2011 Nissan Murano SV

mantis

Hello all,
I just traded my love Nissan Pathfind 2008 Se in tonight and got a 2011 Murano SV. They don't have the SE package anymore its now called SV. OK cool. I wanted something with better gas mileage and a lower payment a month. I succeeded in both tasks.

No review on the Murano yet as I just got home with it and really haven't dug into it. So far it's really nice and drive beautifully. I'll post pic's and my review this week or weekend.

It's Grey with Black Interior.

cubdog

I love the Murano's look. Enjoy the new ride.

cubdog

brettw22

They even have a convertable Murano, which I have yet to see in person but the idea seems strange......

The Murano is ok, but too soft of edges for my tastes.......

mantis

It takes some getting use to especially coming out of a Pathfinder which is a Mans SUV. I drove it back and forth from work today as well to and from the chinese kitchen. It's comfortable , soft and fluffy. The transmission is a lot to get use to as you don't feel the shift points. The Engine is very quiet compare to the Pathfinder.
So far so good , I haven't really been ready for pic's , it's clean from the dealer but it rains every day now and it's getting dirty quick.
I'm liking the gas mileage so far. I'm averaging over 20mph. Highway I'm around 24 to 26 which is outstanding. The Pathfinder was maxed out 16 around town and about 22 on the highway realistically. It's only a few miles here and there but over a year it's going to add up plus running Regular is going to feel amazing when I fill up for the first time.

del44

My wife drives an 07 and she really loves it. I like the CVT transmission. I know that there were issues with the tranny but Nissan offered a 100,000 or 7 years warranty free of charge. And we've only got 35,000 on it.

mantis

The more I drive it the more I like it. It drives so smooth soft. I tested the handling a bit around some corners and it responds much better then my Pathfinder did. More car like then truck like. I like that.
So far average gas mileage is 23 mpg which is amazing. I got a 100k warranty on the power train so I'm cool if the trans has any issues. I also know everyone at the dealer so I would have heard some feed back if it was still or ever an issue with the newer models. I hope not but I'm gonna ask anyway.

gudnoyez

I like the Murano good choice bought the wife the Nissan Rouge SL last year she loves it. I wanted the Murano she liked the Rouge, who's to argue I saved some coin with The Rouge, enjoy that Murano.

danz1906

Congrats!

mantis

Here's a few Shot's I took yesterday. What I like about the color is it's the same as my1987 Buick Turbo T(Grand National in another color then black)

decal

It takes some getting use to especially coming out of a Pathfinder which is a Mans SUV

A "Man's SUV",please.... Here's a "Man's SUV"!!!!!

mantis

Ok so I have owned it now for 5 days and I have a few impressions of this vehicle.

I'll start with the keyless entry and push button starting as this is the first thing you deal with.
The Keyless entry is fantastic. There is a button on the front 2 door handles as well as under the back lift gate. When you have stuff in your hands , this makes a huge difference not having to reach in your pocket and press the unlock button on the factory remote. It's also nice when you come from the market with a cart full and your able to just reach underneath the lift gate and open it up.
Starting the vehicle takes a little getting use to. You have to put your foot on the brake then press the god damn button. Again no key is required you just leave the remote in your pocket and everything is as it should. I have tried to start the vehicle a few times without pressing the brake , annoying but it was just a learning curve. I'm over that now , I step on the damn Brake.
Now turning the vehicle off you just press the god damn button. Now one thing I don't like which I do a lot is leave the radio on when I turn the vehicle off. You can't do this anymore it powers down the whole damn thing. This sucks **** and should have a press and hold or something to go into accessory mode so the radio can keep playing while you unload or wait for someone to run into a store and you wait in the car. Maybe you can do this somehow I just don't know how.

Next up is the iPhone Connection.
It's in the center console glovebox. USB connection but you have to provide your own cable. No big deal I have several. There is no place in the box to set the iPhone on for safe travel so I have the cable coming out and I rest the iPhone on the center console tray. Now I have this wire which I don't really like. I hate wires running anywhere outside exposed. I'm gonna figure out a way to get it where I put the iPhone hidden . They don't have a wire path out of the center glovebox so I will create my own. Right now the wire gets crushed from the lid. I'm not really cool with that as I'm sure over time the wire will fail.
The connection allows you to listen to your iPod music and control the iPod VIA the on screen display. This is much like the Pioneer Elite interface or any other that does this. However you can't play other music apps which is a disappointment. Nissan you are close to doing great things here but finish the job. Seems like I'm gonna write a letter to Nissan Tech Department for better iPhone Integration. Maybe I'm to picky but in my 2008 Pathfinder , it just had a AUX input and you use the headphone jack out and fully control your iPhone. Play anything you want but no control from the Vehicle. Give and take I guess here. I want my cake to.
Blue Tooth.
Screw the wire , Blue tooth for the phone section is pretty cool with a few hiccups. I believe the iPod section should work over Blue Tooth and then fully wireless would be awesome. Down side would be no charging while driving. Fine I have a iPhone car charger , I can use that. The USB charges the phone which is a cool plus but I never have battery issues , my phone lasts all day and then some into the next but I recharge overnight and alway have plenty of power for the day. The phone you press the talk button on the steering wheel and the vehicle talks to you and asks you a few questions. I'm wondering if there is a way to just allow me to call someone without the Windows like confirms. It's a bit annoying but it's hands free calling and I can't get pulled over due to being on the phone. It also doesn't call the right person every time. I end up using the correction feature to get the right person. Not a big deal but something thats a bit buggy. It's probably more me then the system.

