It seems like people always forget the Nissan Murano when talking about luxury SUV options, yet the 2025 Murano makeover offers a compelling experience that is attractive, well equipped – and just might save you some money, too. Read the whole review at Headlight.News.
The 2025 model brings the first real makeover of the Nissan Murano in a decade.
When it made its original debut back in 2002 for the 2003 model year, folks couldn’t stop talking about the Nissan Murano. At a time when most utility vehicles still featured classic, squared-off designs, the Nissan offering introduced a sleekly stylish alternative that has influenced industry designs ever since.
Maybe that’s the problem. In recent years Murano has had trouble standing out from the crowd and, considering Nissan’s broader fade into the automotive woodwork, many people seem to have overlooked this stylish and well-quipped option.
With the launch of a complete makeover, however, it’s time to take another look at the unexpected luxury and tech in this often-overlooked crossover. Here’s our review of the 2025 Nissan Murano
Overview
Murano brings a number of welcome updates for 2025.
Nissan has been making the Murano since the 2003 model year, so it’s a mature design that offers a more elegant experience than a “family-oriented” SUV.
The 2025 Nissan Murano is part of a small class of upscale mid-size two-row crossovers, designed to deliver a premium experience at a down-to-earth price. Along with cohorts like the Toyota Venza and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Nissan Murano is designed for comfort, rather than carrying a soccer team.
For the new model-year, Murano gets a welcome makeover, it’s first in a decade. But it is more than just another pretty face. There are some other welcome updates, including the switch to Nissan’s turbo 2.0-liter inline-four gas engine, which replaces the previous V-6. The new engine is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission which is a lot more appropriate in its segment than the old CVT gearbox.
Exterior design
The new Nissan Murano is handsome but could get lost in a crowded market.
After a decade with little change, the 2025 Nissan Murano gets a major redesign, inside and out. But don’t expect to see the sort of groundbreaking styling that made the original 2003 model such a head-turner.
In reality, it’s pretty rare that any of today’s crossover SUVs really stand out from its peers, and that’s pretty much the case with the Murano. It’s a nice-looking SUV, but if we covered the badge, you likely wouldn’t immediately be able to identify the manufacturer.
The redeeming part is, if we did that, you would probably guess the Murano was an Infiniti, Lexus or some other premium brand.
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Interior design
Nissan didn’t try to squeeze a third row into the 2025 Murano.
The reason you want to consider the Murano is the interior – at least if you aren’t planning to carry around a soccer team.
When an automaker builds a midsize SUV, they make a long list of compromises to put three rows of seats in the vehicle. Most of those come in the second row, which becomes tighter than it needs to be. But when the designers don’t have to accommodate a rarely-if-ever-used third row seat, the second row wins big.
That’s the case with the 2025 Murano, and as a result the cabin feels spacious and airy — because it is.
Then, Nissan knows that with the Murano, they can go a little more upscale to appeal to the empty-nesters and Double-Income-No-Kids buyers who are shopping this sub-segment. So you get some great features like heated and ventilated massaging front seats, dual 12.3-inch dash displays, 64-color ambient lighting, head-up display, and more.
Bottom line: The Murano has a really nice and comfortable interior.
Powertrain
Murano’s biggest update for 2025? An entirely new drivetrain.
The Murano is powered by a solid 2.0-liter variable compression turbocharged engine paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. While this might also sound like a trade-off, it’s a big improvement over the old V-6 with its clunky CVT transmission.
This is a variable-compression design which, Nissan has often claimed, can deliver a combination of better power and improved fuel economy. The reality is that the new crossover is rated at 23 mpg, the same as the prior generation. The package is rated at 241 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque, about average for the segment. Expect to hit 60 in just over 7 seconds, a wee bit faster than the outgoing model.
Buyers can choose front-wheel or all-wheel drive. FWD is standard on the base SV, AWD on the SL and Platinum trims. Murano can tow up to 1,500 pounds.
Safety and Technology
Murano gets a much more modern, tech-focused interior for 2025.
The 2025 Murano carries Nissan’s tech-forward safety story. Along with all the usual advanced safety gear you can find on every 2025 vehicle, Murano offers Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist driver assistance system, an available 360-degree surround-view camera system, forward-looking camera for “invisible hood” view, and the color head-up display on higher trims.
Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 includes automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, blind spot and rear cross traffic monitor, reverse automatic braking, and lane departure warning.
On the dash, you’ll find dual 12.3-inch monitors for driver information and infotainment. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone integration are included, along with a full Google setup, including maps. A mobile device charging pad in the center console is standard on all trims.
Driving Impressions
Expect 0-60 times of just over 7 seconds with the 2025 Nissan Murano.
On the road, the 2025 Nissan Murano offers a pleasant luxury ride. It’s not as fast as a Porsche Cayenne, but it’s got decent power.
It’s not a sport SUV like a BMW X5 M, but it handles well and corners flat. Mostly you’ll just enjoy a comfortable, quiet ride in an SUV that makes no compromises to meet the needs of people who aren’t ever going to buy it.
That right there makes the Murano a great choice if you don’t need to ever carry more than five people.
There had been some expectations the new Murano would prove out Nissan’s claims for its variable-compression engine technology. The drivetrain is an improvement, but more to do with the smooth, essentially transparent 9-speed gearbox than any real breakthrough from the new engine.
Wrap Up
Whichever way you look at it, the 2025 Nissan Murano is a step up from the old model.
The base SV trim 2025 Nissan Murano with front-drive is priced at $40,470. The top trim is the Platinum AWD, which has a base price tag of $49,600. All trims have a mandatory $1,390 destination charge, and our test SUV had a bunch of options and accessories that most of us would never buy, although the integrated dash cam is a great value at $365.
So most of us can get the top trim for right around $52,000 instead of the $55,030 sticker price on the test car.
With only a $10,000 price walk, there’s really no reason not to get the top trim, so we recommend the Platinum AWD, or at least the SL AWD starting at $46,650. If you’re looking for that grown-up SUV to celebrate your last kid getting out of college and into their first job, the Nissan Murano is a great choice.
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