Nissan Murano: advantages and disadvantages

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Japanese cars are traditionally held in high esteem. They are almost the standard of reliability. Of course, it took decades for automakers from the Land of the Rising Sun to earn such a status. But now there is an opinion that all car manufacturers deliberately reduce the quality of their products in order to lure additional money out of the pocket of car owners to eliminate breakdowns that will occur during the operation of the equipment. I do not want to believe in it. Are Japanese manufacturers really ready to undermine their authority for the sake of extra money? Consider the situation on the example of Nissan Murano.

History of Creation

The car belongs to the class of mid-size crossovers. The model was developed by the Nissan division from California (despite the Japanese origin of the brand). Why did this happen? More on this later. Murano is the name of an Italian island.

First Generation

Nissan Murano was first shown in 2002. Initially, the model was created for sale exclusively in North America. That same car had a solid 3.5-liter engine under the hood, which produced no less solid power figures - 245 hp. This is quite a typical engine for a real American car enthusiast. A CVT variator was offered as a transmission.

For the US market Nissan Murano was a discovery, until 2007 it was the only crossover overseas from Nissan. The glory of the model made noise in the Old World. To which the company responded quite adequately. Sales of the Nissan Murano in Europe began in 2004. It turns out that among the Europeans there were connoisseurs of great power with medium size. The engine was exactly the same as for the US market.

In the same year, the model began to be sold in the brand's homeland (Japan). For the Japanese market, the same 3.5-liter engine was available, as well as another 2.5-liter engine. In 2005, the model underwent a slight restyling, the most noticeable change is the optics, there were also minor improvements to the exterior of the car, the car's configuration changed.

The second generation of "Murano"

In 2007, the Nissan Murano II was presented at the US Auto Show. At the show, the model was actively discussed by all automotive experts. Sales started the following year, in 2008. The model marking from the manufacturer is Nissan Murano II Z51. The model had similarities with the first generation, but still it was a different car that corresponded to the fashion trends of the automotive industry of those years. Inside the car was different, the resemblance to the previous version was almost invisible. A notable feature is that materials of higher quality were used for the second-generation cabin than on cars of previous years.

Engines have not changed much. The power of the same 3.5-liter engine has grown. Now it has already amounted to 265 hp, the Nissan Murano variator on the first generation showed its best side, so the manufacturer decided to leave it unchanged. As an alternative, a 6-speed torque converter automatic was added to it.

Murano CrossCabriolet

In 2010, the company showed the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. The car was standard, differed only in the body. The model did not make a splash, and in 2014 Nissan curtailed its production. The explanation was quite predictable - poor sales.

Third generation

The presentation took place in 2014. Nissan Murano has received a daring appearance and an interior that is simply striking in its modernity. In the same year, sales of the car began. The model has been officially sold in Russia since 2016, but now it is a Russian-assembled Murano.

This Murano is innovative in every way. Its body is covered with special paint. The peculiarity of the paint is that itable to regenerate. If you have shallow scratches on the body, then they will heal under the influence of sunlight, the body will again become perfect. The resource of this interesting feature of the paint is not unlimited, but for 3-5 years you can safely forget about polishing.

The model is supplied to the Russian market with a 3.5 liter petrol engine. This is a reliable aluminum "six". It is worth noting the responsiveness of the manufacturer. The first generation of Nissan Murano was very popular in Russia, the second generation of Nissan Murano Z51 was not so well bought in our country.

The reason for the decline in sales of the second generation is the increased power of the power unit. If 15-17 thousand rubles of transport tax is still acceptable for a powerful fast car, then paying about 40 thousand taxes is already too much, and in fact, an increase of 20 horses on the second generation was not particularly felt.

In the third version of Murano, the management of Nissan, as they say, held back their horses. Now the engine of 3.5 liters according to the passport produces 249 hp, this is exactly what is ideal for our market. The car can be front-wheel drive, or it can be supplied with all-wheel drive. Four configurations are offered. The top-end version will cost the buyer almost 3 million rubles, and the most "naked" version will be 500 thousand cheaper.

Customer Reviews

The performance of the Nissan Murano is impressive. The manufacturer managed to maintain and improve them from the first generation to the current one.versions. In the eyes of car enthusiasts, the 3.5-liter Nissan Murano is a powerful, daring car that comes at a cost to its owner.

Contrary to the opinion about the reliability of Japanese cars left far behind, the Nissan Murano in all three generations turned out to be reliable and without obvious weaknesses. Only the interior of the first generation car, which was rich in "crickets", was subject to criticism, but do not forget that the model was positioned for the American market, and they do not look at such trifles there. They value cars for power. With the same indicator, our hero is in perfect order.

But let's get back to the question of the high cost of maintaining "Murano". Expensive goes to "feed" the car. Powerful large-displacement engine "does not diet and eats notably." According to the passport, the consumption is about 10 liters in the combined cycle, but in reality everything is different. Some fans of "light up" in the city see on their on-board computer numbers three times higher than those stated by the manufacturer. And to be a "vegetable" in the rightmost row, when you have such a "beast" under the hood, there is no desire on this car. This car is bought by those who want to drive with aggression, but these people know what they are getting into, they are not at all surprised by the fuel consumption figures.

There are opinions of buyers who are not too flattering about the quality of iron. According to them, the first generation of a car should already be bought with great care, because some of the cars require not only painting, but largerworks on removal of corrosion and restoration of metal. If there are such reviews, then this fact takes place. But is there anyone who has seen a rusty Murano with rotten sills? It seems that these are single specimens that have seen the most caustic reagents from the winter roads of Russia and which their owners did not follow at all. If the owner does not follow the car, then it still has a lot of problems, and not just a corrosive body. But this does not mean that the car model is bad, but rather indicates that the owner of the car is completely useless.

Who is this car for

"Nissan Murano" in Russia is mainly preferred by we althy young people. The design of the car is very youthful. The power of this car does not hold. Of course, young and hot people want a car with a lower ground clearance, but sports cars are clearly not for our roads, especially not for the provinces.

Meet on the "Murano" and older people, but obviously they are still young at heart. Those who do not want enthusiasm and excitement on the road take Pathfinder, Qashqai or X-Trail. It also needs to be acknowledged that the Nissan Murano is the closest Nissan ever comes to the luxury Infinity division from the same manufacturer.

Result

Is it worth paying 3 million for a midsize crossover? Not unless you're a Murano connoisseur. Yes, if you have owned this car before. It doesn't matter what generation it is, the important thing is that if you had it, then you know that it is worth any money.

This is a cheeky car that looks slower than it isin fact. If you like to collect eyes and be the center of attention, then with Murano you have it. You will be almost a star on the road, you will be the envy of those who, for family reasons or other reasons, cannot afford such a powerful beast. Just get ready to answer ten times a day questions from others regarding the fuel consumption of your car.