In a Nutshell: A relatively nice people-mover with good value and the excellent Hyundai warranty.


OK, guys......keep the chuckles and the LOL's down, please. Admittedly, this vehicle, like virtually all minivans, is not exactly the epitome of automotive testosterone or driving excitement, and of course it was not intended to be. There are people who want ( or need ) a good, efficient, reasonably-priced family and vacation-mobile for the wife, kids, luggage, and pets, or to haul the ball team around. You can drool over that Corvette or Dodge Viper all you want but sometimes reality dictates a different purchase...especially for those who, for whatever reason(s), cannot afford two or more vehicles at once. And...yes....I did receive a couple of requests to check this vehicle out from some potentially interested CL members....so here you are.

( And by the way, for those of you whose circumstances DO allow some driving excitement, see my former reviews of the 2006 Corvette C6 and Dodge Magnum Hemi R/T )


The 2007 Entourage is Hyundai's first release of a traditional minivan in the American market under their own nameplate. Despite the attempts of some Hyundai salespeople to convince you to the contrary ( and you can trust me on this ), it is essentially the same vehicle as the new Kia Sedona minivan, with the same platform, body shell, and drivetrain, with some slightly different exterior and interior trim pieces...I included the Kia Sedona web site for comparison.

http://www.kia.com/06sedona/index.php

As this is Hyundai's first U.S.-market minivan, the spiritual father of this new minivan is the old Kia Sedona, which was a whale of a bargain at around $19,000 in its base form and included a standard V6, 5-speed automatic, Captain's Chairs, front and rear air conditioning, and a full power package with power mirrors, door locks, and windows. Not bad, eh? And that included the famous Huyndai / Kia 10 / 100 drive train warranty and the 5 / 60 total-vehicle one as well. A co-worker of mine bought an end-of-model-year 2003 LX for $18,200 out the door....... tax, tags, everything, including a $1900 rebate. I helped him find the vehicle and make the deal. So far it has been reliable except for warped brake rotors and one or two loose trim pieces.

However, the old Sedona lacked one important thing that has become a MUST for many minivan buyers today ( and this was one of the things that kept its price so low ) .....the fold-down 3rd-row rear seat that was originally pioneered by the Honda Odyssey / Isuzu Oasis minivans in the mid-1990's. ( The Oasis was a re badged Odyssey ).
The old Sedona lacked this feature. You had to unbolt the third seat, lift it out of the vehicle, and find a place to stow it...usually in the garage. That was fine for a young, strong teen-ager...not-so-fine for older adults with arthritis, weak backs, or other physical problems.

So, Hyundai and Kia ( Hyundai, of course, is the parent corporation ) realized that the lack of this feature, even with the low price, was costing them minivan sales ( even as the rest of the Hyundai / Kia line was running up record sales year after year ) so it was obvious, in order to keep up with the Jones's, that the the Sedona's replacement was going to have to have this feature.....and of course both the new Sedona and Entourage do. It is standard equipment even on the base models. Of course, the price has risen somewhat as well, ( that was to be expected ) but considering the level of standard equipment and the warranty on these vehicles for the price, I still rate them as bargains.

The new Entourage comes in three price levels, with the base version, the GLS, starting between $23,000-$24,000. Even in base form the GLS is quite well-equipped. There is a 3.8L V6, 5-speed automatic with manual sport-shift ( sport-shift in a minivan ? ) 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, active front head restraints, Captain's Chairs front AND rear, windshield wiper de-icers, front / rear air conditioning, full power package ( doors locks, windows, and mirrors ), dual manual sliding doors, a six-speaker stereo, electronic stability control, the usual front / side / curtain airbags, and many other features as well, including, of course, the aforementioned folding 3rd-row seats.

Moving up to the SE and Limited models adds, depending on model, heated mirrors, automatic climate control, solar glass, chrome inside / outside door handles, wood trim / chrome or brushed metal / chrome interior trim depending on color, fog lights, memory seats ( with Mercedes-style door-mounted power seat-profile controls), DVD entertainment system, premium stereo, power rear glass or power lift gate, leather seats, electroluminescent gauges, and automatic headlights. All three versions use the same body, drive train, and wheelbase.
I chose the base GLS for review because I felt that for most families, unless they wanted or needed the DVD system for the kiddies or wanted the nicer interior and extra features of the upmarket models, the GLS would do just fine...at a lower price, although I consider all three models to be a bargain for what you get. GLS models start out between $23,000 and $24,000, and even fully loaded Limited models run $33,000-$34,000.....several thousand less than upmarket Siennas, Odysseys, and Chrysler Town and Countrys. So one of the nice things about this vehicle is that you can get the top version for what the medium version of some other minivans cost...and with a much better warranty to boot.

