Since I've made the change a few weeks ago I thought now would be the right time for a reflection note.


In the lieu of the bad weather I have gone ahead and departed with my 2010 Maxima SV with technology package.

To provide a little bit of a timeline regarding my decision.

I had bought better tires (Continentals DWS) in the hope I could get by during Upstate NY winter season but no luck. The Maxima's low ground clearance and front wheel drive combo made it impossible for me to be able to commute.

I work 3rd shift as an ER RN and the last straw was during our last blizzard. I was leaving work after a brutal 12hour shift and came come home to clean up my driveway because I can't drive into my garage.
In case you're wondering I live on a main county road so street parking is NOT an option.


The replacement I picked for the 2010 Maxima was a 2011 Nissan Murano SL AWD with technology and premium packages.

I absolutely loved my Maxima and would return to one in a heartbeat if I lived in a more bland climate but for now AWD / ground clearance is the right choice for me.

So far I've had the Murano through some pretty bad snowstorms and NOT once has it disappointed me. I really enjoy being able to come home and drive right into my garage without have to get outside in my puny scrubs.



Some of the quirks of available options I have noticed between these two cars as they are the most expensive of Nissan's lineup (excluding Infiniti of course!).

1) Rain sensing wipers are available in the Murano not in the Maxima.

2) Cooled drivers seat available in the Maxima not in Murano.

3) Adding the technology package to the Murano does not add HID headlights as noted in the Maxima. You need to up the Murano trim to an LE (~$4K more) to get Bi-Xenon (no halogens whatsoever) headlights. This package will also add additional features as 20" wheels, wood trim interior and heated rear seats. I fixed not having the HIDs by getting a drop in kit for the factory projectors and it works perfectly (cutoff, intensity) for a $150 option.

4) Heated rear seats available in the Murano however not in the Maxima. Both vehicles have heated steering wheels available.

5) The BOSE sound system is superior in the Murano vs the Maxima. I believe there is one more subwoofer with this system than in the Maxima. I would also like to mention openness of the cabin really benefited the overall sound projection.

6) Mileage is worse in the Murano vs the Maxima as was expected. I'm getting about 18/23 in the Murano.

7) The Murano's interior cabin is very very quiet compared to the Maxima.

8) All 2011 Murano's have a power lift gate and spring collapsible / electric return of rear seats.

9) The CVT / AWD / VQ engine combo work very very well in the Murano. The car is smooth / responsive and with plenty of power. I do miss the extra oomph I had with the Maxima as its acceleration was unmatched to me. The car I had before the Maxima was a 2006 Cadillac STS AWD with a V8 Northstar engine and I always thought the Maxima was much much quicker even compared to Cadillac.

10) The Murano is only available with a panoramic sunroof (no regular sunroof available).

11) All Muranos like the Maxima's have LED tail lights.

12) Nissan has a factory LED DRL option for the Murano that costs ~$500 plus labor.......really Nissan are you serious?

13) Mood lighting is such a nice little feature that you need to use it to believe its convenience. The Murano also benefits of extensive mood lighting.

14) The Murano's infotainment / NAV system is a carbon copy of the Maxima. This is one the factors that pushed me to stay in Nissan family as I've come accustomed to it's features (HD, USB, AUX jack).


On a final note, please don't take this post a bashing regarding which car is better because it's not meant like such. These two cars are in completely different segments but I figured I could provide an insight to someone else that might need to make the transition between these two cars.

2011 Nissan Murano AWD SL with technology and premium packages, Brilliant Silver Metallic on Tan.



Thanks!

 

Cool! Well at least you're still in the Nissan family. I hope you enjoy your new whip!

On a side note... How's the CVT in that compared to the Maxima? I had a Murano rental car a year or so ago and the CVT drove me absolutely bonkers because it just didn't move the car at all. (One of the reasons that the Maxima wasn't on my list for a new car - until I drove it!)

 

Thanks!!!

The CVT on the Murano feels more comfort / "silk" / smooth oriented but it can haul from what I experienced on a used 2009 Murano that I test drove before buying my 2011.

