Up Close With the 2009 Nissan Murano

Do the wild looks of the Murano hold up in person?

• I'm glad to see Nissan recant the original Murano's quasi-experimental dashboard for something more old-school. Quality is everywhere: Soft-touch panels overlap each other with nary a gap in between, and the center controls look like the ones in the Infiniti G35. Very impressive. The leather upholstery feels like an Infiniti's, too, which will probably irk your neighbor who spent thousands more on his EX35.
  
  If the Murano has flaws, they have to do with the way things work, not how they look or feel. The massive glove compartment opens on the passenger's shins, like the glove box in the smaller Nissan Rogue. The power-raising rear seats are a nice touch, but there's no one-touch functionality so you have to hold down the switch while they ... slowly ... motor upward. And on a quirkier note, the wipers are three different lengths — the left-front is longer than the right-front, which is longer than the rear-window wiper. No doubt when the blades wear out you'll need to buy specialized (read: expensive) replacements at a Nissan dealership. — Kelsey Mays, 4:50 p.m. 

• The grille is a lot less odd in person than in the press photos I saw earlier today. I’d almost say the new Murano will blend in pretty easily at the local mall. What buyers will definitely be drawn to is a really upscale interior; easy flip-down, motor-up rear seats; and a bigger engine. I really couldn’t find much fault with it. I even liked the intricately painted gauges. — David Thomas, 3:23 p.m.

Related
2007 L.A. Auto Show: 2009 Nissan Murano

Comments

[RaslDasl]

Isn't the wiper thing pretty common these days? Last time I bought replacement wipers they were available individually (rather than in pairs) for just this reason.

[Brent]

Rasl - my thought exactly. That seems like a comment from somebody who hasn't purchased their own windshield wipers in a long time.

[Bruce]

Geez, who would buy a new car and factor in the cost of replacing the wiper blades.

[Auto Parts Car Parts]

The new Nissan Murano looks nice! How much does it cost anyway?

[tim]

If this was a Ford, everyone would be screaming about the cheesy silver accents and ugly center controls.

[Kelsey M]

I learn something new every day. Thanks for the tip guys -- I measured a few wipers on the auto show floor, and sure enough, the majority are unequal-length. Figures I'd pay $10 for an identical pair for my 13-year-old Toyota just a few months ago...

[Matt]

I definitely think the Murano looks pretty good. Whenever I see it on the road i get it confused with a Lexus suv! It does look a lot like its little cousin the Rogue. I can never tell which is in this commercial: http://youtube.com/watch?v=o5PgHAHAoRw