However, none of the three versions offer AWD...and Hyundai as yet has not made any announcements as to this regard. The underfloor space required for the folding rear seats sometimes precludes the installation of the hardware need for AWD. And, among current minivans in the U.S. market, only the Toyota Sienna has found a way to offer AWD with a folding third-row seat...for an extra price, of course.

OK......now to examine the Entourage in detail:


Model Reviewed: 2007 Hyundai Entourage GLS
Base Price: $23,775
Major Options: None
Freight: $700
Sticker price: $24,475 ( a $500 rebate is currently in effect )
Exterior Color: South Pacific Blue
Interior: Beige Cloth
Powertrain: 3.8L V6 with Variable Valve Timing, 242 HP @6000 RPM, torque 251 ft.-lbs. at 3500 RPM, 5-speed automatic transmission with Sportshift, Front-wheel drive


PLUSSES:


As usual for Hyundai / Kia, great value.

Smooth, quiet transmission.

Folding 3rd row seat ( finally ).

Well-applied paint.

Relatively comfortable and supportive Captain's chairs.

Versatile front seat allow rear access

Good assembly quality.

Attractive two-tone dash and interior...naturally, even nicer on the upmarket models.

Excellent gauges.

Generally good interior and exterior hardware.

Controls all easy to use with a few exceptions.

70-series tires on base model give a relatively smooth ride.

Excellent handling by minivan standards.

Good but not excellent brakes

Numerous airbags and safety equipment.



MINUSES


Doors could feel and shut more solidly.

Turn-signal lever needs a better return spring.

Difficult to turn fan switches off.

Power steering way over boosted.

Ugly, triangular headlights similar to the present Honda Accord

Typical minivan funeral-home paint colors.

Captain's Chairs limit second-row seating to two people.

Under hood access to top of engine encumbered by the large, needless plastic engine cover.
(This is becoming a problem with more and more vehicles )


OK...the first thing that impresses you about this vehicle as you first walk up to it is its generally handsome shape....a shape that, unfortunately is marred in front by the ugly ( IMO ) triangular up-sweep headlights that more and more auto manufacturers seem obsessed with nowadays. Get past that eyesore and it is a pretty good-looking vehicle. I don't care for the general body lines quite as much as I did the old Sedona, which this vehicle ( and the new Sedona of course ) replaces, but the general overall look is positive. The South Pacific Blue paint on the test vehicle ( actually a nice blue-silver ) was well-applied, with a smooth texture, almost no orange-peel, and evenness of coat....almost Lexus like. The exterior hardware was also well-done, although the base GLS version lacked the exterior chrome trim of the upmarket models.

The aluminum hood, though lightweight like on a growing number of today's vehicles, opened and shut with the solidness and precision of a Swiss watch.

Unfortunately, the Swiss-watch solidness and precision of the hood did not seem to extend to the other outside doors as well....both front doors, both manual sliding doors and the manual lift gate ( gotta get the SE or Limited for the power ones ) felt and sounded rather cheesy as they opened and shut. I've seen worse ones.....these are not the worst ones I have used, but with these doors you just don't get the satisfying " Thunk " you do with some vehicles...like even with the last-generation of Hyundai's own entry-level $10,000 Accent, for example.

Inside, there is plenty of room, which is more or less expected in a minivan. Headroom, shoulder room, and legroom are no problem....and the lack of a sunroof in the base version, of course, adds even more to the headroom. The 3rd row seat, as with other minivans, is best left for children or small adults. The jack is stowed in a plastic-doored compartment on the left wall just inside the lift gate. The Captain's Chairs, of course, increase the comfort for two in the middle-row seats at the expense of carrying three.

The seats, in the base version, are all covered in a nice durable-looking and feeling cloth, with cloth-upholstered pull-down armrests. Cupholders, as expected in a state-of-the-art minivan, are to be found for every seat. The gauges are excellent....some of the best I've seen. You couldn't ask for anything clearer or easier on the eyes, even in the non-electroluminescent base version. The speedometer, besides being ultra-clear, also bucks the annoying tendency I see in so many of today's vehicles to use the 20-MPH increements...it has numbers starting from 10, 20, 30, etc...instead of 20, 40, 60. This, IMO, makes your speed easier to read at a glance. Being a licensed airplane pilot with some instrument training , I for one appreciate gauges like this that are decipherable at a glance. The rest of the two-tone dash, IMO is quite attractive, with well-done and solid-feeling two-tier glove box doors containing useful mini-compartments within, generally good hardware throughout, easy-to-use controls ( with one or two exceptions...I'll get to that in a minute ) high-quality materials, good fit-and-finish, and generally good attention to detail....though the base GLS version naturally lacks some of the warmth and glitter of the wood-trim and brushed metal / chrome interiors of the two upmarket models.

