2015 Nissan Murano Platinum 4D SUV AWD

Just as in years past, the Nissan Murano is a pleasant and versatile five-passenger midsize crossover. But with this year's redesign, it's also more stylish and luxurious. The 2015 Murano is a smart choice if you want an upscale, V6-powered crossover without having to step up to a luxury brand. We've been impressed with the Nissan Murano ever since its debut way back in 2003. One of the first crossover SUVs, it stood out for its combination of stylish looks, roomy five-passenger seating, and power and handling characteristics that were more sport sedan than sport-utility. Since then, dozens of crossovers have followed from almost all automakers. That larger crowd makes it harder for the 2015 Nissan Murano to stand out, but this is still one crossover you'll want to check out.

Just as it did with the original, Nissan is taking some risks with the new Murano's styling. Bold and futuristic, the 2015 Murano's sporty and swoopy lines are highlighted by a "floating" roof that creates the illusion that the rear roof section is supported only by glass. Along with prominent chrome accents and distinctive winged headlights, the Murano brings a welcome dose of style to a class of vehicle that is still at its core about practicality.

There is still plenty of practicality in the new Murano, though. It's a little bigger than last year's model, and the added space provides more room for passengers and their cargo. Nissan's "Zero Gravity" seats also make their debut on the 2015 Murano. They provide great support for reduced fatigue on long drives, and in the Murano you get them not just for front occupants, but rear (outboard) passengers as well. All occupants are surrounded by quality materials and the latest in technology and safety features. Nissan's three-row Pathfinder might offer more room for a similar price, but the Murano is certainly nicer.

Nissan has softened the Murano's suspension tuning this year, biasing this crossover more for comfort than has been the case in the past. While the new Murano isn't as much fun to drive as before, the ride quality is certainly smooth and quiet. Largely unchanged are the Murano's 260-horsepower V6 engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT), but fuel economy is better this year. The 2015 Nissan Murano comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, hill-start assist, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag, active front head restraints and a rearview camera.

In Edmunds.com testing, a 2015 Murano Platinum with front-wheel drive required 117 feet to stop from 60 mph, a shorter than average distance for vehicles in its class.

The SL and Platinum models add blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, as well as a 360-degree parking camera system that includes a moving-object detection feature that lights up quadrants of the around-view monitor and sounds a beep if people or objects are moving near the vehicle. Optional for these models is adaptive cruise control combined with a frontal-collision warning and mitigation system that can automatically apply the brakes to avoid or mitigate the severity of a frontal crash.