2010 Nissan Murano ST review

Having owned a wide variety of cars, from a 1985 BMW 735i, through to 2019 VW Golf and everything in-between, when it came time to get rid of our 2010 Subaru Outback that was behaving like a problem child, my criteria was clear.

Firstly, due to long trips to the South Coast, highway comfort was a must. Secondly, our German Shepherd Fynn needed to fit comfortably in the boot. Next came having AWD capabilities followed by Japanese reliability and maintenance costs. Lastly came a budget of about $10k and an odometer ceiling of about 150K kms.

Having just had a problematic Subaru (my second outback now), I wanted to look elsewhere, plus the underpowered GEN4 Outback wasn't my favourite to drive. I didn't need the size of a Prado/Pajero in inner-Sydney, and Klugers/RAVs in my price range were either 2WD or nearing 200k kms.

Ticking through the list landed me on Mitsubishi Outlanders or Nissan X-Trails, both perfectly suited to the task at hand until I happened to stumble upon a 2010 Nissan Murano with just 110kms on the clock. After a few messages with the owner I discovered that they were the original owners, lived in the burbs, and used the big Murano for light family duties for the last 14 years. Regular servicing and upon inspection, smooth running were all pluses. It even had the plastic still on the sills!

Yes, the exterior isn't to everyone's taste, but once behind the wheel I was sold.

The 190kW V6 is creamy and strong, a detuned version of the 3.5L engine out of the 350Z, known for its reliability when looked after. It even gave me memories of my old VT Commodore in the way it gathered momentum. Pair this with what I can only describe as armchairs for front seats, and the big M makes the ultimate highway-muncher.

I parted with $9600 big-ones and took the big beast home. Almost 6 months of ownership later and the M has had zero problems with daily duties, and has revealed a couple of quirks. One is that it doesn't hold itself on a hill at all, meaning you need to heel-toe a little for tricky uphill reverse parks. Secondly the long nose makes inner-city parking without sensors or cameras an exercise in clenching.

That amazing engine is also a thirsty beast when pushed, if you drive it smoothly and relaxed it rewards your bank balance. If you drive aggressively it will reward you with 21L/100km in the city. Once on the highway all is forgiven, cruising at 110km with the engine ticking over at under 2000rpm is heaven and the fuel economy drops down to about 10L/100km with the car full of gear, two people and a big dog.

I also think I have never had a driver's seat feel so plush and padded, it reminds me of what you'd get in a big French saloon car like a Citroen C6. It's also whisper-quiet inside with almost no wind or tire-noise entering the cabin. Impressive for a car on it's way to being two decades old, and better than some brand new offerings.

In the rain it's a planted and secure thing, with the AWD system running the front wheels most of the time, and capable of sending up to 50% of the power to the rears if need be. I have a feeling a dirt road could be a bit of fun, but any trails are definitely out of bounds.

A service is coming up so time will tell how the running costs go, but for now I urge those who are perhaps stepping out of a Territory or Commodore and are eyeing a second-hand BWM X5 or Merc ML to consider this big Japanese luxo-wagon as a worthy alternative that will definitely not break the bank!

Owner: Jack

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