{"id":34662,"date":"2025-06-19T08:53:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34662"},"modified":"2025-06-19T08:53:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:53:33","slug":"payne-struttin-down-the-runway-in-the-stylish-nissan-murano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/payne-struttin-down-the-runway-in-the-stylish-nissan-murano","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Struttin’ down the runway in the stylish, Nissan Murano"},"content":{"rendered":"

Farmington Hills<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 You don\u2019t so much drive the Nissan Murano as wear it. It\u2019s a fashion statement.<\/p>\n

Even coated in salt from a days\u2019 drive across Metro Detroit\u2019s wintry tundra, my Aurora Blue Pearl Metallic Murano looked ready for the Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview. Bezeled silver roofline like a Saarinen arch, muscular hips, slim front light signature over a lit lower grille (a touch of Ferrari Purosangue there?).<\/p>\n

The Nissan Murano is lovely. Always has been. Since it strutted down the runaway as the first midsized crossover in 2003, it has put the \u201csport\u201d in sport utility vehicles. Elegant lines, lush grilles, high-tech interiors, albino seats you want to lick they\u2019re so sweet.<\/p>\n

Now in its fourth generation, the 2025 Murano is once again on the cutting edge of fashion, for good and ill.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The 2025 Nissan Murano offers all-wheel-drive for snowy Michigan winters.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

For good, it has lost its voluptuous Rubenesque figure from the 2010s and emerged from the gym with a more svelte, athletic torso for the \u201820s. Cars are fashion, and this is the era of sleek iPhones and Teslas. So, too, the interior, which ditches the ol\u2019 vertical lines for lean, horizontal lines accented with high-tech screens and haptic touch controls.<\/p>\n

For ill? Murano has conformed to the same common turbo-4 engine found in every other bot these days, from the Nissan Rogue SUV to the Hyundai Tucson to the Chevy Traverse. Sigh. Government emissions regulations force uniformity, and that works against elegant non-conformists like the Murano, which used to belt out healthy V-6 exhaust tunes.<\/p>\n

As we danced across Huron River Parkway, I buried the throttle and … oh. like watching Beyonce leaning into a chorus and Rosanne Barr\u2019s voice coming out.<\/p>\n

The Ariya, Murano\u2019s fetching electric sister, boasts smooth torque that better complements its similarly exotic wardrobe \u2014 right down to the same twin screens and haptic wood dash accents. But that comfort becomes discomfort on a cold Michigan day, where 305-mile range drops 30% and the 270-mile trip to Nub\u2019s Nob suddenly looks challenging.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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The 2025 Nissan Murano is all-new and brings its usual style along with a suite of clever tech.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

With 505 miles of gas range, the 27 mpg highway Murano is the safer date.<\/p>\n

While I bemoan the absence of the optional 260-horse V-6, the 241-horse turbo-4 pairs with a smooth nine-speed transmission instead of the coarse, continuously-variable V-6 tranny of yore.<\/p>\n

Speaking of yore, many Nissan shoppers will be empty nesters looking to downsize after years carting kiddies in a three-row Pathfinder or Armada. Murano is just the ticket. As is the subcompact Kicks, another stylish turbo-4 entry that is new for \u201925. Proving style doesn\u2019t sacrifice quality, both led their segments in J.D. Power\u2019s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, which tracked reliability over three years of ownership.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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The 2025 Nissan Murano offers tutorials on how to use tech like the Invisible Hood that lets you see your front wheels for turning in tight spots.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

Both SUVs boast big backseats for leggy friends, but the Murano bring more sophistication for its higher price. The interior is a great place to spend time.<\/p>\n

Start with \u201cZero Gravity” seats, which you\u2019ll want to rip out of the car and use in your living room they are so comfy. The leather-wrapped console is easy on the eyes \u2014 and my knobby knees that rested against the console for miles.<\/p>\n