First Drive Review: 2025 Nissan Murano

America’s been waiting most of a decade for a new Nissan Murano. The reasonably popular two-row SUV designed for empty nesters has been completely redesigned for the 2025 model year with a design that puts a fresh Nissan face forward and new, elegant cabin design.

The automaker invited Newsweek to be among the first in the country to test drive the new sport utility vehicle (SUV) during a day-long event in Franklin, Tennessee. This was the day after driving the new Nissan Armada and I was immediately struck by how different the models were, not just in size, but also in styling inside and out.

For a while now Nissans have been known for having similar front ends and interior bits and bobs from the company’s parts bin. It’s a criticism that echoes Chevrolet SUVs. With the new Nissan Kicks and the revamped Armada and Murano, this design philosophy has changed. Each has their own identity.

Murano’s exterior is more like the Chevy Equinox, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Hyundai Kona than the Nissan Rogue or Pathfinder. Sleek headlights blend into the grille that blends into the sleek, bean-like shape of the rest of the Murano.

Its cabin pulls cues from the Ariya, with similar capacitive touch buttons for climate control functions and natural materials that flow across the dashboard. They work with an easy touch but finding the right place to put a finger while on the road isn’t as easy as it could be.

A deep center console allows for a good amount of storage.Instead of a stick, rotary, or column-mounted wand shifter, Nissan has opted for buttons that are housed within the console. More than two weeks after driving the SUV, I’m still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about that. When I had to hustle a three-point turn, the buttons sometimes took more than one “punch” to change to reverse or drive. The drive mode selector is there too.

Nissan’s driver information screen and infotainment touch screen, both measuring 12.3 inches, are smartly housed under a continuous frame and sit above the SUV’s minimalist steering wheel. Their design helps the cabin look bigger.

Even without the illusion, the cabin is good and spacious. Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats up front make the area a pleasant place to spend a day. Freshly designed rear seats offer higher-class accommodation and comfort than what is usually given to backseat passengers.

Where the Armada’s heated front seats excel, the Murano’s fail. There were several times throughout the day when I changed the setting hoping to feel something, anything. It never got toasty enough to supplement the HVAC system even through I was only wearing jeans and a light sweater.

The Murano’s other big failure is its engine. Nissan’s given the SUV its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that delivers 241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That’s more torque than the outgoing Murano, which would help it get off the line faster if the car’s power plant would reach fast enough.

I don’t think the nine-speed automatic transmission is to blame here, but rather the inexcusable lack of responsiveness has the engine as the culprit. I’ve experienced similar in the same-equipped Rogue.

Once going, the engine is great. There’s always plenty of power and you can feel the boost kick in when asked while already on the road. But, because of that initial lack of oomph, I had to choose when to pull away from a stop sign more carefully and tried to glide toward red lights hoping that I could meet them as they turned green, just like I do when I drive a manual.

The Murano glides down the road easily. Its cabin is relatively quiet, helped during the test drive by Williamson County’s well-kept roads. Forward sight lines are better in this Murano than the last, thank goodness.

Some body lean and lack of steering connectivity means that the car is best as a comfortable cruiser and errand runner. That’s fine, as it’s what most empty nesters will use it for.

Reversing into a parking spot at Hank’s Coffee Station was a breeze thanks to multiple camera angles available to view. I highly recommend you try their gingerbread cupcake the next time you’re in town.

The Murano faces competition from the Chevrolet Blazer, Toyota Crown Signia and Mazda CX-70, among others. There’s certainly highs among the bunch with the Blazer offering a strong V6 engine, the Crown Signia being more a wagon-like hybrid and the CX-70 offering ample cargo space. Murano is close competitor with each one.

All of them run in the same $40,00-$50,000-ish price range with the 2025 Murano starting at $40,470 before the destination and delivery charge is tacked on. Like Armada, Murano doesn’t best the competition, but it does compete nicely, offering shoppers plenty of reason to cross-shop.