2005 Nissan Murano

Ten years ago what we now call crossover vehicles didn't exist even in the minds of the most visionary crystal-ball gazers, and now they're springing up like green grass on a ball field in May. If you're looking for something that drives like a sedan but can haul a little more if needed and, if equipped with all-wheel drive, deal with bad weather and slick roads, this might be the vehicle for you.

The Murano makes an unmistakable visual statement with an interior that is as striking as the exterior.

One characteristic of the crossover category is that style takes precedence over spaciousness and versatility. The Murano makes an unmistakable visual statement, with curvy forms from front to back, windows that sweep up and around and over, and big tires and wheels highlighted by prominent fender arches. It's a shape about which you are unlikely to feel ambivalent, and if you use it as a bank robbery getaway car there probably isn't a potential eyewitness on the planet who won't quickly pick it out of an automotive lineup.


The Murano's interior is as visually striking as the exterior. The instrumentation is in a pod, with an unusual yellowish-gold cast to the instrument faces. All the expected creature comfort controls are arranged down the center. The rear seats recline and easily flip forward to give a "near-flat" load surface to expand the cargo capacity.

More performance-oriented than most SUVs the Murano's suspension is tuned to the sporty side of comfortable.

The 3.5-liter dohc V6, making 245 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque, cranks out more than merely spirited performance. Backing up the engine is a continuously variable transmission, called Xtronic CVT. What engineers love about a CVT is that it can provide "stepless" shifting in one continuously changing "ratio" sequence; theoretically, this keeps the engine always working at its optimum and delivers absolutely seamless shifting. In practice, the Xtronic's shifting is as buttery smooth as imaginable, but it's not truly stepless. Instead, it shifts from spot to spot on its infinitely-variable curve, stopping along the way at individual "ratios," and while doing so feels like the smoothest automatic ever. It also features a manual override, so the driver can pick, choose and hold a desired "gear" for an extended time. In this manual mode, the Xtronic offers six "ratios," yet always returns to "first gear" as the vehicle rolls to a stop.


The fully independent suspension utilizes struts in front and a multi-link layout in the rear, with anti-roll bars at both ends. Braking is by four-wheel vented discs with ABS and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) as standard equipment; the EBD more optimally distributes braking forces front-to-rear under varying conditions or load, and thus provides more controlled stops.