Nissan Murano (2026)

Doug DeMuro is impressed by the Murano’s premium cabin and comfortable, well-executed driving experience, but remains skeptical of its purpose. He praises the upscale materials, clever hidden controls, excellent camera system, configurable displays, roomy rear seat, smooth transmission, and standard luxury touches such as massaging seats. However, the turbo four-cylinder feels noisy and strained compared with the outgoing V6, while the two-row format limits practicality and audience appeal. With a 45/100 DougScore, DeMuro considers it a good vehicle in a shrinking segment, but prefers Nissan’s more powerful, three-row Pathfinder and wishes Nissan had revived the Xterra instead.

Savage Geese is cautiously positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano, but the drivetrain seriously undermines it. They praise its distinctive styling, spacious and quiet cabin, comfortable massaging seats, solid controls, and generally effective safety tech, calling it a high-effort near-luxury SUV. However, the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo and nine-speed automatic feel surgy, lugged, noisy, and unpredictable, with mediocre fuel economy; they consider the previous V6/CVT smoother. Standard AWD is also basic versus rivals such as the Acura MDX. Fix the powertrain, and they would recommend it—otherwise, it is merely “almost there.”

The Car Care Nut is impressed by the 2025 Nissan Murano overall, but deeply uneasy about its engine. He praises the quiet, polished cabin, comfortable seats, responsive infotainment, smooth nine-speed automatic, attractive rear design, and thoughtful underbody protection. His main concern is the VC-Turbo’s complexity, unserviceable variable-compression block, loudness, and pronounced vibration at idle, which feel out of place in such a refined SUV. He worries it could become the Murano’s next Achilles’ heel after Nissan’s troubled CVT history. Overall, he sees a comfortable, well-executed vehicle held back by a questionable powertrain choice.

MotorWeek is highly impressed by the 2025 Nissan Murano, praising its luxurious, stylish cabin, exceptionally comfortable seats, smooth nine-speed automatic, and surprisingly strong 7.2-second acceleration. The review appreciates its car-like character and sharp steering, while acknowledging the soft, disconnected ride, noticeable body roll, gentle brake pedal, and tighter rear and cargo space than some rivals. The turbocharged four-cylinder feels less dramatic than the outgoing V6, but added torque and excellent transmission tuning largely compensate. Overall, MotorWeek views the Murano as a refined, premium-feeling crossover that rewards buyers who prioritize comfort over ruggedness or sportiness.

Car Confections is strongly positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano, especially its quiet ride and upscale cabin. They consider the plush seats, massaging functionality, standard AWD, refined suspension, and premium technology compelling reasons to spend more than a Rogue. The review is candid about trade-offs: the turbo four-cylinder is less powerful and less refined than the previous V6, fuel economy has not improved, and rear-seat and cargo space trail much of the class. Overall, they view the Murano as a comfortable, luxury-adjacent SUV whose appeal depends more on serenity and interior ambience than performance or utility.

Zach Pradel is clearly positive on the 2026 Nissan Murano, especially its comfort, ride quality, upscale cabin, and easy-to-use technology. After a week and roughly 1,100 miles in related Nissan testing, he praised the massaging seats, spacious rear accommodations, standard all-wheel drive, physical climate controls, and smooth 9-speed automatic. His main reservation is price: at about $57,000, he prefers the more powerful Mazda CX-70, though the Murano looks compelling against similarly equipped Lexus RX models. Overall, he considers it a comfortable, well-rounded SUV and a sensible purchase, if not an exceptional value.

Tom Swiatek is impressed by the 2026 Nissan Murano overall, but the powertrain keeps it from being excellent. He praises its distinctive styling, upscale cabin, exceptionally comfortable seats, quiet ride, spacious rear seat, and surprisingly capable cornering, calling it close to an entry-level luxury SUV. However, the VC-Turbo engine feels unrefined, suffers from turbo lag and torque dips, and delivers merely average fuel economy despite its complexity. The 9-speed automatic shifts smoothly but hesitates under acceleration, while AWD can briefly allow wheelspin before engaging the rear axle. His verdict is warmly positive, especially for comfort-focused buyers, but conditional on Nissan improving the drivetrain.

