2021 Nissan Rogue vs Murano

Nissan is known for making modern, reliable, and stylish vehicles. The Nissan Rogue and Murano are two SUVs in the company's lineup. The Murano is the more premium option, but the Rogue still has a lot of nice amenities. This overview will highlight exactly how these two vehicles differ from each other so that prospective customers can have all the information they need.

Size and Styling

Out of the two models, the Murano is the larger one. It has a length of 192.8 inches, which makes it nearly ten inches longer than the Rogue is. This may make it harder to park in tight spots.

An interesting point is that the Rogue actually has more cargo space than the Murano does. This is despite the fact that it's the shorter SUV. It's also three inches narrower and about an inch shorter than the Murano is.

The rear cargo area behind the seats in the Murano has a volume of 32.1 cubic feet, and when that second row has been folded down, cargo capacity expands to 67 cubic feet. In the Rogue, the rear cargo area has a volume of 36.5 cubic feet. When the rear seats have been lowered, the total cargo capacity is 74.1 cubic feet.

However, the Murano still has an edge in terms of the length of its cargo area. When the rear seats have been folded down, the Murano's cargo area measure 74.4 inches in comparison with the 72-inch cargo area in the Rogue. This may matter to those who transport bikes or other types of bulky gear in their SUVs.

Things are comparable when it comes to leg room. The Murano has 40.5 inches of leg room in the first row and 38.7 inches of room in the back. In the Rogue, there's slightly more space up from and slightly less in the back. It has 43.3 inches and 38.5 inches of leg room in the first and second rows, respectively.

The stylings of the two SUVs are fairly similar, but the Murano has the nicer components. For instance, it comes standard with chrome door handles and outside mirrors that have LED turn signals integrated into them. It can sit on either 18-inch or 20-inch wheels, whereas the Rogue can have either 17-inch, 18-inch, or 19-inch wheels. Both models can have hands-free liftgates, heated side mirrors, and panoramic moonroofs. These moonroofs have two panels, of which the rear one is fixed. The front one can slide or tilt open to let in fresh air.

Drivability

Up until this point, the differences between the two models have been fairly minor. In the area of performance, though, there is a significant discrepancy between the two Nissans.

In the Rogue, there's a 2.5-liter engine. It has four cylinders and a continuously variable valve timing system. It can either come with front-wheel or all-wheel drive, and it's able to make 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. With this kind of power, the Rogue should be able to handle itself well in many situations, but it could be limited if dealing with rugged terrain or when it's loaded down with weight.

Nissan has given the Rogue an Xtronic continuously variable transmission. It has manual mode and paddle shifters in case drivers want to have more control over shifting. Eco and Sport modes are standard; they can be used to change things up when someone's behind the wheel. Sport mode would lead to more aggressive driving, and Eco mode would do exactly the opposite. If the Rogue has all-wheel drive, it would also have Snow and Off-Road modes.

If a potential buyer thinks that 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque sounds reasonable but isn't terribly exciting, the Murano could be the more optimal choice. The Murano is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine. With its greater size, it's able to generate 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. This could be much more satisfying for those who enjoy driving and want to be in control of something that's powerful.

Like the Rogue, the Murano uses an Xtronic continuously variable transmission. It can come with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. It doesn't have the different driving modes the the Rogue has, nor does it have paddle shifters. It does, however, have Hill Start Assist, a program that can hold pressure on the brakes when the vehicle is stopped on a hill. The Rogue has Hill Start Assist as well.

In addition, the Murano has a towing rating of 1,500 pounds. This a bit more than the towing capacity of the Rogue, which is 1,350 pounds.

For those who are concerned about gas consumption, the Rogue would probably be a better choice. That's because it has an estimated fuel economy of 27/35 (city/highway) miles per gallon. If it has all-wheel drive, that drops to 26/34 miles per gallon. The Murano doesn't quite hit this mark. It can earn an estimated 20/28 miles per gallon.

Comfort, Options and Performance

Nissan has done an excellent job in integrating comfortable, stylish, and modern amenities into the Rogue and Murano. Both vehicles can have power-adjustable front seats with power lumbar support in the driver's seat, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and a memory system to make it easy to find the right position for the driver's seat. Lower trims of the Rogue and Murano have cloth upholstery, mid-level trims have leatherette seats, and higher trims have leather or semi-aniline leather seats.

The Murano goes further than the the Rogue does in this regard. For instance, while the Rogue can have heated front seats, the Murano can have front seats that have heating and ventilation. The Rogue can have a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the Murano can have a steering wheel wrapped in a premium leather. In addition, the rear seats in the Murano can recline to make long trips more comfortable for passengers, and the available power-adjustable steering wheel can be enhanced with a memory function as well.

