Japanese cars are traditionally held in high esteem. They are almost a standard of reliability. Of course, it took decades for automakers from the Land of the Rising Sun to earn such a status. But now there is an opinion that all car manufacturers specifically reduce the quality of their products in order to lure extra money out of the pocket of car owners to eliminate breakdowns that will occur during the operation of the equipment. I don’t want to believe in it. Are Japanese manufacturers really ready to undermine their authority for the sake of extra money? Consider the situation on the example of Nissan Murano.
History of creation
The car belongs to the class of mid-size crossovers. The development of the model was carried out by the Nissan division from California (despite the Japanese belonging to the brand). Why did this happen? More about this later. Murano is the name of an Italian island.
First generation
Nissan Murano was first shown in 2002. Initially, the model was created for sale exclusively in North America. The same car had a solid 3.5-liter engine under the hood, which produced no less solid figures for power - 245 hp. This is a typical engine for a real American car enthusiast. As a transmission, a CVT variator was offered.
For the US market, Nissan Murano was a discovery, until 2007 it was the only crossover overseas from Nissan. The glory of the model made a noise in the Old World. What the company reacted quite adequately. Sales of Nissan Murano in Europe began in 2004. It turns out that among Europeans there were connoisseurs of great power with medium sizes. The engine was exactly the same as for the American market.
In the same year, the model began to be sold in the homeland of the brand (in Japan). The same 3.5-liter engine was available for the Japanese market, as well as another 2.5-liter engine. In 2005, the model underwent a slight restyling, the most noticeable change is the optics, there were also some minor improvements to the exterior of the car, and the car's configurations changed.
The second generation of Murano
In 2007, Nissan Murano II was introduced at the US Motor Show. At the show, the model was actively discussed by all automotive experts. Sales started the next year, in 2008. Marking of the model from the manufacturer is Nissan Murano II Z51. The model was similar to the first generation, but still it was already another car that corresponded to the fashion trends of the automotive industry of those years. Inside the car was different, the similarity with the previous version was almost not visible. A remarkable feature - for the second-generation interior, materials of a higher quality were used than on cars of past years.
Engines have not changed much. The power of the same 3.5-liter engine has grown. Now it was already 265 hp, the first-generation Nissan Murano CVT proved to be the best, so the manufacturer decided to leave it unchanged. As an alternative, a 6-speed torque converter was added to it.
Murano CrossCabriolet
In 2010, the company showed the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. The car was standard, it differed only in bodywork. The model did not make a splash, and in 2014 Nissan curtailed its production. The explanation was quite predictable - poor sales.
Third generation
The presentation took place in 2014. Nissan Murano got a bold exterior and interior that simply amazes with modernity. In the same year, car sales began. In Russia, they officially began selling the model since 2016, but now it is the Murano of the Russian assembly.
This Murano is innovative in everything. His body is covered with special paint. The peculiarity of the paint is that it is able to regenerate. If you have shallow scratches on the body, then they will be tightened under the influence of sunlight, the body will again become ideal. The resource of this interesting feature of paint is not unlimited, but for 3-5 years you can safely forget about polishing.
The model is supplied to the Russian market with a gas engine of 3.5 liters. This is a reliable aluminum "six". It is worth noting the responsiveness of the manufacturer. The first generation “Nissan Murano” in Russia was very popular, the second generation Nissan Murano Z51 was not so well bought in our country.
The reason for the decline in sales of the second generation is the increased power of the power unit. If 15-17 thousand rubles of transport tax is still acceptable for a powerful fast car, then paying about 40 thousand tax is already too much, and in fact, the increase of 20 horses in the second generation was not particularly felt.
In the third version of the Murano, the management of Nissan, as they say, held horses. Now the 3.5 liter engine in the passport produces 249 hp, which is exactly what is ideal for our market. The car can be front-wheel drive, and can be delivered with four-wheel drive. Four trim levels are available. The top version will cost the buyer almost 3 million rubles, and the most naked version will be 500 thousand cheaper.
Customer reviews
Nissan Murano's performance is impressive. The manufacturer managed to maintain and improve them from the first generation to the version that is being released now. In the eyes of car enthusiasts, Nissan Murano at 3.5 liters is a powerful daring car that costs its owner dearly.
Contrary to the opinion that the reliability of Japanese cars is far behind, the Nissan Murano in all three generations turned out to be reliable and without obvious weaknesses. Only the interior of the first generation car, which was rich in crickets, was subject to criticism, but do not forget that the model was positioned for the American market, and there they do not look at such trifles. They value cars for power. With the same indicator, our hero has complete order.
But back to the issue of the high cost of the content of Murano. It is expensive to feed the car. Powerful high-volume engine "does not diet and eats well." According to the passport, the consumption is about 10 liters in the combined cycle, but in reality everything is different. Some lovers of “ignite” in the city see figures on their on-board computer three times higher than those stated by the manufacturer. And there is no desire to be a “vegetable” in the rightmost row when you have such a “beast” under the hood. This car is bought by those who want to drive with aggression, but these people know what they are going to, they are not at all surprised at the figures of fuel consumption.
There are opinions of buyers who are not too flattering about the quality of iron. According to them, the first generation of a car should already be bought with great care, because some of the cars require not only painting, but more extensive work to remove corrosion and restore metal. If there are such reviews, then this fact takes place. But is there anyone who saw a rusty Murano with rotten sills? It seems that these are single specimens that have been seen by the most caustic reagents from the winter roads of Russia and which were not watched at all by their owners. If the owner does not follow the car, then she still has a lot of problems, and not just a corrosive body. But this does not mean that the car model is bad, rather indicates that the owner of the car is completely useless.
Who is this car for
"Nissan Murano" in Russia mainly prefers wealthy youth. The design of the car is very youthful. The power of this car does not take. Of course, young and hot want a car with a lower clearance, but sports cars are clearly not for our roads, especially not for the province.
Meet on the “Murano” and older people, but apparently they are still young at heart. Those who do not want enthusiasm and excitement on the road take Pathfinder, Qashqai or X-Trail. We must also admit that the Nissan Murano is the closest of the Nissan to the Infinity luxury division from the same manufacturer.
Total
Is it worth paying 3 million for a mid-size crossover? Not unless you're a Murano connoisseur. Yes, if you have already had this car. It does not matter in which generation, it is important that if you had it, then you know that it costs any money.
This is a cheeky car that looks slower than it really is. If you like to collect views on yourself and be in the spotlight, then with “Murano” you are guaranteed. You will be almost a star on the road, those who for family reasons or other reasons cannot afford such a powerful beast will envy you. Just get ready to answer ten times a day to questions from others regarding the fuel consumption of your car.