There is no push-button ignition...you use an old-fashioned key. The stereo controls and hardware are pretty much the same ones used in the Sonata and Azera. The stereo itself, while I wouldn't necessarily consider it a " killer " stereo like the Lexus Mark Levinson system, is quite a good one for the money....certainly better-than-average for a low-priced minivan. The front and rear climate controls, right below the stereo, are generally easy to use except for turning the fans off...it is rather difficult because you have to hunt for a tiny little " O " on the knob that is almost invisible...especially as I imagine it would be at night. ( I reviewed the vehicle around noon )

The turn-signal lever on the left side of the steering column could also use some improvement. The return spring is quite weak....so when you push down or up on it for a simple lane-change flash, it is very easy to go past it and click the detent, so you either have to un-click it by hand or turn sharply enough for the steering wheel to un-cancel it. That and the fan switches, though, are just a couple of minor annoyances in an otherwise well-done interior.

As it was a 90-degree day in Washington with a very bright sun ( and the base model doesn't come with solar glass ) it was a good test of the dual front / rear A / C, which generally worked OK but naturally took awhile to start to cool down that large interior. No one else on the road, though, seems to make as good an A/C system as Lexus...and this vehicle is no exception.

In between the two front seats, the front cup holder assembly swings down out of the way at the flip of a lever so Mom can get up if necessary and crawl back to tend to Junior in the back seat...or to break up the inevitable intra-sibling rivalries and squabbles on a long trip. If this is going to be a recurring problem, perhaps the upmarket SE and Limited models with the DVD entertainment systems would be worth considering.

On the road, this is, of course, a minivan, so driving it is not exactly the peak of automotive excitement, but by people-mover standards, it runs quite well. The only really annoying thing is the grossly overboosted power steering.....there is about as much road feel from the front wheels through the steering wheel as driving on glare ice. But the handling is first-rate by minivan standards.......good response with a minimum of under steer and low levels of body roll.....unusual in tall, high-center-of-gravity vehicles like these, especially with the high-profile 70-series tires standard on the base model ( the other two get 60's ). The high-profile tires give a generally smooth ride, though my test vehicle showed some impact harshness and noise from road irregularities and bumps... probably not so much from the tires themselves as from the fact that many dealerships forget to adjust the pressures to their proper level when they come off the truck, and they were as a result probably a little more pumped-up than they should ave been. I did not adjust them as I usually do because, as already mentioned, the vehicle had been sitting in the hot sun baking the black rubber tires and I couldn't get accurate pressures anyway.

Ride quality, with the above exception ( and, as noted, it may not really be an exception ) was quite good. Road noise except for bump impacts was subdued, as was wind noise as well. So......even though the doors, as previously mentioned, didn't FEEL solid when they shut, they DID seal up well.

The 3.8L V6 had enough torque for all normal stop-and-go driving and moderate cruising speeds. Acceleration with my lightly-loaded vehicle ( just me ) was plenty adequate in most conditions....I don't know what it would do with 5-6 people and luggage on board. However, this is not a light vehicle even empty ( 4500 lbs +/-) so the engine has its work cut out for it. The 5-speed transmission with Sportshift is a gem.....smooth, quiet, Lexus-like with almost imperceptible shifts under light throttle. ( Still, I don't understand why both Sportshift and a tachometer are standard in this vehicle, though......most drivers will neither use them nor have a need to ).

Brakes are good but not excellent overall...OK response, smooth pedal, a little bit of slop, fairly even response, average stopping distances ( I don't test them full-force on a new vehicle ) but certainly much better than the awful Sponge-O-Matic brakes on, say, the big GM SUV's.

The verdict? A good people-mover at a good price with a good warranty with fairly good ( by minivan standards ) road manners apart from the overboosted steering, a generally well-done interior even in the base version, and of course the excellent Hyundai / Kia warranty. Hyundai and Kia have finally addressed the previous model's biggest shortcoming....the lack of the folding 3rd seat ....and the present model, in my opinion, needs only a little more solid-feeling doors, a better return spring for the turn-signal switch, clearer fan switch markings, and a little more powerful fan motor for hot days to cure what few glitches it still has.