Nissan has made it simple to keep the cabins of the Rogue and Murano at comfortable temperatures. The Murano comes standard with an automatic temperature control system that has two zones. The Rogue only starts out with a manually controlled climate system. Its mid-level trims do have dual-zone climate control, and its top trim has tri-zone climate control. Both models can have a remote start function so that people can get their climate systems running before they get into their SUVs. This can come in handy when it's particularly cold or hot outside.

Other high-end features are available in these vehicles. They can have auto-dimming rearview mirrors to cut down on distracting glare at night. The Murano can have a HomeLink transceiver built into it, eliminating the need for a separate garage door opener. Plus, all of the Murano trims have smart entry systems. This isn't offered on the base trim of the Rogue, but it is on all the others.

In terms of technology, there have been a lot of features built into these Nissans. The Rogue comes standard with a digital display behind the steering wheel, and it can have a futuristic dashboard with all digital gauges. The lower trims come with eight-inch touchscreens, voice recognition, SiriusXM, smartphone compatibility, and Bluetooth. Higher trims have nine-inch touchscreens with integrated navigation and a program that keeps people updated on traffic conditions.

A Wi-Fi hotspot is available on the Nissan Rogue, and this can be very much appreciated by those who stream media or like to get work done from the road. Most trims have four USB ports, though the entry-level trim only has two. Higher trims can have wireless charging and Bose premium audio systems.

In the Murano, there's the same type of digital display that the driver can use to stay informed about vehicle information. Every Murano has an eight-inch touchscreen, smartphone compatibility, voice recognition, Siri Eyes Free, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM. Some models have been enhanced with navigation and SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link. All Murano's have four USB ports, but wireless charging isn't an option, unfortunately. Those who get higher trims of the Murano will be treated to better sound quality, thanks to a Bose premium audio system.

Safety

These two vehicles have been equipped with many safety components. These components include things like air bags, anti-lock brakes, and three-point seatbelts. They also include advanced equipment that can play an active role in protecting people as they head out on the roads. With driver-assist technologies, the Murano and Rogue can do a good job of keeping themselves out of harm's way. This can give drivers a lot of peace of mind and some extra confidence when they travel.

In the Rogue and Murano, there are automatic high beams. These can turn on if the road ahead is dark, without there being any headlights or streetlights in sight. If headlights are detected or if there's enough surrounding light, these high beams would turn themselves off so as to not disturb others.

There is also an automatic braking function in these vehicles. There are actually two separate braking systems, one for when the SUV is driving forwards and another for when it's driving in reverse. If the Rogue or Murano is quickly approaching another vehicle or object, it would be able to hit the brakes in an effort to avoid an accident. Of course, the driver would be alerted to the situation via a warning system.

These SUVs can keep themselves centered in their lanes, thanks to intelligent lane intervention. This isn't available in the entry-level trim of the Rogue, but it is on the Murano and all of the other Rogue trims. The entry-level Rogue does have lane departure warning so that drivers can be made aware when they're veering out of their positions.

The Rogue and Murano have standard blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear sonar systems. These aren't always standard components on vehicles in this class, so they're nice bonus features. Further, these models have driver alertness programs in order to keep people focused on the roads and not on their phones or on any other distractions.

Higher trims of both models have 360-degree monitors to improve precision when maneuvering. They can have the ability to read traffic signs and can display that information on the dashboard, and they can have adaptive cruise control. With adaptive cruise control, these vehicles can maintain a set speed if their leading vehicles are traveling at a steady pace. If those vehicles slow down, then the Rogue and Murano can slow down accordingly. If those vehicles then speed up, the Nissans would be able to do that, too. The whole idea is to give customers something similar to a semi-autonomous driving experience.

Finally, the Rogue has an additional element, and that's an available head-up display. This display can show drivers key information so that they're aware of things like safety hazards, changing speed limits, and other important issues.

Which Model to Choose?

The Murano is more refined than the Rogue is, but only in some ways. The Murano's interior amenities are more upscale than those in the Rogue are, but the two models have fairly comparable safety and technology packages.

The most notable way in which the Murano has the upper hand over the Rogue is related to performance. It has significantly more horsepower and torque than the Rogue does, and this is going to help it attract attention from certain buyers. Some people just prefer to have this extra capability so that they can more confidently travel, and it can simply be more fun to be in control of a powerful vehicle like the Murano.

As customers decide which Nissan SUVs would suit them better, price will likely be a critical factor. In this regard, the Rogue is the more attractive vehicle. It has a starting price of $25,750, which is very competitive. Its SV trim costs $27,440, its SL trim has a cost of $32,100, and its Platinum trim has a price of $35,530.

In contrast, the Murano starts out with a price of $32,610. Its SV ($35,740) and SL ($40,110) trims are in the middle of the lineup, and the Platinum tops things off with a cost of $44,160.

The Murano could be the right pick for those with larger budgets and a desire to drive highly capable SUVs. However, the Rogue can do just fine in most situations, and it actually has more interior space. For this reason, the Rogue is poised to be a popular choice.