2025 Nissan Murano First Drive Review: Easy Does It

It’s happened, it’s really happened: Nissan has updated the Murano for 2025.

After roughly a decade of the current model, it’s safe to say there are a lot of questions floating around this fourth-generation model. Chief amongst them are “what took so long” and also “why does it look like the love child of a Kicks and Ferrari Daytona?” Perhaps more pressing: “why should we care?”

Nissan is reframing its middle-child mid-sizer, moving the Murano away from its sporty roots and towards a calmer, more upmarket experience. On the basis of this first impression outside Franklin, TN, Murano 4.0 certainly calls into question the existence of the similar Infiniti QX50, but has a hard time truly differentiating itself from the rest of this niche segment.

What’s New for 2025:

Everything inside and out but not always underneath. While it looks radically different and ditches the V6/CVT combo it has featured for 30 years, the ’25 Murano rides on an evolution of the previous model’s platform. This gives it the same 111.2-inch (2,824-millimeter) wheelbase as before, though width is up over 2.5 inches (64 mm) to 78.0 inches (1,981 mm). Overall length is up a smidge too, even though the new model doesn’t look as big.

So what is under the hood? Nissan’s variable-compression 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. For the first time for the brand, it is now paired to the nine-speed automatic that’s been slowly replacing the CVT in models like the Pathfinder and Infiniti QX60, the latter of which also switches to the turbo-four for ’25. Here the important figures are 241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque: essentially horsepower and torque figures have swapped compared to the V6. In America, front drive is standard on the base SV trim with AWD optional; the SL and Platinum are available only with the latter. In Canada, it’s AWD all the time.

Exterior Style:

High style has been the Murano’s calling card since it rolled onto the scene in 2003, ushering in an era of big wheels and swoopy styling. This new model adopts a simpler, cleaner aesthetic that borrows heavily from the all-electric Ariya. The Murano evolves the Juke’s stacked-lighting look by placing the top lights within a full-width trim piece, with more than a hint of old (and new) Ferrari. Strong shoulders and an unbroken arc of chrome—the only bit of it on the exterior, badging aside—define the profile, which manages to make the new model look lower to the ground than the old.

Around back, a full-width taillight design features plenty of LED elements that change in brightness based on viewing angle. Only the Platinum trim was available for test, riding on intricate 21-inch alloy wheels.

Styling is always subjective of course, but for me this has less shock factor than previous Muranos. It’s very handsome and the Aurora Blue paint is a great hue, but the design pulls from a lot of current trends. It’s hard to remember since it was so long ago, but the existing Murano—and the previous ones—looked like nothing else when it launched.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

Nissan’s trusty V6 had its fans, but this new powertrain should win many of them over. The turbo engine is torquey and quiet, making for smooth progress aligned with the Murano’s more relaxed personality. Around town, it is well-mannered and predictable. Highway merging is a no-muss, no-fuss affair.

On the twistier roads outside of Franklin, the nine-speed does exhibit odd behavior. A quick stab of the throttle will see it slowly downshifting—my foot was already off the pedal—and then holding at 5,000 rpm for five seconds, like it badly wants to be the CVT of old. Now this could be due to a few reasons: the pre-production status of the units at the event or the relative lack of mileage meaning the transmission still needs to “learn.” Either way, it was disconcerting, so we’ll need to see how it performs on home turf in the new year.

Fuel economy is slightly better than the outgoing model. No matter how many driven wheels we’re talking, the Murano scores 23 mpg city, 24 mpg, and 23 combined. Canadian figures are 10.6/8.6/9.7 L/100 km, respectively.

Handling and Drivability:

To simplify, the Murano drives like a slightly larger, quieter, quicker Rogue. The added length disappears on the road, making the Murano easy to place and navigate along some surprisingly narrow bits of the route.

It’s not interesting nor exciting, however. The Murano just sort of exists, easing into and out of corners with no feedback of any sort. The steering is smooth and consistent but feel-free. I’m sure some folks will want this, because it aligns with the sanctuary-on-wheels messaging Nissan is pushing for the new Murano, but a little more weight to lean on wouldn’t hurt.