In a nutshell: The classic Anti-Sport sedan gets some sport.





Model Tested: 2007 Lexus ES350

Base price: $33,170

Major Options: Premium Plus Package with NAV $7424 ( many different premium packages are available...this was the top-of-the-line one )
Freight $695

List Price $41,289

Color: Blue Onyx Pearl
Interior: Cashmere ( beige ) leather with Brown Walnut trim.

Drivetrain: FWD, 3.5L transverse-mount V6, 272 HP @ 6200 RPM, torque 254 ft.-lbs. @ 4700 RPM, 6-speed ECT sequential-shift automatic.



The mid-sized Lexus ES series was originally introduced shortly after the introduction of the original LS400 as the ES250...essentially a Toyota Camry with a Lexus badge on it. Potential customers, in general, were not impressed, as the car's rather dismal sales showed....people knew they could get the same car for thousands less at a Toyota dealership.
That started to change, however, with the introduction of the second-generation ES300, as Lexus learned from the sales flop of the first model, and the car by then started to be a real entry-level luxury car that, while still using the Camry platform, differentiated itself from the Camry in a number of ways, such as electroluminescent gauges, two-tone exteriors, extra sound insulation, more features inside, etc....
That second-generation car also developed a bulletproof reputation for reliability IF you kept the oil changed regularly on the 3.0L V6. If you did not, like other Toyota and Lexus models equipped with this powerplant, you ran the strong risk of the oil gelling, sludging, and a ruined engine. This engine was durable but NOT forgiving of oil neglect.
The third-generation car, the ES300 / 330, while again keeping the basic Camry platform and really coming into its own as a super-plush entry-level luxury car, incorporated a new 3.3L V6 midway through its model cycle, radical up-sweep headlights, stunning wood trim throughout the cabin and doors, a super-smooth, quiet ride, and flawless workmanship throughout. This car, quite deservingly, in a world of increasing sportiness and BMW look-alikes and drive-alikes, developed a reputation as the " Anti-Sport " sedan....as was a comfort standout in its price range.
So......so does the 2007 model continue the luxury and comfort tradition of the car it replaces? Yes...and No......as we will shortly see.
The 2007 model is available in only one trim line...but with quite a number of different packages that allow you to more or less tailor the car to your own tastes, equipment-wise. The new 3.5L V6 is a major improvement over the former engine. The general interior layout and fit-and-finish level, IMO, is rather dissapointing, though, especially compared to the 2006 model, and while the new car does not exactly worship at the altar of sportiness, it is apparant that it has hung around that altar long enough to say a few prayers.....like in the change of tires from the smoother-riding 60-series to firmer-riding lower-profile 55-series. Lexus, like other manufacturers, is gradually moving away from comfort and trying to pander to the corner-carving crowd....and, for the first time, it shows up even on this car.....one of the last reasonably-priced, comfort-oriented cars in today's automotive world. Folks, I'm afraid that we are at or near the end of an era.
OK...so much for the car's history. let's look at this new car now in detail:



PLUSSES

Smooth, quiet, powerful, torquey engine.

Smooth, quiet, seamless transmission.

Classically Lexus A-1 paint job.

Headlights now less gaudy-looking .

Well-designed brakes with reasonably firm pedal.

Nice wood trim.....but not enough of it.

Clear, well-designed gauges and controls, even with the NAV system...with one exception.

Low noise level.....except from the new tires.

Killer stereo....like on other Lexus vehicles.

New engine-start button replaces key.



MINUSES:

New 55-series tires detract from the former silky-smooth ride quality.

New, lower roofline compromises headroom, especially in the rear seat.

NOTHING is accessible under the hood except for oil dipstick and a few fluid reservoirs.

Less-plush interior than previous car.....and with some fit-and-finish problems.

Interior too much like the IS and GS...needs more differentiation from those cars.

Power-mirror controls hard to use.

Rear-seat pull-out armrest and cupholders cheaply made ( for a Lexus )

Exterior paint colors could be a little better ( the gorgeous Matador Red color from the IS and GS is not offered on this car...it should be ).


