“SHIFT_the way you move”. It’s not only Nissan’s slogan, but the inspiration behind its newly redesigned and re-engineered 2010 Nissan Murano SUV.
First released in 2003, the Murano SUV is today competitively priced between $28,050 – $38,180. With many luxurious standard features, it’s no wonder this crossover has often been described as “revolutionary”. Sporty and chic, the Murano stands in a class of its own with the look of an off-road vehicle, designed for an urban lifestyle.
Nissan Murano SUV
The 2010 Murano crossover flaunts sleeker lines and bold headlight clusters. Available in S, SL, and LE, Murano comes in front- or all-wheel drive and combines the comfort of a luxury car with the power of a truck.
Attractive and affordable, the 2010 is not distinctively different than its 2009 predecessor, which was a finalist for Kelley Blue Book’s Redesigned Vehicle Award.
Design
Available in double-stitched leather, aluminum, or wood trim, the Murano’s stylish interior offers a standard six-CD changer and MP3 jack with some incredible optional features.
Along with Bose premium audio, XM Satellite Radio, and DVD entertainment system, drivers can add on heated seats, rain-sense wipers, a navigation and rear view camera display, and a 9-inch backseat DVD screen. Privacy glass comes standard along with front and rear stabilizer bars and vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering.
On the Inside
Nissan’s renowned 3.5-liter, DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine produces 240 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and has been on Ward’s Top Ten Engines list for 13 years. This low-emissions engine achieves 20-25 mpg and features a standard key-less entry push-button start.
The multi-point fuel injection system guarantees a more precise delivery of fuel which improves cylinder-to-cylinder distribution, thereby allowing the vehicle to consume much less energy than it would with a carburetor.
Going for a Drive
Murano’s second generation advanced Xtronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) ensures a smooth ride while promoting better acceleration and an mpg rating that puts it in the top half of its class for fuel efficiency.
The four-wheel independent suspension complements its sharp reflexes and overall excellent handling characteristics. Stopping on a dime is effortless with antilock disc brakes with BrakeAssist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, and standard rear window and LED taillights allow ease in reversibility.
Optional features include a roof rack, power lift gate, bi-xenon headlights, and power moon roof. Drivers have extensive towing possibilities with Murano’s 35 cubic feet of storage and a 3,500 pound towing capacity.
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The 2010 Nissan Maxima has hit the market off-late, but it features no important modifications over its predecessor, which was released in 2009. It is a sporty sedan with modern interior and sleeker exterior body styling. This version carries the trade mark style of Nissan with sporty feeling, equipped with top notch luxury features to meet the expectations of consumers of all categories.
The 2010 Maxima is introduced in two trim levels – the 3.5 SV and 3.5 S. These two trim levels are featured with sport packages featuring telescopic and power tilt heated steering wheel, heated leather seats, interior room fabricated with faux metallic material, sport suspension, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The features that are especially for the 3.5 SV trim are power rear sunshade, rearview camera, cooled and heated driving seat. All versions are furnished with a 3.5-liter V6 engine to getting power of 3.5-liter V6 along with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that connected with optional paddle shifters and a manual shift gate.
For passengers and child safety, curtain side airbags, front side airbags, an antiskid system, ABS, and traction control have been duly provided. The standard conveniences are a wireless cell-phone link, and keyless entry, and engine start. Additional facilities like satellite link give updated information about traffic, while audio controls, rear seat climate control, and a 9.3-gigabyte hard drive make it effortless to store music files. The 2010 Nissan Maxima is available at a starting price $30,460, which extends up to the $33,180 mark.
If you haven’t paid attention to the Altima since Bill Clinton was president, know it’s grown from a compact economy car into a powerful, confident-handling, midsize, entry-level luxury sedan that maintains Nissan’s sporty flavor and, especially for 2010, offers assertive styling.
The four-door Altima Sedan comes as the 2.5 CVT, 2.5 S and 3.5 SR CVT. Also, under the Altima umbrella is the Altima Coupe and Altima Hybrid sedan. (We’ll leave the coupe and hybrid sedan for future reviews.) Here’s how to decode Nissan’s model nomenclature. The “2.5″ indicates the car is fitted with a very strong 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder. The “3.5″ means it enjoys the awesome 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine. All Altimas are fitted with a “CVT,” which stands for “continuously variable transmission.” More on CVTs later. Prices start around $20,000 and go to almost $30,000 for the gas-engine cars.
If you’re looking for an affordable, very roomy sedan, consider the 2.5 CVT. If you’re willing to pay a bit more for Nissan’s sporty feel, the 2.5 S CVT is an excellent choice. Those who like to go BMW hunting in the stoplight Grand Prix or on a curvy back road will be very entertained by the 270-horsepower 3.5 SR CVT.
Changes for 2010 feature a more assertive hood, grille and front bumper cover. Inside, the Altima received new fabrics. Electronic stability control, which Nissan calls VDC, now comes on all Altimas, but that’s not too newsy as it will soon be government-required on all passenger vehicles. The 3.5 SR CVT (formerly called the SE) now comes with high-intensity discharge headlights.
Rather than physically changing gears like a conventional automatic, a CVT uses a belt and pulley system. It’s designed to keep the engine at its most-efficient speed for the task required, regardless of whether that’s optimum fuel mileage during highway cruising or maximum acceleration for merging into traffic. Few drivers will notice a difference between a CVT and a regular automatic, except for improved fuel economy and strong acceleration. Gearheads: The Altima’s CVT also employs a small gearset to increase its effective ratio range. Don’t take this too hard, gearheads, but the CVT does a far better job of maximizing the engine’s performance than you could with a manual transmission.
The four-cylinder delivers 23 miles per gallon in the government’s city driving test and a very impressive 32 mpg on the highway. The V6 is rated at 20 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway. Altimas are made in Tennessee and Mississippi.
The 2010 Altima received “Good” crash safety ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in both front offset and side impact tests. In the government’s crash test studies, the Altima Sedan scored high marksfive starsin both driver and passenger frontal impacts, as well as side driver impacts, and four out of five stars in the rollover category and side rear passenger impact test.
If you’re thinking about ditching the SUV for a spacious and sporty sedan, think about the 2010 Altima.