There are selectable drive modes but don’t bother. Sport only exacerbates the transmission’s high-rev tendencies, at which point the peace is disturbed. Eco does calm things down nicely but requires serious throttle application to wake up for highway merges.

Ride Quality and Comfort:

So it’s not sporty anymore—then does it pamper? Sometimes. Nissan has improved NVH at the spots drivers will notice, such as shifting the side mirrors down to the doors. This is a well-insulated cabin that keeps most road and wind noise at bay.

The ride isn’t exceptionally smooth however. Those big wheels carry with them a lot of unsprung weight, and that translates to a busy ride when encountering anything other than smooth roads. You hear the suspension doing its thing over the bumps as well.

Interior Style and Quality:

The cabin is one very nice place to spend time—at least up front. Nissan has taken more than a few cues from the all-electric Ariya here, with healthy amounts of wood and a large single frame for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment. A wraparound dashboard design gives the Murano an intimate, cockpit feel. Splitting up the dashboard is a slice of trim that is meant to evoke the blown glass of the island the Murano takes its name from. There’s a subtle texture to it, and a bit of a color change from bronze to blue that spices things up. Touch controls are embedded in the wood; I know I shouldn’t like them, but it looks so good.

The two-tone leather seats are exceptionally comfortable, still using Nissan’s Zero Gravity tech to ensure good posture and long-distance capability. Not only is there heating and ventilation up front, but the Murano now features massage functionality. It works quite well, but the motors are very noisy.

Second-row comfort is good: headroom is at a premium with the swoopy design and big pano roof, but there’s lots of legroom, good contouring, and even manual sunshades. Quality takes a noticeable dip back here though, not least of all the very cheap-feeling center console. The folding middle armrest is uncommonly hard to dislodge from the seat too.

Tech and Safety:

Nissan’s latest infotainment system doesn’t quite look as modern as others in the segment, but trades on high ease of use. There’s no guesswork involved in navigating the menus nor the instrument cluster, and responses are snappy.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included as standard; the former works without a hitch during the event.

There’s a comprehensive improvement to the available driver assists and safety features as well. New inclusions like a see-through hood function (a la new Armada) and a 3D, rotatable view in the main screen make it easy to confidently park the Murano in the tightest of spots. All the typical lane-keep, blind-spot, and emergency braking assists work as expected.

One odd omission is the lack of Nissan’s hands-free ProPilot Assist 2.1. The 1.1 version of the feature is here—full-range adaptive cruise control—but it’s a surprise to see when the Rogue is getting it for 2025.

Value Dollars and Sense:

For American shoppers, the entry-level Murano SV FWD starts at $41,860 including destination—opting for AWD costs an additional $1,000. Moving to the mid-shelf SL adds a further $5,000 to the sticker price before the range-topping Platinum takes over at $50,990.

In Canada, the Murano SV kicks off the lineup at $48,898 CAD including destination. From there it’s a $4,000 CAD jump to the mid-level SL, and the same gap to the $56,898 CAD Platinum you see here.

That drops the Murano somewhere between the evergreen Subaru Outback and the pricey (but also semi-premium) Toyota Crown Signia. Don’t forget the boxy but oh-so-practical Hyundai Santa Fe. Sticking within the Nissan family fold, a loaded Rogue Platinum barely crests that Murano SV sticker, while an entry-level Infiniti QX50—with the CVT still, remember—falls between the SL and Platinum trims.

Final Thoughts:

I’m happy to see the 2025 Nissan Murano refreshed: the model has been a style icon since it launched, and that’s not an easy feat, especially for a mid-range model. In isolation, it offers a smoother, more upmarket experience than either the Rogue or Pathfinder—or aging QX50, if I’m honest.

It isn’t the most adventurous nor efficient vehicle in its small class, but if you’re hunting for a luxury feel without a luxury badge, the 2025 Murano is claiming that niche for itself.

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