The first impression you get of theis car as you walk up to it is that of the increasing similiarity of design among the various new Lexus models. This car, outside, looks much like the new IS and GS in many ways, though the new headlights, IMO are a major improvement over the wild, ultra-sweepback design of the last ES330, which were clearly out of character with that car. In fact, the new front end on this car looks very much like the new Acura RL.....a car I have an extremely high opinion of.....and like the RL, with this car, and with virtually all Lexus products, you get a truly first-class paint job, even if the colors are a little dull. Lexus should consider the truly stunning Matador Red for this car....that paint job will knock your socks off without being too garish a color.
Unfortunately, under the hood, the designers really blew it. While they put in a real gem of an engine this time, due to the engine's huge plastic cover and the covers on the inner fenders, nothing....that's right, NOTHING....can be reached except the oil dipstick and filler cap, window-washer fluid container, and brake-fluid reservior. Only the Porsche Boxster is worse.....it has no hood at all....you go up underneath.

The new, slightly lower roofline takes away some headroom, especially in the rear seat where there is a sharp down-sweep ( I kept banging my 6' 2" head getting in and out of the back seat even after trying it several times ), and the virtually standard-equipment sunroof takes away more headroom in front. According to the salespeople, you can get non-sunroof models, but you must special-order one and wait....you probably will not find one on the lot. Legroom, however, unlike in the sibling IS, is fine both front and rear....and the leather seats are comfortable front and rear.

The new interior, IMO, like the new exterior ( and I know opinions are going to differ on this ) looks too much like brothers IS and GS. It is not particularly easy to differentiate these three models from a distance.....a factor that makes each model rather difficult to pick out on a dealer's lot where they are all crammed in together. Likewise inside....the general layout of the interior, door panels, and dash, while showing some minor differences, is much the same in all three cars....and in the new ES version loses some plushness not only in comparison to the 2006 model but to the new IS and GS as well. The Brown Walnut wood trim is very well done, especially on the steering wheel, which has a slick, polished feel, and on the center console, but IMO there just isn't enough of it anymore for a real luxury car....the former, beautiful, wide wood-trim strips that ran across the whole dash and all 4 door panels are gone, with much smaller ones on the doors. And somehow, to me, the whole interior doesn't seem as well-done, trim-wise, as the new IS or GS despite the obvious similiarities....the console and shifter in particular, depite the well-polished wood, did not seem as well-finished as the one in the new IS.
There were some assembly problems, too, inside.......unusual for a Lexus....which did NOT show up on the new IS or GS. My particular test car ( brand-new ) not only had minor dash creaks and rattles but a loose radio-tuning knob as well that fell off and had to be stuck back on. And the rear-seat center pull-down center-armest that also housed the cup holders looked and felt like the ones that GM sticks into a lot of their vehicles.

Not all inside, however, is second-rate. The basic control layout and ease of use is still the typical Lexus high standard. Unlike the awful controls in some German cars, everything except the power-mirror switch was well-laid out, clearly marked, simple in function, and easy-to-use....even the integrated NAV / climate control / stereo functions. And Lexus stereos? Simply the BEST.....and this one is no exception. ( I wish I had brought along some Judas Priest or Twisted Sister CD's with me to REALLY enjoy it ).

Only the power-mirror switch was difficult to use. It is too small and it is hard to get a big finger like mine inside the hole in the center part to activate the left-right tab.

In back, there is OK room inthe trunk, and the trunk has the usual Lexus amenities like a nice cargo net and first-aid kit.

On the road, the new engine is a real gem ( except for the previously stated fact that you can't REACH anything on it ).....and it partly makes up for some of the other defincies in this new car. Smooth, quiet, powerful, torquey ....everything you could ask for. Lexus quotes a standard 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds...not bad. This is not only comparable to some of the 60's muscle cars that I grew up with but roughly equals the Turbo GS-T 1995-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipses and Eagle Talons that were so popular with tuners and the caps-on-backwards crowd. The new six-speed automatic, with a manual shift-gate, likewise, was a gem of a unit......smooth, seamless, quiet, with no quirky-shift characteristics that I could note......that was a major area of owner complaints in the 2001-2003 models.

The new car also retains the former excellent sound isolation from wind noise and road rumble that the previous car offered, and over smooth surfaces, the new car, like the old one, is as quiet as a tomb........but the switch to the lower-profile ( and slightly more aggressive ) 55-series tires, an obvious sop to the " sport " crowd, took a little out of the former silky-smoothness.. The car is still relatvely softly-sprung compared to the IS and GS, and of course is no Miata or S2000, but the new tires transmit noticeably more impact noise and harshness over bumps and road irregularities. As I mentioned before, when even the ES and Cadillac DeVille / DTS start to get tires like these, I'm afraid we're at the end of an era in ride comfort. But, conversely, ( and not surprisingly ) there is a little less under steer, plowing, and body roll with this car. Obviously, it is still not designed to tame the Nurburgring, but it is a little more forgiving in a sharp corner than the old car was. I, however, preferred the ride comfort of the old one......race-car handling is not particularly important to me.

