Used 2022 Nissan Murano

The 2022 Nissan Murano is a midsize SUV/crossover with two rows of seating. It has a pleasant cabin and comes standard with a V6 engine.

Sounds great, right? Trouble is, this generation of Murano (the third) debuted way back in the mists of 2015. That feels like an eternity ago, in light of all that has happened since. Not least the appearance of newer, tech-richer, and more spacious rivals.

Nissan is therefore launching a fourth generation of Murano for the 2023 model year, leaving the 2022 Murano in a tricky spot. Potential buyers might try to strike a great deal or wait and see how the new model shapes up.

On the plus side, Nissan build quality and reliability is invariably good. But we recommend doing lots of homework on the rest of the class before taking the plunge.

In theory, a 260-horsepower V6 should be quite energetic, even when propelling a midsize crossover. In practice, the automatic transmission inhibits power delivery and discourages driver involvement.

This unloved unit is a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which can never respond as quickly or help extract the most from an engine as an automatic transmission with actual gears. It can also drone at high revs.

The Murano makes more sense on trips that are best enjoyed with a supple suspension, a quiet cabin, and a generally relaxed demeanor. We’re glad to see blind-spot monitoring fitted as standard, because outward vision is affected by the wide rear pillars.

Credit to Nissan for fitting every new Murano with an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, not a smaller one for the base trim. Then again, screen sizes have grown since the Murano was the fresh kid on the block.

The overall interior design has weathered the intervening years well. Platinum trim’s wood-and-leather appointments raise the Murano closer to the luxury bracket.

Every version has four cup holders and six bottle holders, a USB-A and USB-C port up front, plus a USB-A and USB-C port for rear passengers.

Being a 2-row midsize crossover, the 2022 Murano provides plenty of space for all occupants. However, rear legroom of 38.7 inches is bettered by the Honda Passport and VW Atlas Cross Sport.

Luggage space measures 32.1 cubic feet. Several rivals have more. The Murano’s 60/40 split rear seats fold flat to create a maximum cargo area of 67 cubic feet (the moonroof reduces that to 65), but that still doesn’t compare well with most of the competition.

More crossover than SUV, the 2022 Murano doesn’t even try to look like it might be able to ford a stream or clamber over boulders. We can respect that.

Whereas the earlier generations had a “shock of the new” look to them, the current model adopts a corporate approach sharing many design ideas with other Nissans. It might have seemed sharper a few years ago, but styling trends have moved on.

There isn’t much outward difference between the trim levels; the lower two have 18-inch alloy wheels and the upper two run on 20-inch alloys.

The newest development this year is the Midnight Edition package for the SV trim. A lot of exterior elements, as well as 20-inch alloy wheels, are all finished in black.

Every 2022 Murano is eligible for premium paint, costing $395.

“ZERO GRAVITY” SEATS
Nissan often trumpets how its seats are inspired by NASA. Marketing spiel aside, the company really does have a way with comfortable seating. Both rows in the 2022 Murano should please the most persnickety posterior.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
Although the Murano isn’t an off-roader by any imaginative stretch, all-wheel drive is still great to have when bad weather strikes. It’s a worthwhile investment for those who live in places where a real winter is a regular occurrence. And it doesn’t use any more gasoline than the front-drive equivalent.

Trim levels for the 2022 Murano are S, SV, SL, and Platinum. The S model comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, full LED exterior lighting, keyless entry/ignition, cloth upholstery, plastic steering wheel, manually adjustable front seats, 7-inch driver information display, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Driver assistance features include rear parking sensors, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, lane-departure alert with active intervention, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

The infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth, satellite radio, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3/WMA player, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and six speakers.

The S trim only has a few options — like all-wheel drive, premium paint, splash guards, rear bumper protector, and cargo area protection. Adding more substance to a new Murano requires going up the trim levels.

This year, the next-up SV trim gains simulated leather seating surfaces and heated front seats. It also comes with heated side mirrors, roof rails, LED fog lights, remote start, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 4-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, self-dimming rearview mirror, adaptive cruise control, and front parking sensors.

SL brings 20-inch alloy wheels, heated steering wheel, real leather seating surfaces, driver’s-side memory settings, heated outboard rear seats, ambient LED cabin lighting, 360-degree camera system, hands-free tailgate operation, navigation, road sign recognition, and an 11-speaker Bose audio system.

Platinum trim adds a power-adjustable steering column with memory settings, dual-panel moonroof (optional in the SL), heated/ventilated front seats, and diamond-stitched/semi-aniline leather upholstery.

Where the 2022 Murano lineup is concerned, one engine pulls them all. It’s a 3.5-liter V6 developing 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque.

This goes through an automatic transmission to drive the front wheels (FWD) in standard form, or an optional all-wheel drive (AWD) system. Fuel economy is the same, regardless of how many driven wheels there are. Regular gasoline is fine.

3.5-liter V6
260 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
240 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 mpg