Nissan of Elk Grove
8590 Laguna Grove Dr.
Elk Grove, CA 95757
- Sales: 916-525-7005
- Service: 916-525-7005
NISSAN MURANO
Pros |
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| The 2009 Murano sits in a crowded crossover SUV segment, but it has no shortage of features that set it apart. The redesign is an effective evolution of the car's popular look, and Nissan's 3.5L V6 is widely regarded as one of the best powerplants in the automotive world. Coupled with the chassis it shares with the Altima, the Murano's car-like reflexes, ample power, creature comforts, and spacious interior make it the ideal candidate for getting people and cargo from Point A to Point B in a comfortable, sporty, entertaining manner. | |
Model Highlights |
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| Following a hiatus in 2008, the 2009 Nissan Murano picks up where the 2007 model left off in terms of offering lots of performance and amenities in a crossover SUV. The Murano returns in three trim levels-S, SL, and LE. The S and SL are available in either front- or all-wheel drive, while the top-of-the-line LE only comes in all-wheel drive. All models are powered by Nissan's ubiquitous and exceptional 24-valve 3.5L V6, which now puts out 265 horsepower and 248 ft-lbs of torque, and all make use of the company's second-generation continuously variable transmission (CVT). Limited slip is optional on FWD models and standard on AWD models. All 2009 Murano models feature a 60/40 split fold-flat rear seat, dual power mirrors, UV-reducing glass, push-button ignition, electroluminescent gauges, dual-zone automatic climate control, one-touch power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, tilt/telescopic steering wheel with cruise control, three handy 12-volt outlets, and a six-disc in-dash AM/FM stereo with MP3 capability. The SL adds fog lights, rear privacy glass, an eight-way power driver's seat, power return rear seatbacks, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. Step up to the top-line LE and you get 20-inch alloy wheels, automatic high-intensity discharge (HID) xenon headlights, dual heated mirrors, a power liftgate, Bluetooth phone system, an information center with a seven-inch screen, a power tilt/telescopic steering column, driver's seat memory, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a retractable cargo cover, four-way power to the passenger's seat, heated leather seats front and rear, wood accents, a Bose stereo system with speed sensitive volume control, and XM satellite radio. Several packages are available on the 2009 Murano. The Premium Package features a Bose stereo, XM satellite radio, a security system, and more, while a Technology Package includes HID headlights, intelligent keyless entry and ignition, and rain-sensing wipers. A leather package, navigation and music package, and a DVD package are also available for about $2,000 each. Standard safety features on all 2009 Muranos include six air bags, traction and dynamic stability control, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. The Murano returns 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway. | |
Model News |
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| The Murano was absent from Nissan's Lineup in 2008, but has returned with an all-new look for 2009. While the overall profile remains more or less the same, all exterior sheetmetal is revamped and furthers the Murano's aggressive, athletic look. Nissan's stalwart 3.5L V6 returns, but power has been upped by 25 horses to 265, while torque is up 4 ft-lbs to 248. The only transmission available is the company's second-generation continuously variable (CVT) unit, which has been tuned to better work in concert with the extra power. Physical dimensions are relatively unchanged over the 2007 model, but interior materials are improved, with a higher quality in both appearance and feel throughout the lineup. Pricing across the model range has increased from roughly $4,000 on the base S to $10,000 on the top-line LE. | |
Value Writeup |
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| Excellent, reliable Nissan 3.5L V6; stylish, aggressive design; sporty and capable handling; luxury in the top-line LE trim. | |
New crash tests of SUVs: Nissan Murano is Top Safety Pick;
3 SUVs are marginal or poor for protection in side crashes
ARLINGTON, VA - The best overall performer in front, side, and rear tests of nine 4-door midsize SUV models is the redesigned 2009 Nissan Murano, which earns the Top Safety Pick award. The tests were recently conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, and Kia Sorento, all 2008 models, are the worst performers in the side test. The Liberty, also sold as the Dodge Nitro, and Wrangler earn the second lowest rating of marginal for protection in side crashes. The Sorento earns the lowest rating of poor.
The Mazda CX-7 and CX-9 as well as the Mitsubishi Endeavor earn good ratings for protection in front and side crashes. All three would have won Top Safety Pick if they had good ratings for protection against neck injury in rear-end crashes. The seat/head restraint combinations in both Mazdas are rated marginal for rear crash protection. The Endeavor's is poor.
