2020 Nissan Murano Platinum

The 2020 Nissan Murano has deluxe exterior design and upscale cabin environment that make it feel more luxurious than most other mid-size crossovers. The Nissan coddles its passengers with comfy seats and entertains them with its cutting-edge features. Unfortunately, the Murano is missing a pulse when it comes to acceleration and driving excitement. Likewise, it has an unrefined powertrain and limited cargo room compared with rivals. Still, it does deliver one of the smoothest rides in this segment. The 2020 Murano has an exciting appearance and contemporary content, but it's not polished or engaging enough to compete with the best in class. For 2020, Nissan makes only minor changes to the Murano lineup. This includes expanding the availability of its suite of safety and driver assists—called Nissan Safety Shield 360—to all models. The Murano SV now has standard adaptive cruise control, heated exterior mirrors, and rear parking sensors. The SL model adds traffic-sign recognition and the Platinum has a new leather-wrapped steering wheel. Super Black joins the list of paint colors. Since the 2020 Murano is one of the older options in this class—and it finished last in a comparison test—we'd avoid the more expensive models. That pushes us toward the Murano SV, which has a nice mix of style and substance at an appropriate price. Its standard highlights include adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, power-adjustable front seats, and remote start. We'd also elect to select the Premium package that adds a panoramic sunroof, 360-degree camera system, leather seats with heated front seats, and more. Those who want an all-wheel drive can add it for an extra $1600. The Murano's cabin is among the nicest, most well-equipped interiors in this comparison and outluxes most of the other Nissan products. Our Platinum test vehicle wore soft leather on the seats, door panels, and armrests, with a sweeping dashboard design divided by a band of dark teak-wood trim. Both front-seat occupants should easily find a pleasant seating position in the heavily cushioned chairs. Rear-seat passengers are treated to a comfortable, reclining bench seat with plentiful padding. Since the Murano's cargo bay is below average in size for this class, it comes as no surprise that behind its rear seat we managed to fit only nine of our carry-on suitcases while other rivals held more. However, with its rear seat stowed, the Murano out-hauled the Jeep Grand Cherokee and we fit 26 cases inside the cabin. Most of the interior-storage cubby bins are adequately sized except for the Murano's glovebox, which is huge. Under the hood of all Murano models is a 3.5-liter V-6 making 260 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive can be added to any trim, and both setups utilize a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The last Murano we tested had a decent performance on our test track and delivered peppy performance around town. Bury your foot in the throttle—an exercise few Murano buyers will do frequently—and the CVT spikes the engine revs and holds them there, resulting in a loud, droning growl from under the hood. The Murano is in its element on long-distance highway jaunts, where the powertrain fades into the background and delivers a peaceful journey. With a suspension tuned for comfort, the Murano makes easy work of road trips, and its suspension damps out even the roughest of potholes to deliver a smooth ride. Encounter a twisty road and the Murano will safely deliver you to the next intersection, but it won't entertain you along the way. The steering delivers good highway stability but is dull and uncommunicative on meandering two-lanes. The Murano offers a low tow rating of 1500 pounds.