2008 Infiniti G Sedan

2008 Infiniti G Sedan

The Nissan Murano is the rarest kind of SUV—it actually looks cool. Regardless of whether it is being driven by a soccer mom or a graphic artist, the Nissan Murano hits all the right visual notes. Best known for its thick C-pillars and shark like chrome nostrils this SUV crossover is nothing if not menacing.

While the rear pillars are stylish they do hurt rear visibility—but who said looking good was free? If you want clear rear vision go out and buy a Nissan Cube. Just don't come crying when all your friends laugh at you for buying such a dorky looking car.

But the Nissan Murano isn't all show and no go. It has one of the world's best six cylinder engines under the hood, a motor it shares with the iconic 350Z. Slightly detuned at 245 horsepower, this torque-rich motor should have all the power that any owner desires. Under hard acceleration, a slightly metallic growl from the engine compartment only adds to the Murano mystique.

While the latest Murano, redesigned for the 2008 model year, features a few more soft touch plastics on the dashboard the styling has lost a bit of its bravura edge. Sort of like the first edition got caught in a microwave, melted and got an unfortunate case of buck-teeth syndrome. So does a used version of the 2002-2007 Murano make sense as a used buy? Does it ever.

An Owner's Experience—Fred Nitney of Tucson, Arizona has owned his first generation Murano since it was new and has covered just over 30,000 miles. He and his wife find that their Murano has just about the perfect combination of style, economy and space. "I really enjoy driving this vehicle," said Fred—a onetime BMW M3 and Alfa Romeo owner. "For us it's perfect because we don't need the extra seats or cargo space of a bigger SUV. There is, however, plenty of room in the back for my golf clubs and groceries and with the rear seats folded down room for all sorts of stuff. And when we go out for dinner we usually only have two other people with us and four can fit very comfortably. The ride is very quiet and smooth, it handles great, gets 20 mpg city, 25 hwy - hard to improve on that with most newer cars."

What other features are Mr. Nitney's favorites? Well, considering that he is nearly as tall as a Redwood tree (6 foot 4 inches), ease of entry and exit is always a consideration. He is also really impressed with how smoothly the CVT (continuously variable transmission) shifts. A continuously variable transmission can shift through an infinite array of gear speeds using a belt or chain as opposed to a normal automatic which has specific fixed gear ratio speeds and metallic gears. This can help to optimize fuel efficiency and acceleration. Nissan currently makes what is considered to be one of the best CVT gearboxes on the market. Some, like those in some GM products, tend to make a "moo-ing" noise under hard acceleration when going up inclines.

"I bought the Murano for the 4 seats and because I could fit comfortably in the driver's seat (I'm 6'4'' so that is always my first consideration) and the visibility benefit of being higher than in a sedan (which are all hard for me to get in and out of). I also liked the rounded look which was new then. I didn't know anything about the CVT at the time but it's great: very quiet and smooth, so smooth that you don't feel any shifting."

Dislikes? Apparently Mr. Nitney has had a recurring issue with his brakes squeaking whenever reversing at low speeds. The dealership has attempted various brake adjustments but has of yet not been able to fix the problem completely. Other than the brake squeak the only mechanical breakdown involved an alternator belt that worked itself loose. Besides that his Murano has been totally reliable.

One of the reasons why the first generation Murano makes such a smart used buy is because the styling still looks fresh—so much so that the upcoming Alfa Romeo Kamal SUV is styled pretty much like a Murano with an Alfa nose. While that fact may force Mr. Nitney to sniff around an Alfa dealer when they finally get around to opening one in the United States, it may keep him from spending the cash on an upgrade.

So now comes the most telling question—would Mr. Nitney buy another Murano? Simply put, "Absolutely." Recommendations come no higher.

What to Look For—Most used Muranos on the market have been bought by private owners and have rarely ever left paved roads. As this is a crossover, Muranos usually aren't bought for serious off-roading even if they come with All-Wheel Drive. Do note that fuel economy ratings are 18 city/ 23 highway regardless of whether or not your Murano has AWD or not. Many owners, like the aforementioned Mr. Nitney, have gotten better gas mileage than the government rankings—a rare occurrence in itself.

If you decide to buy a Certified Pre-owned Murano from a Nissan dealer (these are always more expensive) you are guaranteed a vehicle with a clean title (meaning it hasn't ever been totaled by an insurance company) and that it has passed a 142-point quality inspection. These vehicles are always less than 5 years old and have less than 60,000 miles. Nissan takes care of all service needs and then gives the vehicle an 84 month/100,000 mile warranty. So if you don't like to take chances, this might be a great way to buy your used Murano.

Otherwise, you can find a used Murano at a dealership or take your chances buying from a private party. Most dealerships at least give you a Carfax report so you can be sure your Murano didn't spend a few weeks underwater after Hurricane Katrina. If the Murano you are looking shows any sign of water damage (mold around carpets in the footwell, electrical glitches, the interior reeks of Febreeze) run far, far away! You do not want that kind of trouble.

