2020 Nissan Murano SV FWD

Even though Nissan is offering Murano in four well equipped grade levels (S, SV SL, and Premium), for the money, I like the SV.

The new Murano is a third-generation vehicle that had undergone a comprehensive refresh for the 2019 model year which made improvements to both the interior and the exterior.

Nissan Safety Shield 360 is a suite of six advanced safety and drive assist technologies that includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist, and Rear Automatic Braking.

My Murano also included Intelligent Lane Intervention and Traffic Sign Recognition. Some schools opened this week in Texas, so this last feature has already come in handy for me.

Murano is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine pushing up to 260 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque through the advanced XTRONIC CVT. This powertrain achieves 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for a 23 mpg combined average. My week of driving netted me 26 mpg.

Two features that were impressive to me are offered on all models. They were Rear Door Alert System and Intelligent Driver Alertness. The latter learns each individual driver’s steering patterns and helps to alert the driver when drowsy driving is detected.

Those two features complement other available features like Intelligent Around View Monitor and the 11-speaker Bose Premium Audio System.

I couldn’t help but marvel at how many useful and safety features came with a car that cost less than $34,000.

The front seat interior looked more like a lounge than a regular car. Advanced “Zero Gravity” front and outboard rear seating make for a comfortable and spacious cabin with plenty of passenger room in the SUV. It has a coupe-like appeal, making it even more pleasurable to drive. Murano is truly a comfortable 5-passenger vehicle.

The oversized Power Panoramic Moonroof and NissanConnect infotainment system do their best to prolong your stay. The infotainment system features and 8-inch color display with touch control, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. On the two higher models, namely SL and Platinum, you get Nissan Door to Door Navigation.

Door to Door Navigation is a deep integration of your smartphone with the car’s navigation system. The highlight feature is to always have navigation functions on you, even away from the vehicle. You can pre-plan your route on the phone, and when you get into the car it will be seamlessly transferred to its nav system. Even after you park your car, the phone can guide you to the final destination. Another key function is Premium Traffic, which uses real time data to change routing and estimates.

In the NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, Murano received five stars in frontal crash for driver and passenger, five stars for side crash both passenger and driver, and four stars for rollover.

Warranty
3-year/36,000-mile Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty
5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Warranty
3-year/36,000-mile Roadside Assistance

Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this newspaper or [email protected].