Safety of SUVs is improving: In 2001 only half of the midsize models that were tested earned good ratings in the frontal offset test. In the latest evaluations, all but the Hummer H3 do, and it earns an acceptable rating. As manufacturers introduce improved designs, more SUVs are qualifying for Top Safety Pick by earning good ratings in all three tests and having electronic stability control (ESC).
For the 2007 model year, the Institute added ESC as a criterion. It's a control system comprised of sensors and a microcomputer that continuously monitors how well a vehicle responds to a driver's steering input and selectively applies brakes and modulates engine power to keep the vehicle traveling along the path indicated by the steering wheel position. Institute research indicates that ESC reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by 56 percent and fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32 percent. Many single-vehicle crashes involve rolling over, and this feature reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle rollovers by 80 percent (SUVs) and 77 percent (cars).
"Combined with test results released last year, consumers now have 9 midsize, moderately priced SUV models that earn our Top Safety Pick designation," says Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan.
"More good news is that manufacturers have been moving quickly to add safety features like stability control and side airbags to their SUV models," Nolan adds. "All of the SUVs in this group have ESC, and all but the Wrangler have standard side airbags. Increasingly, consumers are getting the latest safety equipment without having to hunt through a list of options."
Murano wins Top Safety Pick designation: The Murano has been redesigned for the 2009 model year and ESC, previously an option, now is standard equipment. This is the only SUV in the group recently tested to earn good ratings in all 3 Institute tests, and it's 1 of only 2 in this group to earn a good rating for protection against whiplash injury in rear-end crashes.
Whiplash usually isn't life-threatening, but it can be debilitating and difficult to recover from. Whiplash is the most serious injury reported in about 2 million insurance claims each year, which cost at least $8.5 billion. Rear impacts are common in everyday commuter traffic. In one urban county in Virginia, 63 percent of daytime crashes on urban interstate highways in 2003 were rear impacts.
"You don't know what kind of crash you're going to get into, so you want a vehicle that affords the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes," Nolan says. "The Murano is the only SUV in the group that does this."
Chest protection isn't up to par in some SUVs: Head protection is important in a side crash, but so is protecting the chest and abdomen. Manufacturers can do this with additional padding in the doors or with separate side airbags that usually deploy from the side of the seat. Unlike most cars that are equipped with side airbags, some of the SUVs in this group with standard curtain airbags lack separate ones to protect the torso. Curtain airbags in the H3, Liberty, and Sorento provided good head protection, but all 3 were downgraded because forces on the driver dummy's metal ribcage indicated that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be possible in a real-world crash of this severity.
"Performance of some of these models in the side test was surprising," Nolan points out. "SUVs should have an inherent advantage in such crashes because drivers and passengers ride higher up than in cars. People often think they're safer in an SUV, but many cars perform much better in our side test than some of the SUVs in this group."
Note: The Jeep Wrangler was tested without its optional combination head and torso side airbags. The Institute's policy is that when airbags are optional, the vehicle is tested without the option. A manufacturer may request a second test with the option if the automaker reimburses the Institute for the cost of the vehicle. In the case of the Wrangler, Chrysler didn't request another test.
"We assume that Chrysler doesn't expect the Wrangler to perform much better, even with the optional airbags," Nolan says.
Hummer isn't good in frontal crash: Nearly every vehicle the Institute tests now earns the top rating of good for frontal crash protection. This wasn't the case for the Hummer H3, which earns an acceptable rating. The H3 is 1 of only 2 midsize SUV designs the Institute has recently tested that doesn't earn a good rating in the frontal test (the other is the Chevrolet TrailBlazer).
In the Institute's test, high forces were recorded on the dummy's lower right leg, indicating the likelihood of injury. Still, forces on the dummy's head and chest were low, and the vehicle's structure held up well.
"Acceptable isn't a bad rating," Nolan explains. "It's just not the best protection that's available. Considering the Hummer's acceptable side rating and poor rating in the rear test, we can see that this SUV hasn't been designed with the state-of-the-art crash protection of many of its competitors."
How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.
Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a similar real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various parts of the body. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.
Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry - the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seats with good or acceptable restraint geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.
3 SUVs are marginal or poor for protection in side crashes
ARLINGTON, VA - The best overall performer in front, side, and rear tests of nine 4-door midsize SUV models is the redesigned 2009 Nissan Murano, which earns the Top Safety Pick award. The tests were recently conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, and Kia Sorento, all 2008 models, are the worst performers in the side test. The Liberty, also sold as the Dodge Nitro, and Wrangler earn the second lowest rating of marginal for protection in side crashes. The Sorento earns the lowest rating of poor.