Dash and layout.
It's in great order here , everything is with in reach and logically laid out steering wheel controls exempt volume up and down. On the Pathfinder it was a vertical control , on the Murano it's Horizontal . No big deal for anyone who didn't own 2 other Nissans with it the other way , for me I keep hitting next track instead of volume up or down. I did this the first 2 days and now I'm warming up the the new volume location. Again not even an issue as I just gotta get use to it. I'm fine with it now.
The Tire inflation section I haven't figured out. On the Pathfinder it showed you all 4 tires and what pressure was in each one. Great for when one tire is low and you want to make the correction. I have to figure this out on the Murano.
Gas Mileage is the same , it comes up you can reset it and try to figure out your average MPG. It's fun to try and get the most out of your gallon. I have got up to 39 MPG for a short time down hill not pressing the gas. LOL It would be nice to travel downhill only.
But it calculates your average which I'm strongly at 19.8 which is just a tad over sticker average of 18. I do a mix of highway and light to light so basically 20 MPG is fantastic. My Pathfinder was basically 15 to 17 average mix.

Seating
Super comfy and soft. Super nice I could sleep in the drivers seat with no problem if the wife puts me in the dog house for a night. Full control electric for both front seats. The rear seating has handles in the hatch area for super fast folding down. This is a nice feature if you are about to load something in there. Putting the seats back up is also beautiful and worlds better then the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder was like manual Transformers. If you owned one you know exactly what I'm talking about. They had multi ways of moving around , confusing the first few times you try and use them. Once you figure it out , it's ok but putting them back up sometimes was a challenge due to the head rest rubbed against the front seats and center console. You had to musle the middle seat back up. Sucked.
Cargo area.
It's a bit smaller then the Pathfinder but plenty of room for Groceries, My tools for work and all my mountain bike gear. Plus room for my friends gear when they come on a Bike trip. It even has 2 cool somewhat hidden storage compartments.

Exterior.
It's curvy and a bit sexy , check out the pics. The wife seems to think I'm now showing my age and getting vehicles that are more geared to older people. Coming from BMW and Pathfinder I guess I see what she is saying but this vehicle is more need then want. I much rather ROCK a Nissan GTR but that has no other use to me. If I was single or had 2 of my own vehicles , was making mad money I would own a GTR and a Pathfinder. You can't put a Mountain bike on a GTR let alone 2 or more. Not to mention where would all your gear go? The Murano I'm getting a factory Installed Nissan 2 inch collector Hitch put on Monday , they ordered it for me. I'll be fully able to use the Murano just like the Pathfinder for Mountain bike trips. It seats 4 and my bike rack (Thule) Holds 4 bikes.

On the Road.
It rides like a car more so then a Truck. I like the way it handles. It takes turns much better then the Pathfinder. Nothing like my BMW but a nice medium to a sport ride. The Transmission I'm getting use to but no manual control except low gear. I can't shift myself. The transmission makes all those decisions for me even more so then a typical Auto trans. It's cool you don't feel the shift points. I'm here nor there about that.
It rides smooth and comfortable. As said the seats are excellent and I really enjoy driving it. It's not Linclon , Cadillac , BMW smooth but it's a nice ride. No complaints here.

Summary.
Overall I had to save some cash month to month. This Murano is doing the job just fine. I figured about $104 a month in payment and fuel savings. Actual I'll figure out when I pay a few months gas bills. The monthly payment is lower then the Pathfinder which I love.
Nissan is remaking the Pathfinder for next year. A fully ground up redue. I'm excited to see this as I really love the Pathfinder model. I liked them for the first one and even more since 2005. 2005 was my first pathfinder and it was a huge improvement over the older models. The older ones where as slow as the day is long and the 2005 and above had some balls to them. Pretty damn quick for a SUV of that size. Everything else also was improved as well.

I would strongly recommend the Murano to anyone looking for a fantastic alternative to a truck based SUV. A family of 4 , a Dad who is sporty and does some outdoor stuff. It's much better then the Xterra but not a Pathfinder. It's the happy medium of those 2 platforms. The Xterra is a rough ride and should be sold to people who are always camping , fishing , mountain biking , single , Boating etc. It's a great truck for all that but the Pathfinder destroys it in every way for just a few grand more.

mantis

decal wrote: »

A "Man's SUV",please.... Here's a "Man's SUV"!!!!!