Chabby’s Rides is strongly unimpressed with the 2026 Nissan Murano, calling it overpriced and unnecessary. He appreciates its exceptionally soft seats, quiet, comfortable ride, tight handling, upscale cabin, clear technology, standard AWD, and smoother nine-speed automatic, but criticizes the noisy, delayed VC-Turbo powertrain in Sport mode. His central objection is value: a similarly priced Pathfinder offers more space and a V6, while the Honda Passport and Mazda CX-70 seem stronger overall. Despite acknowledging meaningful improvements, he views the Murano as trailing its competitors with little clear place in Nissan’s lineup.

Motormouth is highly impressed by the 2026 Nissan Murano, calling it a convincing premium-mainstream SUV. They praise its strong, smooth turbocharged power, comfortable Zero Gravity seats, quiet cabin, upscale materials, standard dual 12.3-inch displays, and generous equipment. The Murano feels refined enough to challenge the Lexus RX in value and cabin presentation, though its firmer suspension, slight turbo hesitation, mediocre real-world fuel economy, shiny center-console plastics, inexpensive-looking wheels, and optional spare tire temper the enthusiasm. Overall, they view the redesign as excellent value, especially for buyers wanting near-luxury comfort without luxury-brand pricing.

Tom from Vehicle Visionary is highly positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano Platinum, calling it comfortable, enjoyable, and well-rounded. He especially appreciates its upscale cabin, massage seats, ambient lighting, strong technology, quiet ride, easy controls, and standard all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine provides adequate acceleration, though he doesn’t portray the Murano as sporty. His criticisms are practical and minor: no rear-door passive-entry buttons, roof rails, exposed exhaust outlets, adjustable rear-seat recline, or spare tire, plus questionable wheel covers and a wireless charging pad that may let phones slide. Overall, he views its $54,150 price as offering substantial features and comfort.

Bros FOURR Speed is strongly positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano, calling it comfortable, quiet, practical, and easy to drive. The review praises its upscale styling, spacious cabin, ample cargo room, visibility, maneuverability, and smooth highway manners, while finding the turbocharged engine adequately punchy—even somewhat impressive in Sport mode. The Platinum’s technology and premium interior reinforce its luxury-like appeal below luxury-brand pricing. Criticisms are minor but specific: delayed paddle-shifter response, limited physical climate controls, no passenger memory seat, and no rear proximity handles. Overall, it comes across as a well-rounded family SUV with comfort prioritized over sportiness.

Gold Pony is highly positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano, calling it exceptionally comfortable, attractive, refined, and well-equipped. He especially praises the upscale two-tone cabin, Zero Gravity seats, powerful Bose audio, strong 110-foot braking performance, quiet ride, comprehensive safety technology, and newly standard AWD. Acceleration is adequate rather than exciting, while steering feels loose and the paddle shifters seem artificial, almost CVT-like. His main criticism is the turbocharged four-cylinder, which he would replace with a naturally aspirated V6 or hybrid. Overall, he views the Murano as an excellent premium-feeling family SUV with one notable powertrain shortcoming.

Odd Motive Anonymous is genuinely impressed by the 2026 Nissan Murano, especially its exceptionally soft seats, quiet upscale cabin, smooth ride, and effective driver-assistance technology. The sleek design and standard AWD add appeal, while the 2.0-liter turbo feels capable and sounds good, though the GPS-tested 8.25-second 0–60 run is merely adequate. He also flags disappointing cargo space, a low 1,500-pound tow rating, no spare tire, reflective screens, haptic controls, and a slight brake nose-dive. Overall, his enthusiasm is clear, but he recommends test-driving rivals and negotiating aggressively.

Kyle Lindsey is clearly positive about the 2026 Nissan Murano, calling its updates a meaningful improvement in everyday driving. He particularly appreciates the smoother turbocharged engine, quicker nine-speed automatic, composed ride, modern steering, and roughly 23 mpg on regular fuel. His Platinum AWD test reached 60 mph in about seven seconds, suggesting adequate performance without sacrificing refinement. The tone is measured rather than exuberant, and the main caveat is that horsepower falls slightly versus the outgoing V6. Overall, Lindsey views the Murano as more responsive, polished, and practical than before.

Christina Branman is enthusiastic about the 2026 Nissan Murano’s family-friendly redesign. She points to its flat-folding cargo floor, underfloor storage, dual Google-equipped screens, charging options, ProPILOT Assist, and especially comfortable heated, ventilated, massaging front seats. She also appreciates the second row’s roominess, heated seats, sunshades, and child-seat anchors, while welcoming the move away from the CVT to a 241-hp turbocharged engine with available all-wheel drive. Her enthusiasm softens at the Platinum trim’s roughly $53,000 price, which she admits “hurts a bit.”