control is a step above the class, and it features rear air conditioning vents located on the B-pillars, a useful feature for pet owners as well as those who regularly carry rear-seat passengers.
The stereo controls are on the small side, but easy to use once you get the hang of them. The preset buttons, for example, can be programmed to select your favorite stations regardless of whether they are AM or FM; this eliminates the need to press a separate mode button when switching from your favorite FM music station to your favorite AM talk radio station, making life easier and reducing distraction while driving. Controls on the steering wheel allow easy volume adjustments.
Customers can order either XM or Sirius satellite radio as an addition to the Touring package. Though you do have to pay an annual subscription fee, we've found satellite radio to be a nice feature to have in a car, allowing us to listen to 24 hour news stations, such as Fox News and CNN, as well as every imaginable type of music, comedy, and sports; and there's no need to ever switch stations should you decide to drive from, say, Atlanta to Seattle.
The optional navigation system works well and includes a nifty three-dimensional birds-eye view that's sometimes more fun to follow than the flat map.
Useful features make the Murano a satisfying car for day-to-day use. A large center console separates the front seats, enhancing the sports sedan feel of the interior. The center console features a two-tiered lockable storage box with enough room for a laptop computer or a purse, cell phone, sunglasses, coins, cups and bottles. The door pockets flip out for easy access, and there's a hidden storage tray and two bins under the cargo floor. There are also three power outlets: front-passenger footwell, center console and rear.
The cabin is roomy and feels airy. The Murano is a five-seat vehicle with similar interior space as the seven-seat Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.
As a result, the back seat offers limousine legroom. We found that a six-foot, four-inch passenger could cross his legs comfortably in the back seat. The rear seatback easily adjusts for rake by pulling a strap, allowing your back-seat passengers to kick back and enjoy the ride (though they may need help finding the rake adjustment). We found Murano's rear accommodations more comfortable than the second-row seats in many SUVs where passengers sit more upright. The optional DVD rear-seat entertainment system is particularly useful for keeping children occupied.
Cargo space can be increased by flopping the rear seats forward. This can be easily accomplished by pulling on a strap from the rear side doors or by flipping a manual lever accessed from the rear hatch, the latter a clever design that saves you a trip to the side door. Flopping both seatbacks down presents a big cargo area with a nice flat floor. The load floor measures about the same length as the seven-seat Honda Pilot's does. Indeed, with maximum cargo capacity of 81.6 cubic feet, Murano dwarfs nearly all of its five-seat competitors and some of the seven-seat models as well. Even with the back seats in place and five passengers aboard, there's still a substantial 32.6 cubic feet of storage space. The rear seats are split 60/40, so the Murano can carry one or two passengers in back with long items like skis laid flat along the other side. On the downside, at 30.4 inches, the rear load height is a bit higher than the class average, meaning you have to lift things up a little higher when loading cargo. And the bulky cargo cover seems to flap around and take up room. We'd be inclined to remove it and leave it in the garage until trade-in time.