As manly as that is , I wouldn't want it as my daily driver. Not to mention I can't imagine the fuel costs. Huge waste as your not using it for what it has been designed to do. I do however see many good Hunting trips with the boys in it as well as weekend warrior mud of road riding. Looks like a lot of fun.

decal

Huge waste as your not using it for what it has been designed to do

That's fine and dandy because it's not mine, I was just ribbing you on the "Man's SUV" thing.:razz: Anyway, my old bones couldn't take the climbing in and out routine. My friend's wife has a Murano and she loves it, hope you enjoy your's.

Upstatemax

I can't stand a car without keyless entry now... it amazing how fast you get used to it.

Congrats on the new car!

mantis

Upstatemax wrote: »

I can't stand a car without keyless entry now... it amazing how fast you get used to it.

Congrats on the new car!

I can see this. I can't stand giving up any Options after you had them.

gudnoyez

what did they throw in there for the factory Stereo?

dave shepard

mantis wrote: »

Ok so I have owned it now for 5 days and I have a few impressions of this vehicle.

I'll start with the keyless entry and push button starting as this is the first thing you deal with.
The Keyless entry is fantastic. There is a button on the front 2 door handles as well as under the back lift gate. When you have stuff in your hands , this makes a huge difference not having to reach in your pocket and press the unlock button on the factory remote. It's also nice when you come from the market with a cart full and your able to just reach underneath the lift gate and open it up.
Starting the vehicle takes a little getting use to. You have to put your foot on the brake then press the god damn button. Again no key is required you just leave the remote in your pocket and everything is as it should. I have tried to start the vehicle a few times without pressing the brake , annoying but it was just a learning curve. I'm over that now , I step on the damn Brake.
Now turning the vehicle off you just press the god damn button. Now one thing I don't like which I do a lot is leave the radio on when I turn the vehicle off. You can't do this anymore it powers down the whole damn thing. This sucks **** and should have a press and hold or something to go into accessory mode so the radio can keep playing while you unload or wait for someone to run into a store and you wait in the car. Maybe you can do this somehow I just don't know how.

Dan,

I know for a fact on some vehicles you can start the thing with the key just close to the vehicle. At work I have started one after leaving it on the roof and driving it out of the garage to a parking spot. Luckly it did not fall off but quickly thought that if a child was in there and you have it in your pocket and you are outside the car bad things could happen. Try it on yours and see if it can be done and if so keep that in mind because those keys are expensive and so is your Insurance deductible.
Oh ya, Congrats, like the color I'll have to bring Tracy's car over and you can wash, wax and condition the leather for me.

Dave

mantis

Damn I get to clean Tracy's car.I'm going to need it for a weekend then so I can rock it.She can take the Murano. LOL I'm sure she would be cool with that. Ok just bring it over and I'll take care of everything. Might as well bring the truck to and I'll shine that all up. LOL

I keep the remote in my pocket at all times. I'm making it a habit. I'm always aware of where my keys are so this will be no different. I don't foresee any problems.

del44

I also like the little button on the door handle. No need to search for the keys. If yours has the remote start, make sure that your alarm is set to "horn". Because, if you fail to hear the beep when locking with the remote, you may push the lock too many times (3) and your car will start and you may not know it. Do you have the back-up camera?

dave shepard

del44 wrote: »

Do you have the back-up camera?

I just worked on a Maxima (really nice car) and it had a back-up camera with a screen in the dash I have to say it is one of the best I've see yet, large, very clear and wide angle. It also has direction lines that show the path of direction you are going and the lines move with each turn of the steering showing you your change of direction. Really nice.

Dave

mantis

del44 wrote: »

I also like the little button on the door handle. No need to search for the keys. If yours has the remote start, make sure that your alarm is set to "horn". Because, if you fail to hear the beep when locking with the remote, you may push the lock too many times (3) and your car will start and you may not know it. Do you have the back-up camera?

Yes , once you have one it's hard not to get another vehicle with one. My pathfinder had one as well. It's just as Dave Described it , it's clear wide angle and has lines to show you where are are going. It changes as you turn the wheel. It's very useful and you can see in the night time with it.

WilliamM2

mantis wrote: »

Overall I had to save some cash month to month. This Murano is doing the job just fine. I figured about $104 a month in payment and fuel savings. Actual I'll figure out when I pay a few months gas bills. The monthly payment is lower then the Pathfinder which I love.

So you get three more miles to the gallon, and a lower monthly payment, but aren't you paying for an additional three years now? What about insurance? No offense, just find it odd the way people rationalize a new purchase. You would have saved the most keeping the old vehicle, or even the 2005, which would be paid for now. Nissan's last a looong time.