America has been waiting almost ten years for the new Nissan Murano. The reasonably popular two-row SUV designed for empty nesters has been completely redesigned for the 2025 model year with a design that puts a fresh Nissan face forward and a sleek new cabin design.

Nissans have been known for some time to have similar fronts and interiors and add-ons from the company’s parts bin. It’s a criticism that echoes Chevrolet’s SUV. With the new Nissan Kicks and the improved Armada and Murano models, this design philosophy has changed. Everyone has their own identity.

The exterior of the Murano is more reminiscent of the Chevy Equinox, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Hyundai Kona than the Nissan Rogue or Pathfinder. The elegant headlights blend into the grille, which blends in with the elegant bean-like shape of the rest of the Murano.

Its cabin is based on the Ariya model, with similar capacitive touch buttons for the climate control functions and natural materials that flow across the dashboard. They work with a simple touch, but finding the right place to put your finger on the go isn’t as easy as it could be.

The deep center console allows for plenty of storage space. Instead of a lever, rotary or column shifter, Nissan opted for buttons that are located in the console. More than two weeks after driving the SUV, I’m still trying to figure out exactly how it feels. When I had to rush for a three-point turn, the buttons sometimes needed more than one “hit” to shift into reverse or drive. There is also a drive mode selector.

Nissan’s driver information screen and infotainment touchscreen, both measuring 12.3 inches, are cleverly placed under a continuous frame and sit above the SUV’s minimalistic steering wheel. Their design helps the cabin look bigger.

Even without illusion, the cabin is good and spacious. Nissan’s zero-gravity front seats make this area a pleasant place to spend the day. The newly designed rear seats offer a higher class of accommodation and comfort than is normally provided to rear seat passengers.

Where the Armada’s heated front seats excel, the Murano fails. I changed the settings several times throughout the day hoping to smell something, anything. It was never enough to top off the HVAC system, even though I was only wearing jeans and a light sweater.

Another major failing of the Murano is its engine. Nissan gave the SUV its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that produces 241 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. That’s more torque than the outgoing Murano, which should help it get off the line quicker if the car’s power plant reaches it quickly enough.

I don’t think the nine-speed automatic is to blame, but rather the engine’s inexcusable insensitivity. I experienced something similar in an equally equipped Rogue.

Once it’s running, the engine is great. There’s always plenty of power and you can feel yourself kicking in when you’re already on your way. But that initial lack of panache meant I had to choose when to pull away from the stop sign more carefully, trying to slide into the red lights, hoping to meet them when they turned green, just like I do when I’m driving a manual.

The Murano glides easily on the road. Its cabin is relatively quiet, which was helped by the well-maintained roads of Williamson County during the test drive. Thank goodness the sight lines in this Murano are better than the last.

The slightly lean body and lack of steering connectivity mean the car is best as a comfortable cruiser and errand runner. That’s okay, because that’s what most empty nesters will take advantage of.

Backing into a parking spot at Hank’s Coffee Station was a breeze with multiple camera angles to follow. I highly recommend trying their gingerbread cake next time you’re in town.

The Murano faces competition from the Chevrolet Blazer, Toyota Crown Signia and Mazda CX-70, among others. There are certainly highs among the bunch with the Blazer offering a powerful V6 engine, the Crown Signia being more of a car-like hybrid, and the CX-70 offering plenty of cargo space. Murano is a close competitor to each of them.

All are in the same $40,000 to $50,000 price range, with the 2025 Murano starting at $40,470 before destination and delivery charges are added. Like the Armada, the Murano has no competition, but it competes well and offers shoppers plenty of reasons to shop across.