2009 Nissan Murano Review
The 2009 Nissan Murano is several steps more radically styled that the original. There are many more curves in the body sheetmetal, a much bigger, shinier grille with a less-busy air intake under it, very large, bold, seven-element headlamps, and a completely new rear-end design, more horizontal than vertical, with dual exhaust ports under the bumper.
Murano models come with 18-inch wheels, with 20-inch wheels standard on the top LE model and optional on the others. Once you get beyond the grille and the headlamps, the only chrome on the curvy new body shell is the door handles. This design strategy lets the body and the paint do all the talking. The new body is almost two counts better in aerodynamic performance than the 2007 version, improved from 0.37 to 0.39 Cd. The more slippery design should mean better highway mileage and less wind noise.
The flexible, stretchable platform underneath the new Murano has been reinforced from front to rear, and fitted with several additional bumper beams and crossmembers, for the heavier duty cycles a crossover sport ute encounters, so it’s now roughly 150 percent stiffer than the old truck. This is meaningful not only in terms of crash safety and survival, but also in terms of long-term durability and reliability for those buyers who aren’t going to be back in the market for six or eight years. Things like doors and hoods and hinges will stay where they are put because the frame is strong to start with.
The redesigned 2009 Murano retails for some $1500 less than comparably equipped 2007 models
Safety features include dual-stage frontal air bags, seat-mounted side-impact air bags (for torso protection), roof-mounted curtain air bags (for head protection), active head restraints in the front row (for whiplash protection), antilock brakes (ABS), traction control, and electronic stability control. It also comes with seatbelts; be sure to use them because seatbelts are your first line of defense in a crash.
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