I have not noticed any kind of "bogging"/"not moving" impressions with my 2011 however I only have ~1000 miles on the new car and haven't really floored it because of the break-in period. From a rolling start 30-60mph this has plenty of passing power however it's NO Maxima on it's "get up and go".

Did you know that Murano's also have an overdrive button for the CVT transmission that really ups the RPMs ? Like I said I tested it on a used 2009 Murano and if I recall correctly the RPMs went from a cruising 45mph / 1500 RPM to a whopping 3000RPM (just about doubled!).

 

very nice. my father in law has a 2010 murano le, and he loves it. It is nice having the rear seat heaters. in 2010 they didn't have the heated steering wheel. Im sure he will be bummed to hear this. very nice ride by the way

 

In 2011 Nissan added the heated steering wheel to the SL and LE trims. I find that both the heated steering wheel and seats are features I have used just about every day during this Winter season.

Thanks for the compliment, much appreciated.

 

At least you're still part of the Nissan family, good luck with your new ride!

 

Very nice choice, those are nice! Although there are 2 models of Nissans that could cost quite a bit more than the Max/Murano, the Armada can go upwards of 50k and some models (convertible with ceratain packages) of the 370Z in the mid 40's. Enjoy that Murano!

 

My wife rolls around in the last gen Murano, a 2005 and she still loves it. We live way up on a hill and when it snows the roads heading up are generally shut down with only a couple alternate routes and not once has the Murano not been able to make it up, even when the road was littered with the corpses of dozens of other cars that failed to complete the accent.

Sorry that you had to give up your Maxima, but the Murano is a great ride as well.

 

When I was looking around at the Maxima back in September, the Murano caught my wife's eye and actually liked it - without driving it yet. However, we are in the same situation as you are though not as bad, regarding the weather here in central NJ. I completely understand your reasoning and the wife and I are also considering getting a crossover/Murano/AWD higher off the ground vehicle once she decides to part with her Camry. I know it doesn't happen much, but this winter has easily made the decision easy to have a high groun clearance, AWD, crossover vehicle here in the east coast.

Thanks for the comparison in a snapshot of the car that we may end up with too

 

awesome switch, so how much did the dealer give you for the trade, a 10 for an 11 seems like you would lose the most value

 

50k for an Armada, completely forgot they cost that much

 

As many have stated, you are still part of the family. On a completely different topic however; I have always wondered how hygenic it is for hospital workers to wear their scrubs to work rather than changing into them once they arrive! It seems to be common practice? You would think that it might not be the most sterile option. I'm in the restaurant business and it is politically incorrect for the cooks to come to work in uniform. Again, completely off topic, but I have always wondered about this.

 

Yes sir, those platinum editions top 50k upwards to 53/55k! Heck the SV starts at 38k and the SL at about 43k!

 

Very wise move. The Maxima has a ground clearance of 4 1/2 inches, and that is the least ground clearance of any vehicle I have ever driven, and I have been driving since the 1940s. I can't even pull up to some parking blocks in my Maxima, because the front bumper won't clear. In fact, my Maxima drags on several speed bumps around where I live.

But, living in the South, I can adjust my habits and get away with this very low clearance. Were I living up north, there would be no way . . .

The Murano is very similar to the Maxima in many ways. In fact, the language in the Owner's Manual that came with my '09 Maxima also covers the Murano. Since the Murano added a heated steering wheel, the only real difference for me would be a preference for the Maxima's very sharp styling.

Thanks for taking the time to expound on the differences (and similarities) between the Maxima and Murano. A person needing better ground clearance and/or AWD should look closely at the Murano. It is not only practical, but is, in some ways, almost a luxury vehicle.

Here's wishing you the best with your new ride!

 

You should have gotten some dedicated winter/snow tires and that would've solved all your problems lol But glad you're happy with the Murano. Maybe you'll be back one day.

 

Its a good trade Ricko, and Im glad you enjoyed your Maxima while you had it. I must admit though, these North Eastern WInters killed me with the Maxima. I had to call out of work twice bc of it.

 

This is true. I saw a video on youtube somewhere with a 7th gen Max in snow tires basically plowing a foot of snow. Get the Stillen lip and you can plow a nice path for people behind you.

