A new look, new tech, and new powertrain give Nissan’s once aging mid-sizer a new lease on life.
Technically, the Murano is the first crossover from Nissan to reach the United States. Despite that honor, the nameplate hasn’t seen any love from Nissan in over a decade, so don’t worry, you probably aren’t alone if you completely forgot the thing existed in the first place. Perhaps determined to make the Murano memorable again, Nissan moved the newest model markedly upstream. The result is an SUV that is, in the simplest terms, far above average — but be prepared to pay for it.
Steven Paul
Pro #1: Classy new looks
The most obvious upgrade for the new 2025 Nissan Murano is a completely new wardrobe. New, larger wheels, modern lighting signatures, shiny new paint, and oversized badging that’s impossible to miss. You know the drill. The 2025 Nissan Murano also gets pronounced haunches flanking the rear wheels, among other aerodynamic and athletic changes to the once-boring SUV’s proportions. We don’t know how the Murano will age, but today, it looks sleek and modern on the road. And it’s a huge improvement over literally every other Murano before it.
Steven Paul
Pro #2: Slick screen integration and good technology
The cabin of the 2025 Nissan Murano is a great place to spend your time, and we’ll get to that in a second. What is unwaveringly most impressive is how well Nissan integrated the dual-screen display into the interior. No lazy iPad design, no phoned-in “we put a screen on top of the dash, good luck” look. The Nissan’s twin 12.3-inch displays look right at home in the dash, giving the impression that the dashboard was designed around the screen rather than the other way around. A suite of excellent tech, most notably wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a head-up display, and a Bose sound system, amplifies the Murano driving experience.
Pro #3: This is a Nissan with massaging seats
Tech is good, but the Murano goes a step further, also including a frankly dizzying amount of features you probably aren’t accustomed to seeing in a Nissan. Heated, ventilated, and massaging seats join customizable 64-color ambient lighting to cultivate a cabin vibe that isn’t far off from what the Germans are doing. Heated rear seats, manual rear-seat sunshades, a moonroof that stretches almost the entirety of the seating area, and a kick-to-open tailgate instantly made us believers in the new Murano.
Steven Paul
Steven Paul
Pro #4: Decent powertrain — and no CVT!
While the new Nissan Murano ditches the familiar V6 in favor of an engine with two fewer cylinders, there’s little to miss. A turbocharged four-cylinder pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission (no CVT, unlike many other current Nissan products). Our tester had all-wheel drive, too, although front-wheel drive is standard. High-quality paddle shifters flank the steering wheel, which is wrapped in decent-feeling leatherette. While a sports car the Murano is not, the powertrain is worlds better than what was in the last Murano and, in fact, the best we’ve driven in any current Nissan.
Con #1: The 2025 Nissan Murano is a bit expensive
There is a lot to love about the new Murano, but at an as-tested price of $53,525, there had better be. Of course, you can get behind the wheel for significantly less — the model starts at around $42,000 — but the top-trim Platinum AWD is no joke, with pricing directly battling models from true-blue luxury automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Steven Paul
Con #2: Misses details that luxury automakers get right
While the 2025 Nissan Murano may look and act like a real luxury car, there are places where the luster fades just a little bit. The powertrain is good, but occasionally stumbles where that Benz or Bimmer wouldn’t. The ventilated seats are concerningly loud until you realize that’s just how they work. Wind buffeting is more of a concern here than we’d like it to be. These aren’t dealbreakers by any means, but if Nissan wants to ask for the big bucks, the expectations become commensurate.
Steven Paul
Steven Paul
Final thoughts
Our full review, which is coming soon, will further detail a lot of what the new 2025 Nissan Murano does right and wrong. Overall, though, it’s a huge win for Nissan. The Murano is better than it has ever been and deserves serious consideration, even if you normally shop exclusively in the luxury space. We’re certain of that much. The question is whether or not consumers will feel the same.
About the author
Steven Paul
Contributing Writer, Autoblog