In the end, the only review that really matters is your own. This is my own review of the 2003 Nissan Murano.

There is a lot to like in the 2003 Nissan Murano from it's elegant external contours and glass panorama to the grace with which it takes slippery and twisty roads, it's bountiful cargo capacity, plentiful leg room, cushy comfort, modern conveniences, pleasant interior aesthetics and high quality fit and finish.

My previous SUV was a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4WD. The Cherokee did well over 100,000 miles reliably but was getting long in the tooth. And while I love my 350Z, I would rather take an SUV on those long trips through bad weather and even some short ones to keep the miles off of the Z.

I had been watching the Murano since Nissan announced it's intent to produce as I was looking for a replacement for my Cherokee. While at my dealer for a maintenance call with the 350Z a few months back, I had the opportunity to look at several different models and color combinations. My favorite combination for the hot days in Alabama is a white exterior and tan interior but those colors do not look good on all vehicles. Fortunately, this color combination looks good on the Murano. But ultimately, the test drive is what cinched it for me. As soon as I drove one, I knew I would own one. It was just a matter of time. Well that time came, details are on the MY MURANO link above.

The reason I decided on the Murano is because of what it is and what it offers. The Murano is in my opinion the best cross-over SUV on the market. The Murano uses a lot of the same parts as my 350Z, in particular the engine (VQ35DE). This is a powerful 3.5L aluminum V6 but has 42HP less. Presumably due to ECM, exhaust and intake differences because the engines are identical including the molybdenum coated pistons, 10.3:1 compression ratio and continuously variable valve timing. Coupled to that amazing power-plant is another amazing piece of technology, the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The silky smooth and quick acceleration of the Murano sealed it's fate with me when I test drove one at the dealership when I took my Z in.

Given the significant technology in the 350Z and the Murano, the Murano is Nissans entry into the cross-over SUV market. The Murano is definitely on the "Sports Car" side of the crossover, perhaps even station wagon, but not on the "mini-van" side both in appearance and performance. With that said, I believe the Murano has elements of SUV (50%), sports car(30%), station wagon(15%) and mini-van (5 %). The Murano puts me in mind of the AMC Eagle wagon on steroids. It's basically a sporty SUV with station wagon and mini-van elements in the front area. Note, minivan in front area only, certainly not appearance. The Murano has a bubble long sloping front windshield and deep dash. To me, the Murano is the right combination for the SUV crossover market. Other manufacturers cross-over attempts tend to rely too much on the boxy, square-ish mini-van/SUV side and just plain look horrible, ever seen a Pontiac Aztec? And they perform horribly. Check out the Performance page to see how the Murano stacks up against other SUV's.

Nissan designers were given full rein on the Muranos styling. These artists used the concept of "sculpture in motion". The resulting affect with the glass all around the Murano is where it gets it's name. That being the historic glass works in Murano Italy. The exterior is very well done.

Nissan didn't stop with the exterior though, the interior is gorgeous. The interior provides the latest in comfort and convenience with amazing versatility and space in the cargo area while achieving a high degree of aesthetics. In other words, the Murano is as beautiful inside as it is outside, performs very well, and is very functional.

A note about off-roading and the Murano. The Murano is based on a front wheel drive chassis (purportedly shared with the Altima/Maxima but I can't see it) with the resulting transverse engine setup. The Murano All Wheel Drive (AWD) has an electrical unit in the drive line that can vary the amount of torque to the rear wheels. This allows the computer to bias the front to rear torque ratio from 100:0 to 50:50. An AWD lock button sets the split at max 50:50 front to rear torque ratio. In other words, the Murano is primarily a front wheel drive vehicle. The underbody and side body design of the Murano is not designed for serious off-road use. While the Murano may have the power and traction abilities and a 4-wheel independent suspension, the ground clearance and side body design will make the Murano prone to damage from ruts, rocks, and brush. I used to do a bit of serious off-roading in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico and built up a special Ford F150 4WD with Detroit locker on the front axle and limited slip on the rear axle for that purpose. And let me tell you, the mesquite did a number on the Ford even with it's superior ground clearance and under/side body toughness. I haven't off-roaded for 15 years and here in Alabama, off-roading is severely limited. I wanted the AWD for the yearly trek to Ohio and the bad weather that entails along with the occasional secondary road travel. Also, here in Alabama there are a few days every year that we get hit with snow and ice. And since the city/county/state cold weather equipment around here is quite lacking, the AWD comes in handy.

No matter what SUV you off-road with, expect scratches and dings. All brand new SUV's are Urban SUVs. The only truly off-road vehicle is one that you don't care if it gets scratched and dinged. The primary difference between them comes in the under body toughness (skid plates no protrusions or plastic parts etc), suspension and ground clearance. In summary, I think the Murano is too beautiful to take off road.

A word about the handling/performance...outstanding. The Murano has a 60/40 or 57/43 (AWD) front to rear weight ratio which isn't bad since many so called "sports cars" have that balance. It even has a .81g skidpad which is surprising for a 4,000lb. light truck. And it accelerates well and corners better than many SUVs. The suspension is stiff but not too stiff. The ride is surprisingly smooth and it handles road obstacles with ease.

Make & Model	Frontal Star Rating		Side Star Rating		Rollover Resistance Rating
Make & Model	Driver	Passenger	Front Seat	Rear Seat	Rollover Resistance Rating
2003 Nissan Murano 4-DR. 4x4 Sport Utility Vehicle					TBR