 

Blizzaks would have solved the issue. I'll never understand why everybody in the Northeast doesn't have snow tires, it makes no sense at all.

 

QFT.

Everyone in my house has a set of winter rims with snow tires and we've never had any problems in the snow.

 

Hey Bro, hate to see you go and I can say that I don't blame you especially dealing with the kind of storms you guys have been having there lately. The Murano is a very nice vehicle and I will be more than likely buying my wife one this year because she's debating which vehicle to get between it (Murano), Sorento, and the Mini 4-door.

Best wishes to you and your family, enjoy the ride and stay warm.

 

That's what we do. "All season" tires aren't all season anymore. Plus snow tires don't really cost anything because while you have the snows on your car the summer tires are sitting in the garage without any additional mileage being put on them, making them last longer. I love Blizzaks, with those you can go out and drive in the snow for fun.

 

that lip might rip off with the force

 

Here we go:
My bad forgot about the 370z and Armada combo, thanks!

When I was leaving the dealer's parking to test drive the Murano one of their parking lot exits has a turn / incline of about 30 degrees. The salesman was like "Go ahead and head that way", mind you the previous day we had just been hit with a 6" of snow so the parking lot was NOT up to shape yet. The result was the Murano just climbed it effortlessly and I was sold.

You are welcome.
The two key points for me were AWD and ground clearance which are features of the Murano and are not of the Maxima.

Yes, I did take a hit for the switch but it was worth it to me.
I had bought my Maxima in March 2010 for $33.5K and I just traded it back for $31K with 13K on the clock.

and I as well!

I own all of my scrubs and wear clean ones to work every day.

99% of the time I'm able to grab a full sterile/clean (whichever is needed) protective gown / foot covers in case we are expecting an inbound trauma, etc.

With that you may call me obsessive in my ways but:

1) I keep an extra/backup uniform and change of clothes at work for emergencies

2) I change into my "around the house" clothes when I get home in my garage and place the uniforms in a separate bin for a dedicated wash and last but not least

3) I don't wear my shoes home either nor allow work shoes anywhere in my house.

Obsessive? Sure!
Preemptive based on what I see / am exposed at work? You bet!

Thanks!!! The interior of the Murano feels quite upscale. The leather feels higher grade than what I had on the Maxima even though I had a regular SV Maxima with a tech/winter packages only. I understand leather grade for the Premium/Sport packages is slightly more plush.

Another thing that I enjoyed the most from making the switch is the huge decrease in cabin noise which results in a more enjoyable experience.

I went from a 2006 STS4 Cadillac Northstar V8 to the Maxima and at first the noise difference was out of this world. The Maxima cabin noise was very loud for a premium sedan. The Cadillac when I wanted it under acceleration grunted and was pleasant to hear while the Maxima was NOT just about all the time. I guess I just fell in love with the speed / get up and go feeling of the Maxima.

Again it would not have fixed ground clearance issue. I did get the Continentals DWS.

Getting dedicated snow tires still would not fix the low ground clearance that is a characteristic of the Maxima. Like I said, when I move to warmer / milder climate area I will definitely own another Maxima, however for now the Murano is the answer for me!

Thanks, much appreciated!!

Last night we had been having a 6/8" snow storm brewing all night and I was leaving work at 7AM. The storm wasn't anything too big but since the hospital's parking lot never really gets cleaned properly with always cars parked there it made me realize something.

There were quite a few of other people driving sedans and a few SUVs that had to dig themselves out ( the car is surrounded with quite a bit of snow ) in order to avoid getting stuck. For me it was nice to be able to just clean my windows and drive away from my parking spot on my own without any issues.

 

I had a 04 fully loaded Murano and I liked it very much. The only main issue I had with it was the Transfer Case kept breaking and the 4WD would only work here and there.Otherwise it treated me well.I got rid of the Murano due to the extended time it took to replace the transfer case and I was stuck with no loaner car.I had to drive my race car to and from work for weeks at a time.I didtched the Murano for a 07 loaded avalanche.Now I have the Max I am happy for now til I run out of mods to do to it to keep me content.