Brakes...no problem, even though the FWD layout gives puts more stress and braking action on the front wheels than in the more evenly-balanced RWD and AWD IS and GS models. The pedal has a nice combination of a firm feel, smooth response, and evenness of proportion. Just don't expect Porsche 911 stopping distances, that's all.

So...the verdict? Those who like the new IS and GS will probably like this car as well....although the new ES's interior does not seem to be quite as well-done as on those other two cars. The new ES comes a little closer to the IS and GS standard of handling, while still offering FWD foul-weather traction without the complexities of AWD. If you regularly carry tall people in back, though, check the back seat carefully...the sweep-down roof takes its toll.

Those of you, though, like me, who like a plusher and easier-natured car, will probably prefer the old one.....so my recommendation for you is to get a leftover 2006 while they are still on the lot.....soon they will be gone.

In a Nutshell: A jelly-bean-shaped Highlander / Pilot with more show than go.


I had not planned on reviewing this vehicle, at least this year, but I received a special request from a well-respected CL member ........so, for him and anyone else interested in this vehicle, here you are.

The Murano is a rather unconventionally-styled, mid-size, car-based SUV that was introduced to the American market for the 2003 model year as not only competition for the growing list of car-based SUV's available, but also to target the popular Toyota Highlander and the then-upcoming Honda pilot in this category. Nissan, up to this point, had marketed mostly trucks and truck-based SUV's specifically designed for off-roading...vehicles such as the XTerra, Pathfinder, Frontier, etc.... Brief attempts by Nissan in the late 1980's and early 90's to market car-based AWD vehicles such as the ill-fated tall Sentra AWD wagon and the Axxess ended up as complete flops....and, along with the demise of the wonderful 300ZX sports car, helped push Nissan further down the road to oblivion and bankrupcy.
Then, of course, along came Carlos Ghosn and Renault, with money and new ownership, and his now-famous Nissan-Infiniti cost-cutting program which gave us vehicles with Cracker-Jack-box cardboard interiors and goofy, Renault-like exteriors ( is anyone surprised? ). His legacy, of course, is too well-known and has been discussed too much here at CAR CHAT for me to re-hash all the details...and that is not the purpose of this review.

So.....the Murano. Well, it was obvious, from the growing popularity of mid-size, car-based SUV's that the Nissan engineers and marketers had to rethink their earlier objectives and come up with a GOOD car-based SUV that worked and that would sell. And it had to have a ride, that, unlike the bucking-bronco XTerra, did not toss you all over the road every time you ran over a cigarette butt. Off-road capability was not much of a concern....Nissan and Infiniti already had that covered with other vehicles. So...the engineers, just like Toyota did with the Highlander / Camry and Honda did with the Pilot / Accord, started with the most obvious base for a platform......the mid-sized Altima, which had just been redone with a new V6 engine option in the SE sedan ( but unfortunately had one of the worst of Ghosn's Cracker-Jack interiors ). So...a couple of waves of the magic wand, and......presto......out of the hat comes the all-new Murano, with carlike manners, a civilized ride, and ( like the Altima ) a rather cheap-looking but functional interior.

What is interesting, though, is that while the Murano was originally designed to go head-to-head with the Highlander and Pilot, for the 2006 model year and for the forseeable future it actually is much closer to the new upcoming Mazda CX7 and Saturn Pre-Vue in looks...unless the Murano is extensively redesigned soon, these two new vehicles will probably be its closest ( and primary ) competitors, not the Highlander or Pilot.

OK.....so much for the Murano's history. Now let's take a look at the vehicle itself. It is available in three trim levels.....S, SL, and SE, and with either front or all-wheel-drive. Only one engine currently is available..the ubiquitous 3.5L V6 used in many other Nissan and Infiniti products but here in a rather detuned 245 HP form, and one transmission...a CVT ( Continiously-Variable-Transmission )
I chose an S AWD model to review because I thought that for the money, it was the best value, the most sensibly-priced model for the equipment offered, reasonably-well equpped, and would make the best investment as an all-weather daily driver if you are willing to forgo ( as I am ) leather seats and some other frills.


Model Tested: 2006 Nissan Murano S AWD
Exterior color: Super Black ( KH3)
Interior: Beige ( Caffe Latte ) cloth with matching cloth door trim.

