Text by Tom Appel
2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD
Specs
Class: Midsize Crossover
Country of Manufacture: United States
Color: Champagne Silver Metallic
Seating Capacity: 5
Miles driven: 204
Real-world fuel economy: 20.3 mpg
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A- |
| Power and Performance | B- |
| Fit and Finish | A- |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | B |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide’s impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. “Big” rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, “Tall” rating based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 241-horsepower 2.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged four |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 21/27/23 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Regular gas
Base price: $49,600 (not including $1390 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($425)
Price as tested: $51,415
Pros and Cons
The great: Fresh and functional cabin
The good: Luxury-level appointments, good power
The not so good: Disappointing fuel economy, not a smooth riding as class peers
Review
Why make a bold move into a shrinking market? That’s the question marketing types may be asking about the significantly updated 2025 Nissan Murano. Shoppers, however, should welcome the move, as the number of 2-row midsize crossovers is on the decline.
Cars to Cross Shop
Ford has dropped the Edge from its 2025 lineup, and Chevrolet is threatening to kill the Blazer—the stylish Chevy seems to have been granted a reprieve for 2026. That leaves a rather thin lineup of 2-row midsize crossovers for the U.S. market, including the Honda Passport, Mazda CX-70, and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. Though premium priced, the Jeep Grand Cherokee can be added to this list.
As the number of products offered generally reflects buyer interest, it is interesting that Nissan would choose now—this the segment on the wane—to spiff up its slow selling 2-row midsize crossover. But, we’re glad it did.
Murano Updates
Nissan peddled fewer than 15,000 Muranos last year, about a third the number of Atlas Cross Sports VW was able to retail. This suggests that Nissan should either get out of the game, or that there’s untapped potential in this segment. Nissan has opted to try and tap that potential.
For 2025 the Murano is treated to a host of improvements, including a fresh exterior design, completely overhauled cabin with updated tech, and an all-new drivetrain.
While we generally avoid commenting on design, we find the new Murano’s clean silhouette and minimalist trim refreshingly simple and modern. Nissan has made a strong case here that not all crossovers look alike.
Cabin updates include a new look, and a new dash replete with a pair of adjacent 12.3-inch LCD screens that form a single, contiguous element that serves as both the instrument panel and console touch screen. The look is simple and up to date.
Engines
Under the hood Nissan’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6 has been replaced by a turbocharged 2.0-liter turbocharged four. While the new engine is down slightly in horsepower (241 versus 260), it does produce more torque. More importantly, the old Murano’s CVT-style automatic has been replaced by a conventional 9-speed automatic. Oddly, EPA fuel economy estimates for the new Murano are identical to those of the previous-generation crossover.
Prices and Trim Levels
Murano is again offered in three trim levels:
SV ($41,860)
SL ($47,950)
Platinum ($50,990)
Prices are up $2000-$3000 for 2025, though AWD is standard on the SL and Platinum.
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2025 Nissan Murano Platinum in Champagne Silver Metallic. All told, our test car came to $51,415, including destination charge.
Cabin
For more than $50,000, the Murano Platinum should have a premium feel inside, and fortunately the updated Nissan does a good job of looking like a luxury crossover. In fact, the Murano—at least in Platinum trim—would make a fine Infiniti product. Soft-touch surfaces line the Murano cabin, and assembly quality is apparently excellent.
Connectivity
The single-pane LCD screen has gone beyond being a fad to becoming an expected design element in updated vehicles, and we’re generally pretty happy with the outcome. We found the system responsive to touch, easy to read at a glance, and generally well designed. And, all Murano trim levels include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SL and Platinum trims come with a Google Maps-powered navigation system. We found the available Bose-brand premium audio system fine for the class, but most competitive premium-audio systems offer superior sound reproduction.
Room and Comfort
Getting into and out of the Murano front row is easy enough, thanks to generous door openings and an ample volume of cabin space. Rear-seat accommodations are similarly generous, and the seats are—per our test passengers—long-trip comfortable.
Power and Performance
On the road, the new engine provides plenty of power for smooth and strong launches from a stop, and there’s ample reserved power for passing and merging. The 4-cylinder engine sounds reasonably refined, and the new 9-speed automatic clicks off shifts with refined purpose. Disappointingly, we observed just 20 mpg over 200 miles of routine driving, roughly the same fuel-economy performance we saw with a previous-generation V6-powered Murano.
Ride and Handling
While the Murano rides and handles well, and is quiet underway, it is not as refined on the road as the all-new Mazda CX-70, nor does its engine sound as polished as the Mazda’s slick inline six. This is less an indictment of the Murano, and more an acknowledgment that the luxury needle has moved in this segment. That said, our test CX-70 listed for nearly $7000 more than the Murano were reviewing here, a considerable step up in price. All that said, the Murano is quite pleasant on the road, but we’d appreciate just a little more road isolation.
Value
Kudos to Nissan for bringing the Murano up to date in both design and equipment. The revitalized Nissan is now class competitive, with a fresh look that stands out in a shopping-center parking lot. Prices get high in Platinum trim, so we recommend taking a look at the midlevel SL, which enjoys many of the same features as the Platinum, but stickers for about $2000 less.
Shoppers looking for the tidy dimensions of the 2-row crossover would do well to add the Hyundai Santa Fe to their test-drive list. Though technically a 3-row crossover, it’s significantly more compact than other multi-row crossovers in the class, and somewhat less expensive.
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2025 Nissan Murano Platinum Pictures
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