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. 

2007 L.A. Auto Show: 2009 Nissan Murano

• Competes with: Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Looks like: Nissan designers were watching a bit too much "Battlestar Galactica"
• Drivetrain:  265-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with CVT
• Hits dealerships: January 2008

Nissan really surprised people with the original Murano back in 2003. It handled much more like a car than the other midsize SUVs of the day. Now, the company is surprising us again with a radically updated look centered around a futuristic front end. The rest of the exterior design may be more middle-of-the-road, but no one will miss this coming down the street.

The 2009 model looks to be a significant redesign built on a new platform shared with the Altima sedan, with an all-new interior and the solid 3.5-liter V-6 used in many Nissans and Infinitis. The Murano comes in S, SL and LE trim levels and front- and all-wheel drive.

Standard on all trims is keyless ignition, keyless start, stability control, active head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, and both side-impact and side curtain airbags. Prices will be announced closer to the on-sale date, but we expect them to be similar to the current starting price of $27,830.

Related
More from the 2007 LA Auto Show
More Nissan News

Nissan Recalls 80,000 Muranos, Maximas

Nissan has recalled 70,000 Murano SUVs and 10,000 Maxima sedans built between 2004 and 2006 due to a defective ignition key. Only models with — don’t laugh — Nissan’s “intelligent” keys are affected. These vehicles sometimes won’t start properly, or will start just by moving the steering wheel before the ignition is turned on. That probably surprised a Murano owner or two on their way to work. No injuries have been reported and there’s no word on how Nissan will fix the problem. Owners should check with their local dealer to schedule service.   

[Nissan Begins Recalling SUVs Because of Ignition Key Defect, The Detroit News]