2015 Nissan Murano SL AWD Update 3: It's Comfortable Inside, But...
Exploring a Couple of Our Orange Crossover's Minor Interior Issues
William WalkerWriter
2015 Nissan Murano SL AWD Update 3: It's Comfortable Inside, But...
Exploring a Couple of Our Orange Crossover's Minor Interior Issues
William WalkerWriter
It's been a little more than 3,000 miles since the Murano went under the knife for its 15,000-mile service. The 15K service includes changing the engine oil, oil filter, and cabin air filter; rotating the tires; and replacing the brake fluid, all for a grand total of $313.58. My dealership experience at our local Nissan dealer was pleasant, and they had me in and out in less than two hours. On the topic of service, unlike all of my previous long-term cars, the Murano does not give you a service indicator when it is time for service or an oil change. This is a one-time issue that once you discover is easily remedied by paying attention to your mileage, but people are busy and on the move. Having that annoying service light shining at you every time you jump behind the wheel is a helpful reminder that your car needs some love.
I have again been spending a lot of time in different vehicles lately, and it has reaffirmed aspects of the Murano that I like and unearthed some issues I hadn't yet noticed. One such issue is that when you use Bluetooth audio to play Spotify, the infotainment unit does not display the artist and track info, instead displaying only the words, track, and "Connected William's iPhone." Obviously, this is a fairly minor complaint, but when you combine it with a low-ish resolution screen, it starts to highlight that maybe Nissan needs to update its infotainment unit.
Another infuriating issue has to do with the placement of the USB port. It's awful! First off, the compartment that it sits in, just aft of the cupholders, is not large enough to actually store your phone in and close the hatch, and if you did want to close it, it does not have a cord pass-through. And worst of all, it's incredibly difficult to actually plug in your cord. My technique involves cursing and then using both pointer fingers to snake the connector into place. Put it higher in the compartment so it's more accessible, or put it in the cavernous center armrest—just put it somewhere other than where it currently is!
Black, white, red—give me anything other that early 2000s burnt orange!
Other than those couple small issues, the Murano has continued to be a comfortable, reliable vehicle. I still get looks and thumbs-ups from random people while driving or stopped in a parking lot. I have not gotten used to the terrible orange color, and I don't think I ever will. Every time I pass a fellow Murano-nian driving their stylish black, white, or red Murano, I hide my face and exhale with disappointment. But hey, most of the time I don't have to look at it, I just get to enjoy its comfortable, luxurious interior.
More on our long-term 2015 Nissan Murano SL AWD here:
- Arrival
- Update 1: Track Testing the Quiet Murano
- Update 2: How to Improve This Potentially Useful Feature
- Update 3: Exploring a Couple of Our Orange Crossover's Minor Interior Issues
- Update 4: On Winding Roads Supporting a Classic Car Rally
- Verdict: Orange is the New Black
Like many of my coworkers, my love for cars was cemented at a young age, thanks in part to Hot Wheels, car magazines, and every car poster I could afford when the book fair set up shop in my elementary school library. While most kids went straight for Where’s Waldo? and Goosebumps, I was torn between the poster of the Lamborghini Countach and the ’32 Ford hot rod with airbrushed flames on the cowling. In high school, I worked at Bergstrom's Antique Autos, a historic garage in Port Townsend, Washington. Surrounded by nearly a century of automotive history, I immersed myself in cleaning, sorting, and selling car parts and memorabilia. I also spent countless hours flipping through vintage car magazines and can comfortably say that I've looked through every Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Hot Rod, and Sports Car Graphic up until the early 1980s. Around the same time, I picked up photography—naturally, with cars as my main subject. Despite my high school photography teacher's advice to branch out, I stuck to my passion and attended every car show I could find. This led me to the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, where I earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on automotive photography. I began my career at Motor Trend as a photography intern. After freelancing for a few years, I joined the Motor Trend team full-time in late 2010. My passion for cars and photography continues to fuel my work, and I hope it shines through in every shot.
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Like many of my coworkers, my love for cars was cemented at a young age, thanks in part to Hot Wheels, car magazines, and every car poster I could afford when the book fair set up shop in my elementary school library. While most kids went straight for Where’s Waldo? and Goosebumps, I was torn between the poster of the Lamborghini Countach and the ’32 Ford hot rod with airbrushed flames on the cowling. In high school, I worked at Bergstrom's Antique Autos, a historic garage in Port Townsend, Washington. Surrounded by nearly a century of automotive history, I immersed myself in cleaning, sorting, and selling car parts and memorabilia. I also spent countless hours flipping through vintage car magazines and can comfortably say that I've looked through every Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Hot Rod, and Sports Car Graphic up until the early 1980s. Around the same time, I picked up photography—naturally, with cars as my main subject. Despite my high school photography teacher's advice to branch out, I stuck to my passion and attended every car show I could find. This led me to the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, where I earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on automotive photography. I began my career at Motor Trend as a photography intern. After freelancing for a few years, I joined the Motor Trend team full-time in late 2010. My passion for cars and photography continues to fuel my work, and I hope it shines through in every shot.
Read More