Base price: $29,200
Major option: Convenience package, $800, which is basically power-adjustable pedals and a 10-way power driver's bucket seat.

List Price: $30,995

Drivetrain: 3.5L V6, 245 HP @ 5,800 RPM, 246 ft.-lbs. torque @ 4,400 RPM
CVT ( Continuously Variable Transmission ) with dual gear ranges
All-Wheel-Drive with center differential, no Low range.




PLUSSES:


Smooth, quiet ( but not powerful ) engine

Smooth, quiet, seamless CVT operation

Very quiet ride, especially by SUV standards.....good isolation from road and wind noise.

Classy, chrome grille

Improved fit-and-finish over the initial 2003-2004 models......but still not first-class.

Clever, extremely well-designed rear-seat releases inside of hatchback at the rear.

Easy-to-reach spare tire inside under rear floor.

Power-adjustable pedals ( an option ) allows use by many different driver physiques.

Solid-feeling door handles with well-applied chrome.

5-Star safety side-impact rating.

Better-than-average brakes for an SUV.

Quite roomy front AND rear seats despite the curvy, jelly-bean styling.




MINUSES:


Engine overburdened by the almost 4000-lb. curb weight and AWD despite the efficient CVT.

Brake pedal too close to accelerator for big feet ( like my size 15's ) despite the power adjustments.

Numb, overboosted power steering....one of the car's worst features.

Relatively high center-of-gravity causes slight porpoise-like ride motions ( common with SUV's ).

Not enough underhood space for the engine.........crammed in too tight.

Orange-peel black paint ( but not the worst I've seen ).

Awkward location of power mirror controls on console.

Flimsy, wobbly, poorly-designed Mickey-Mouse-ear-shaped gauge pod in front of the steering wheel......another one of the car's worst features.

Cheap-looking and feeling radio controls.

(Once again, typical of so many vehicles today ) Funeral-home paint colors, except for the Sunset Red.



This is NOT your typical two or three-box design SUV, and you are well-reminded of that the first time you walk up to it and inspect it. As I mentioned in my opening comments, the first impression you get is that of a big jelly-bean, front and rear, with a big, Renault-style triangular rear D-Pillar ( no surprise there ) and, I'll admit, a classy-looking chrome grille, though the styling in general is far from my cup of tea. There is plenty of ground clearance for mud, snow, and minor, light-duty off-roading, though, as I mentioned earlier, this vehicle was not designed for heavy-duty off-road stuff........leave that to the XTerra and Pathfinder.

Under the hood, the engineers may have goofed....the jelly-bean curves of the front end wrap around the engine VERY closely and leave virtually no space at all for air to circulate or to do any work underhood at all...and matters are not helped any either by the huge plastic engine cover that blocks almost everything of any consequence except for the oil dipstick and filler cap. However, to be fair, despite the fit of the size-20 engine in the size-10 hood, I am not aware of any problems with this engine overheating from lack of air space or of any Nissan recalls or service bulletins covering it....but it will be interesting to see if this lack of air circulation still adds enough extra heat to compromise the engine's service life and deteriorate the oil quicker.......most Nissan V6's go well over 150,000 miles with no problems.

Once your eyes recover from the rather radical bodywork and styling, time to get in. ( and it took me a while to get it ready for a test-drive......all four tires were at a rock-hard 50 PSI instead of the recommended 32 and it was out of gas....me and the salesman had to go get a big jugful of gas from the dealer's pumps and pour it in the tank just to get it off the lot )

OK.......get in, close the OK-sounding but not bank-vault-solid doors with the classy chrome door handles, and get everything adjusted up. The interior is surprisingly roomy, with loads of room in both the front and rear seats, even for my BIG frame. I could sit in the rear seat with my knees clearing the front seatback even when the front seat was adjusted for a tall person, which for me is unusual. Headroom is ( surprisingly ) NOT compromised by the jelly-bean roof styling....the rear does not sweep down enough to hit the top of most people's heads. I could sit in the driver's seat with my traditional baseball cap and still have room to spare....even with the seat not adjusted all the way down. The power-adjustable foot pedals are useful for drivers of varying sizes, but lifting off the gas, my big, size-15 shoes tended to get hung up under the brake pedal regardless of adjustment.
The rest of the interior is a curious mixture from brilliant all the way to downright ridiculous. Open the rear hatchback and a pair of clever, solid-feeling handles built into the rear sides of the hatch, right in front of you, releases each rear 50 / 50 seat half so that it folds down for cargo. There is no third-row seat option that I could find in the Nissan literature....that would probably be impractical with the rear-end styling of this vehicle and apparantly is left to the larger Pathfinder and Armada. The upholstery is a nice, luxurious-feeling soft cloth with matching door panel inserts. There is front and rear air-conditioning, dual left-right climate controls in front, good outward visibility except for the rear D-pillars earlier mentioned, and the controls generally have a good, solid look and feel except for the cheap-looking and cheap-feeling, flimsy, matte-black radio. The gauges, like on some Infinitis, are silver-gray with orange markings. The power-mirror controls, while solid-feeling, are awkwardly located on the front part of the console.

