Sociable - Yet Sedate - Crossover

While crossover SUVs are arguably the quintessential family vehicles, not all of them are designed solely for the juice box and backseat-cartoon crowd. Take, for example, the Nissan Murano we recently spent a week testing. Revamped and restyled for 2015, the five-passenger Murano remains one of the more “grown up” midsize crossovers on the market. The 2015 Murano sports dramatic new styling that sets it apart in a packed parking lot. It features a tall beltline and “floating” roofline, with triangular rear pillars and lightning bolt-shaped creases running along the sides. A forceful front-end treatment features a large grille and broad lower air dam, flanked by boomerang-shaped headlamps that reach far up and into the broad-shouldered front fenders. Inside, occupants are seated in a nicely crafted cabin Nissan calls a “social lounge.” And social it is, affording an open, airy environment that treats front and rear passengers to plenty of head and legroom. It’s finished in rich looking and feeling materials, with piano black and silver trim. An artistically sculpted dashboard is highlighted by an eight-inch LCD touchscreen for the vehicle’s navigation and infotainment systems that’s reasonably intuitive to use. The driver and front passenger are particularly pampered with the “zero gravity” seats that originally debuted in the Nissan Altima sedan. Designed in conjunction with NASA, they utilize a unique articulated seat shape with continuous support from the pelvis to the chest to help reduce fatigue; we find them to be arguably the most accommodating seats among cars outside of the luxury class. And they can be both heated and cooled for added four-season comfort, with cushion warmers likewise available for rear riders. Cargo space is particularly generous and with the rear seatbacks folded flat, can easily transport a college kid’s belongings to or from the dorm. Mechanically, however, the Nissan Murano largely carries over from last year’s model, albeit with nominal updates. A 3.5-liter 260-horsepower V6 engine remains the standard engine, and while it works well enough under most circumstances it cries out for an additional 30 or 40 horses, particularly when traversing a hill with a full complement of riders. A gearless CVT automatic remains the only available transmission, and Nissan reengineered it for 2015 to feel more like a conventional gearbox with simulated “shift points” added to the acceleration curve. All-wheel-drive is optional for enhanced traction over wet or snowy surfaces. The Murano’s fuel economy is EPA-rated at 21/28-mpg city/highway, which is slightly better than competing V6-powered Ford Edge, Honda Crosstour and Toyota Venza models. Otherwise the Murano’s four-wheel independent suspension continues to deliver a solid highway feel, easygoing handling and a smooth ride over pockmarked pavement. It’s not a singularly engaging driving experience, but perhaps that’s in keeping with the vehicle’s “social” nature. The new Murano can be fitted with several of the latest high-tech safety systems, including a 360-degree Around-View Monitor system that uses four embedded cameras to display images of what’s in front, rear, and to the sides of the vehicle for added visibility while parking. Standard on SL and Platinum versions, a blind spot warning system alerts the driver to the proximity of cars in adjacent lanes, and warns of approaching cross traffic when backing out of a parking space or garage. An optional forward collision warning system on the top two trim levels can automatically apply the brakes to help avoid (or at least minimize the effects of) a crash if the driver isn’t reacting quickly enough. All told, the Murano maintains an enjoyable environment in which friends and fellow travelers can commiserate in comfort while traversing from one location to another. Sporty it isn’t, but the Murano can get costly, with a base price of $29,560 (not including destination charges or fees) quickly swelling to nearly $43,000, fully loaded, in its top Platinum version, And no, before anyone asks, the new Murano does not include the previous-generation’s curious CrossCabriolet two-door convertible iterations.