The Mazda CX-7 and CX-9 as well as the Mitsubishi Endeavor earn good ratings for protection in front and side crashes. All three would have won Top Safety Pick if they had good ratings for protection against neck injury in rear-end crashes. The seat/head restraint combinations in both Mazdas are rated marginal for rear crash protection. The Endeavor's is poor.
Safety of SUVs is improving: In 2001 only half of the midsize models that were tested earned good ratings in the frontal offset test. In the latest evaluations, all but the Hummer H3 do, and it earns an acceptable rating. As manufacturers introduce improved designs, more SUVs are qualifying for Top Safety Pick by earning good ratings in all three tests and having electronic stability control (ESC).
For the 2007 model year, the Institute added ESC as a criterion. It's a control system comprised of sensors and a microcomputer that continuously monitors how well a vehicle responds to a driver's steering input and selectively applies brakes and modulates engine power to keep the vehicle traveling along the path indicated by the steering wheel position. Institute research indicates that ESC reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by 56 percent and fatal multiple-vehicle crashes by 32 percent. Many single-vehicle crashes involve rolling over, and this feature reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle rollovers by 80 percent (SUVs) and 77 percent (cars).
"Combined with test results released last year, consumers now have 9 midsize, moderately priced SUV models that earn our Top Safety Pick designation," says Institute senior vice president Joe Nolan.
"More good news is that manufacturers have been moving quickly to add safety features like stability control and side airbags to their SUV models," Nolan adds. "All of the SUVs in this group have ESC, and all but the Wrangler have standard side airbags. Increasingly, consumers are getting the latest safety equipment without having to hunt through a list of options."
Murano wins Top Safety Pick designation: The Murano has been redesigned for the 2009 model year and ESC, previously an option, now is standard equipment. This is the only SUV in the group recently tested to earn good ratings in all 3 Institute tests, and it's 1 of only 2 in this group to earn a good rating for protection against whiplash injury in rear-end crashes.
Whiplash usually isn't life-threatening, but it can be debilitating and difficult to recover from. Whiplash is the most serious injury reported in about 2 million insurance claims each year, which cost at least $8.5 billion. Rear impacts are common in everyday commuter traffic. In one urban county in Virginia, 63 percent of daytime crashes on urban interstate highways in 2003 were rear impacts.
"You don't know what kind of crash you're going to get into, so you want a vehicle that affords the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes," Nolan says. "The Murano is the only SUV in the group that does this."
Chest protection isn't up to par in some SUVs: Head protection is important in a side crash, but so is protecting the chest and abdomen. Manufacturers can do this with additional padding in the doors or with separate side airbags that usually deploy from the side of the seat. Unlike most cars that are equipped with side airbags, some of the SUVs in this group with standard curtain airbags lack separate ones to protect the torso. Curtain airbags in the H3, Liberty, and Sorento provided good head protection, but all 3 were downgraded because forces on the driver dummy's metal ribcage indicated that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be possible in a real-world crash of this severity.
"Performance of some of these models in the side test was surprising," Nolan points out. "SUVs should have an inherent advantage in such crashes because drivers and passengers ride higher up than in cars. People often think they're safer in an SUV, but many cars perform much better in our side test than some of the SUVs in this group."
Note: The Jeep Wrangler was tested without its optional combination head and torso side airbags. The Institute's policy is that when airbags are optional, the vehicle is tested without the option. A manufacturer may request a second test with the option if the automaker reimburses the Institute for the cost of the vehicle. In the case of the Wrangler, Chrysler didn't request another test.
"We assume that Chrysler doesn't expect the Wrangler to perform much better, even with the optional airbags," Nolan says.
Hummer isn't good in frontal crash: Nearly every vehicle the Institute tests now earns the top rating of good for frontal crash protection. This wasn't the case for the Hummer H3, which earns an acceptable rating. The H3 is 1 of only 2 midsize SUV designs the Institute has recently tested that doesn't earn a good rating in the frontal test (the other is the Chevrolet TrailBlazer).
In the Institute's test, high forces were recorded on the dummy's lower right leg, indicating the likelihood of injury. Still, forces on the dummy's head and chest were low, and the vehicle's structure held up well.
"Acceptable isn't a bad rating," Nolan explains. "It's just not the best protection that's available. Considering the Hummer's acceptable side rating and poor rating in the rear test, we can see that this SUV hasn't been designed with the state-of-the-art crash protection of many of its competitors."
How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.
Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a similar real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various parts of the body. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.
Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry - the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seats with good or acceptable restraint geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.
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