2009 Nissan Murano

Description

The Murano inarguably got it right the first time. Introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model, the Murano was as smoothly contoured as the glass from which it took the name. Its fluid lines wasted no effort encapsulating the shape, a kind of high-sided, short-coupled wagon on big wheels: the crossover. The Murano was a huge hit for Nissan and -- along with the crazed FX35/45 performance utes -- gave Nissan the hip, sassy-as-spit brand image it enjoys today. The Murano also kicked open the door for a crowd of slippery crossovers such as the Mazda CX-7, Buick Enclave and Hyundai Sante Fe. No good deed ever goes unpunished.

After a model-year hiatus (no 2008 model), the Murano comes back with a little more mustard on the ball, styling wise, but generally modest changes. The profile is about the same. The interior passenger room is about the same -- though rear cargo space is trimmed back a bit. The Murano is still based on the Nissan's midsize Altima platform, with routine model-freshening improvements in rigidity and quietness. It's still powered by Nissan's ever-present 3.5-liter V6, with a bump in output to 265 hp and 248 pound-feet of torque. And it's still routing power through a continuously variable transmission (CVT), though this generation of the device is much smarter and far more livable than the last. Compared to the earnestly plodding evolution in the rest of the Murano, the CVT retune is a thunderclap of innovation.