2012 Nissan Murano Review and Prices

Styling: The 2012 Nissan Murano wagon repeats the style updates introduced on the 2011 Murano wagon, including a subtly revised grille, front bumper, and taillights. These changes constituted the first styling changes to this generation of Nissan’s midsize crossover since its model-year 2009 introduction.

The 2012 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet carries over unchanged from its model-year 2011 debut. Essentially a convertible rendition of the Murano wagon, it has four seats versus the wagon’s five and a power folding soft top. The top includes a transverse panel of glass over the back seats that acts as a skylight to augment the glass rear window and brighten the aft portion of the cabin.  

The CrossCabriolet has won few plaudits for its appearance. With the elevated ground clearance of an SUV and high bodyside sheetmetal, it’s awkward from some angles. The 2012 Murano wagon, by contrast, is a successful graduate of the bullet-shaped-school of crossover design. Its swept-back lines contrast with the squared-off forms of rivals such as the Ford Explorer. The look is more elegant than outright macho, but both Murano body styles have a degree of muscle tone courtesy of flared wheel arches filled nicely by generously sized wheels and tires.

The CrossCabriolet’s only competitor might be the Jeep Wrangler, which is available as a two- and four-door convertible. But the Wrangler is a traditional SUV in that its body and frame are separate units. The 2012 Murano wagon and CrossCabriolet are crossover SUVs because their bodies and integrated frames comprise the one-piece “unibody” architecture typical of cars. Indeed, Murano shares its under-skin engineering with the Nissan Altima sedan. Crossovers with unibody construction have come to dominate the SUV market. They typically can’t tow or haul as heavy a load as a body-on-frame vehicle and they aren’t as well-suited to severe off-road duty. But the lighter weight of their unibody design benefits ride, handling, and fuel economy.

Essentially a novelty, the CrossCabriolet has a slightly different mission than the Murano wagon, and though it’s a couple of inches longer overall, it has substantially less rear leg room. Trunk volume is just 12.3 cubic feet with its power folding fabric top up and 7.6 with it stowed. The Murano wagon has generous passenger space front and rear. While its 31.6 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seat and 64 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded humble the CrossCabriolet’s numbers, they’re not notably huge for a midsize crossover SUV.

The 2012 Nissan Murano wagon model lineup returns with four levels of trim: base S, the SV, the SL, and the top-line LE. Visual distinctions between them remain slight, with the biggest difference reserved for the LE, which continues with exclusive 20-inch wheels versus 18s on other models and with a roof rack finished in silver instead of black. Nissan introduced the Murano CrossCabriolet in a single trim level for the model-year 2011 that continues for model-year 2012.

Mechanical: The 2012 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and Murano wagon reprise the only powertrain this Murano generation has known: a 3.5-liter V-6 hooked to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). All wagon models again offer a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD); the CrossCabriolet continues with standard AWD.

In the Murano wagon, the V-6 is rated at 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque; in the CrossCabriolet’s it’s rated at 265 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. This output is on par with most competitive models but lags the 290- and 280-horsepower ratings of V-6s in the recently redesigned Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee, respectively.

Nissan, a leader in CVT technology, continues with this slightly unorthodox transmission type for the 2012 Murano. A CVT plays the role of an automatic transmission but with a belt-and-pulley system that furnishes near-infinite ratios instead of the five or six preset ratios common to conventional automatics. A CVT is designed to more precisely match engine output with the demands of acceleration and fuel efficiency.  CVT’s downside is most evident when it’s called upon to furnish rapid acceleration. CVTs tend to sustain high engine rpm until vehicle speed catches up. The result is an audible mismatch between how fast the engine is revving and how quickly you’re accelerating.

Luckily, Murano’s V-6 has enough torque that it rarely requires extremely high rpm to sate the CVT -- and the engine is smooth enough to be relatively unobtrusive when it does. In all, the happy marriage results in fine acceleration tainted only by occasional torque steer – a tendency of the steering to tug to the side during liberal throttle application.

Opting for a Murano with all-wheel-drive quells the worst of this torque steer and enhances slippery-surface traction. Like most crossover SUVs, Murano isn’t designed for serious off-road duty. Its AWD system is crossover-typical: it normally maintains front-wheel drive and automatically shuffles power to the rear wheels only when the front tires lose traction.

The 2012 model maintains Murano’s reputation for overall handling that’s a cut above the midsize-crossover norm. The 2012 Murano wagon is again one of the sportiest-driving four-door midsize SUVs, yet one that absorbs bumps with admirable compliance and good suspension control.

Features: CrossCabriolet or wagon, the 2012 Nissan Murano continues to boast a laudable array of standard features. The wagon’s amenities quickly broaden as you ascend the price ladder. The 2012 CrossCabriolet single trim level essentially mirrors the Murano LE wagon.

Every 2012 Murano again comes with keyless entry and pushbutton ignition, power windows, locks, and mirrors, and automatic dual-zone climate control. Ambient cabin lighting brightens to welcome you aboard, and the steering column tilts and telescopes and is power-adjustable on the LE wagons.

Addition of the SV trim level to the wagon lineup for model-year 2011 was an astute move, drawing several popular features from higher in the lineup into a middle-priced Murano. The 2012 Murano SV wagon continues with a standard-equipment roster that includes a cheery dual-pane glass roof with opening panel over the front seats, a 7-inch dashboard screen with rearview monitor, and power front seats.

The 2012 Nissan Murano SL wagon carries on with a standard equipment list recently fortified to move it closer to the LE. The 2012 SL trim repeats with such upscale amenities as leather upholstery, and heated front seats, steering wheel, and outside mirrors. It also returns with a power liftgate and a power feature that returns the folded 60/40 split rear seatbacks to their upright position.

The 2012 Murano LE wagon includes all these features, plus standard heated rear seats. New for 2012 is the LE Platinum Edition, which comes complete with new 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, Nissan Navigation System and exclusive Sapphire Black exterior color.

Mirroring the wagon’s LE trim level, the 2012 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet comes standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery and heated power memory front seats, the heated steering wheel, keyless entry and pushbutton ignition.

The list of key infotainment hardware and software begins in earnest with the SV model. This list includes a USB iPod interface and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity with steering wheel phone and audio controls. Same for the navigation system option that uses the 7-inch dashboard screen and includes 9.3 gigabytes of music storage and real-time XM traffic capability. Continuing among 2012 Murano wagon options will be a rear DVD entertainment system with dual integrated headrest screens.