Prices—As always, prices vary based on condition, mileage and age. This is a very safe SUV crossover as it is based on a car platform—the same as the Infiniti G35—and has a very low center of gravity for the class. It also boasts a five star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Prices are merely examples and are not exact evidence of the price you will pay for a used Murano.

Options include leather seating, satellite radio, DVD rear-seat entertainment for the kiddies, premium package with upgraded audio, towing package, touring package with xenon headlamps, sunroof and chrome wheels. Murano models came in either SE (in later years rebadged just as S) or upgraded SL model designations. As always, the more toys you want the more your used Murano will cost. All Muranos come with the 6 cylinder engine and the CVT standard.

2004 Nissan Murano SL AWD—(51K Miles)—(Certified)--$18,990—leather, sunroof, touring package

2006 Nissan Murano S -(49K Miles)—(Certified)--$20,995—cloth, sunroof

2005 Nissan Murano SL AWD—(34K Miles)—(Certified)--$22,480—leather, sunroof, premium, DVD

2006 Nissan Murano SL AWD—(13K Miles)—(Dealership)--$26,450—leather, sunroof, premium

2005 Nissan Murano SE 2WD—(60K Miles)—(Dealership)--$17,999—cloth, sunroof

2005 Nissan Murano SL AWD—(60K Miles)—(Dealership)--$18,999—leather, sunroof, touring, tow

2004 Nissan Murano SL—(50K Miles)—(private owner)--$16,999—fully loaded with every option

2003 Nissan Murano SE—(75K Miles)—(private owner)--$12,995—customer wheels, loaded

Recalls and Problem Areas—As with most first model years of any new vehicle there were a number of recalls. Here is a list of all recalls affecting all years of the first generation Murano. Make sure that all of these recalls have been taken care of—this is checked easily enough as any Nissan dealer can tell you if they have been done if you give them your Murano's VIN number. (This is located on a sticker on the inside of the driver door, at the base of your windshield on the driver's side, on your vehicle registration paperwork, your proof of insurance—so don't play dumb and say you don't know how to find it.)

Most of these recalls only pertain to the 2003-2004 Muranos but the problems listed in these recalls have been known to pop up on later models as well. Would Honda let that happen? Probably not. Here's a wacky thought for Nissan executives to think about—why don't you fix it right the first time instead of letting head honcho Carlos Ghosn chase fat profit margins? Porsche should have the fattest profit margins in the industry, not you (as was the case in the early part of the new millennium).

(2003-2004) Recalls—03V455000—Engine Cooling—Crank position sensor may cause overheating.

06V048000—Rear Seat Belts—Replace faulty rear seat belt receptors.

06V003000—Fuel System—Dealers install Fuel Tank protectors to keep them from moving when going over sharp bumps, possibly causing a rupture.

09V169000—Engine—Intake air ducts may separate, causing engine sputtering. Updated part.

05V319000—Electrical—A wire inside alternator may break causing failure. Dealer must inspect to check alternator is not a bad unit.

2005 Murano Recall—06V401000—Steering Column Recall—If your key can be turned to "off" while the vehicle is not in park, you need to have steering column interlock system replaced.

Trouble spots? If you ever go to a Jiffy Lube and they use regular automatic transmission fluid (and not the Nissan specific CVT fluid) you can ruin your transmission and Nissan will not cover any repair. Knocking or ticking noises in the engine can be traced to fuel lines and a revised damper line is available to take care of this.

Just as Mr. Nitney reported earlier, the brakes on the Murano have a well known reversing squeak issue. First off the Nissan dealer should replace the front brake pads with updated units and machine the front rotors. That is in addition to the rear brake adjustment. Both of these must be taken care of at the same time to fix the brake squeak. I hope that helps, Mr. Nitney.

Maintenance Costs—Nissan dealers are generally pretty reasonable with maintenance costs (at least in comparison to luxury makers like Mercedes and BMW) and the Murano doesn't really require too much maintenance. Do know that your CVT fluid should never need to be replaced unless the "Check Engine" light illuminates and a dealer tells you it needs flushing. But in actual practice that should never happen. So don't replace it unless you have a problem.

Other than that, service intervals can vary if you have the maintenance indicator function on your Murano but a good rule of thumb is every 6 months or 7500 miles for an oil service, inspection and tire rotation. Prices vary from dealership to dealership and only look into going to an independent shop if your warranty is completely expired. Otherwise, it pays to go to the dealer—if only to have all your records in one place.

Flushes of cooling and brake systems never hurt after 3 years or 30,000 miles especially if you plan on keeping your Murano. Other than that the Murano should be very easy on your wallet as the miles pass.

Competition—If you are looking for a used crossover you have plenty of options. The Toyota Highlander, while boring as a bow-tie convention, is a worthy and reliable workhorse. The Hyundai Santa Fe is an attractive proposition but only makes sense as a new purchase (the 10 year warranty shrinks to 6 years when you buy used). The Honda Pilot is also worth a look but avoid the Mitsubishi Endeavor and VW Touareg as they are not very reliable. If you want something with even a modicum of style, however, the Nissan Murano really is your best choice.

Sources:

Nissanusa.com

Carmax.com

Autotrader.com

Consumerguide.com

Automotive.com