2025 Nissan Murano First Drive: A Simplified Design For Even More Confidence and Luxury

Climb into the driver’s seat of the 2025 Nissan Murano and a feeling of elegance takes over. The denim blue and gray leather in my test model was a nice contrast to the white exterior with black accents. The multimedia touch screen and driver’s display are neatly tucked into the dash; a wood panel spans the dash and holds the climate control buttons. This panel, which is taken from the Ariya, features elegantly backlit buttons that beg to be touched, and you should touch them; they deliver a subtle pop and instant function as you sweep a finger across. 

You’ll also notice a modern stack of materials across the dash: soft touch leatherette, a murano-inspired dash panel, gloss black and wood that frame the air vents. Just under the leatherette is an ambient light strip that spans the cabin; the system lets you pick your favorite color from the rainbow using the touch screen, which also shows an animation of the cabin with your light color. 

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Even in the base model SV edition, Nissan delivers a premium look and feel; cloth seats are not an option—the SV and SL models are upholstered in leatherette. The Murano features Nissan’s zero gravity seats which were designed in collaboration with NASA to perfectly support and cradle passengers.

The center console features a wireless charge pad, USB ports and a gloss black array of gear selector buttons. By moving to buttons from a lever in the prior model, Nissan was able to create a small storage cubby under the console; it’s perfect for a phone or a cosmetic bag. 

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The front end of the 2025 Nissan Murano presents a huge departure in Nissan design. Gone is the “V” grille; it’s replaced by a slatted grille with daytime running lights subtly slotted in on either side. A slender line of cube lights sit above each side providing headlight and high beam lighting. And connecting the lights is a gloss black panel with the Murano name embossed on the driver’s side.

On the rear, the design harkens to the new look of the Infiniti QX80, a piano key light bar anchored by the Nissan badge. The look is very modern. 

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The Nissan Murano has always been notable for its compact 5-passenger, 4-door size but outsized power. The prior model was powered by a V6 engine that produced 260 HP, more than plenty for a car this size. 

For 2025 the focus is more on comfort and fuel savings than power. Nissan replaced the old engine with a 4-cylinder turbo that generates 241 HP— slightly less power but by no means underpowered. In fact, in sport mode you may not ponder the question of power.

On my test drive I took the Murano through the back roads around Nashville for a day, putting it to the test on narrow, curvy roads. The Murano accelerates nicely; quiet and comfortable in Standard mode and a bit more insistent in Sport mode. In Eco mode it takes a moment to decide how to best harness power and fuel and power before picking up speed. But that’s what it’s supposed to do. 

One of the most confidence-inducing features is standard all wheel drive on the SL an Platinum models; SV buyers can add AWD for $1,000. This, paid with a ground clearance of 8.3” means that mud, slush, snow, rutted roads and the like are navigable. I really liked that Nissan made AWD an opt-out on the SV model and just added to the upper trims; the way we travel and with weather in most places wholly unpredictable, I think all cars should be AWD unless there’s a solid reason not to be.

From a distance, the Nissan Murano looks the part of a mid-size SUV, but its elegant swooping roofline belies its mid-sized status. And it’s bigger than it looks; that 8.3” ground clearance means the Murano is tall. Inside, the rear seats are roomier with more legroom and plenty of headroom. The cargo area offers 33 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, 63.5 with the seats folded flat.

I measured for kids car seats and found plenty of space for these, too. Behind my seat, and I’m 5’8”, there’s 33” of space seat back to seat back, meaning a rear-facing child car seat will fit. You can probably fit a rear facing seat behind a much taller passenger, too. Forward facing car seats should fit easily, too, with a middle seat that’s 13” wide, and all seats should be easier to install with rear doors that now open wider.

For 2025, the Nissan Murano comes in three trims: 3 trims, each nicely outfitted for the price: SV, SL and Platinum; there are no option packages to further drive up the price. This is a nice way to make your shopping easy: pick the trim features that best fit your life and budget. 

Here’s what each includes: 

• SV edition is $40,470 and includes leatherette seating, heated and vented front seats, 20” wheels, 12.3” center touch screen, wireless phone charger, ProPilot Assist and a power liftgate; add AWD for $1,000
• SL AWD is $46,560 and includes Google built-in with “Hey Google” voice activated assistance, digital surround view monitor with transparent hood view, Murano inspired dashboard trim, ambient lighting, heated steering wheel, Bose premium sound and a panoramic sunroof
• Platinum AWD is $49,600 and includes 21” wheels, semi aniline leather, head up display, massaging front seats and heated rear seats and a motion-activated liftgate. 

Sometimes, luxury can get too complicated. Design can divide as much as it delights. Tech can be too complicated; you know you can do a thing but it’s just not worth the hassle. Finishes can be so elaborate they dominate everything else. Isn’t the real point of luxury to eliminate those hurdles? And that’s what I liked most abut the Nissan Murano. It’s simple. It’s lovely. It’s uncomplicated.

And it’s confident, which is ultimately what a car should give you: the confidence to feel good, to get where you need to go with the power, capability and comfort you need. That it surprises you with a fair price and a stalwart name is simply a bonus.