The Murano has been on the roads since 2003, and it was Nissan’s first shot at a crossover SUV in the North American market. With so many years on the market, it has gone through its fair share of changes to keep it fresh and appealing. These are some of the best years for a used Nissan Murano.
Key Takeaways:
- Each generation of the Murano comes with a stronger engine than the last one.
- When 2016 comes around, you can look for a hybrid model.
- The second generation fell short when it came to safety ratings, but that doesn’t mean that it was unsafe.
First Generation (2002 - 2008)
When this vehicle was unleashed on the US market, it came with a 3.5L V6 that can produce 245 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque. It came with FWD as standard but did offer AWD. The MPG you can expect from this year is 18 mpg in the city, while you can get 23 mpg on the highway.
The vehicle comes with multiple safety features to help keep you and your passengers safe. It received five stars in all categories aside from rollover, with that one receiving four stars from the NHTSA.
When 2006 came around, the Murano had an available backup camera and a GPS on the color information screen that it comes standard with it.
Second Generation (2009 - 2014)
This generation debuted with three new trims: the S, SL, and LE. The S and SL trims were offered with FWD, while the LE came with intelligent all wheel drive.
The well-equipped LE comes with the best features that you can find, these being double stitched leather seats, power rear liftgate, iPod integration, and a touchscreen navigation system. The LE also comes with a wood tone trim, while the S and SL trims come with aluminum accents.
This generation came with a revised version of the 3.5L VQ engine that can now produce 265 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. The EPA estimates that this engine will get 18 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.
All trim levels see the same safety features, coming with ABS, brake assist, and electronic stability control. This generation saw slightly less reliability when it came to safety standards. Now coming with four stars on the frontal crash test, which was five stars in the last gen.
Third Generation (2015 - 2024)
The third generation of Murano came out with the 3.5L V6 engine that can produce 260 horsepower. For the first year of this generation, the Murano didn't see too many new things, but that changed in 2016.
In 2016, the Murano saw a hybrid join the lineup. This was available on two trims, the SL and Platinum. This came with a 2.5L four cylinder engine, intelligent dual clutch system, and a lithium-ion battery. Despite these electric components, the interior space doesn't get affected.
Some other changes throughout the generation were in 2022, 2023, and 2024. 2022 and 2023 saw new cosmetic changes to the Murano line, with 2022 seeing a new appearance package and 2023 coming with two new paints. In 2024, the base S trim was dropped, making the SV the new entry-level model.
For the 2023 model, Car and Driver was called “handsome” and “comfortable” as well as “nicely equipped”, showing how far the trim has come since 2002.
The Murano is one of the most underrated SUVs on the market, but that shouldn’t mean it goes underappreciated. Come down to Jarrett to see what we have in stock!