The primary gauge panel, though, in front of the driver, with the speedometer and tach is nothing short of ludicrous. Three medium-sized, F-L-I-M-S-Y, Mickey-Mouse-ear-shaped rings stick up out of the dash, and they wobble back and forth like they were attached with chewing gum. This would have been unacceptable, IMO, in a 1980's-vintage Hyundai or Kia, much less a modern state-of-the-art vehicle from Nissan. Mr. Ghosn......THIS kind of cost-cutting is ridiculous.


OK........start up the engine ( no button here...you do it the old-fashioned way with a key ) and the 3.5L V6 starts up SO smoothly and quietly it is stunning. This engine has a reputation for refinement, and the idle is clearly in the Lexus ES330 class.

Unfortunately, the engineers saw fit to put in a detuned 245 HP version of this powerplant.....a long way from the 290-300 HP versions we are now seeing in other Nissan and Infiniti products.......and it shows. While smooth and quiet as butter, it is clearly overburdened by the vehicle's 4000-lb.weight and the drag of AWD, despite the ultra-efficient CVT transmission. In this way, it reminds one of the Ford Five Hundred / Freestyle AWD vehicles with their CVT's and V6's as well....and they are no powerhouses either. There is enough power and acceleration for normal driving in fairly level areas, but you will not have much reserve power for full loads, for upgrades, of if you need to pass an 18-wheeler quickly on a two-lane road.
The CVT, like the engine, is smooth, quiet, and seamless.....as is the AWD system. Two gear ranges are provided, along with a manual-shift Sport feature. But, the long-term durability of this transmission to some extent is a question mark.......CVT's have been used with small engines for years but are relatively recent to V6's. However, Nissan's rather generous 5-year / 60,000 mile drivetrain warranty ( typical of lower-price Japanese-brand vehicles ) will cover it for a while....and will also give peace of mind with the complex AWD system required by the sideways-mounted V6.

The ride is fairly soft by SUV standards, although there is a small amount of fore-and-aft porpoising typical of high center-of-gravity SUV's, and extremely quiet, again by SUV standards...the engineers here have really done a good job with noise isolation. This is one of the car's outstanding features......like with the super-smooth and quiet engine idle, you almost think you are in Lexus RX300. This is a good vehicle for long-distance highway cruising...or for going to Grandma's house.

But....when it comes time to do some cornering, it seems that the engineers had Grandma and her arthritis more in mind than any semblance at all of road feel when they designed the grossly over boosted power steering system. The power steering has enough Novocain shot through it to supply every dentist in Chicago. Guiding this car around corners is like trying to turn a skateboard on glare ice....you move the wheel and judge what the front end is doing by turn rate alone rather than with any road feel at all.....and the civilized ride manners, of course, produce less-than-perfectly-flat cornering, with significant body roll. Spend a couple more dollars on a new power-steering pump, please, Mr. Ghosn.

OK...the brakes at least partly make up for the lousy steering feel........completely the opposite of the Mush-O-Matic, Push-and-Pray brakes in the big GM SUV's. A nice, firm pedal, linear response, lack of fade, and standard-equipment Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force distribution for safety are standard, which shows Mr. Ghosn is not a complete miser and DID spend some money here. . however, I am not a big fan of Brake Assist...a technology first pioneered ( like so many others ) by Mercedes-Benz. BA is fine if you have to make a panic stop, but what about the fellow BEHIND you....especially if HE doesn't have BA or some kind of automatic stopping device? You could very quickly be on rear-bumper terms with him.

Well, there you have it. My overall assessment of this vehicle? Radically-styled, roomy, refined, basically competent, reasonable price ( in the S version ) for a mid-sized SUV with AWD, good for long-distance travel and arrow-straight roads, good brakes, but grossly lacking in steering feel, mildly lacking in acceleration, and with an insultingly cheap primary-instrument gauge pod.