Nissan Rogue vs Murano: How Do They Compare?

Nissan has an extensive line of SUVs, and the Rogue and Murano are its two most popular. In fact, the Rogue is their best-selling vehicle in North America.

The Rogue is slightly smaller and cheaper, whereas the Murano is bigger and more luxurious. But that’s not all there is to it. Let’s take a closer look!

Quick Summary

The Nissan Murano is bigger than the Nissan Rogue and comes with more standard features, but the Nissan Rogue received a more recent overhaul.

Nissan Rogue 3/4 view
Rogue
Nissan Murano 3/4 view
Murano

Compact Crossover SUV vs Midsize SUV

While these two Nissan SUV models might appear similar to the untrained eye, the Rogue is a compact crossover which competes with the likes of the Honda CR V and Toyota RAV4, whereas the larger Murano is a midsize SUV which competes with the likes of the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Edge.

Compact Crossovers are traditionally seen as more nimble and practical for inner city driving, whereas Midsize SUVs offer more luxury and power.

As a result, the first question to ask yourself is what kind of vehicle you’re looking for. Do you want to go with a more fuel efficient vehicle which is still rugged and good for some off-roading, or spend more on a larger, more capable vehicle?

Pricing

The Rogue is the cheaper of the two, with the base 2019 Rogue S starting at $25,020 MSRP whereas the base 2019 Murano S starts at $31,370 MSRP (excluding destination charges).

Exterior

The Nissan rogue maintains its rather conservative design for 2020, with fairly standard headlamp and tail light styling.

By contrast, the Nissan Murano has a bolder, eye-catching design with headlights that stretch back to the A-pillar and a more streamlined silhouette.

Design is always subjective, but personally we’re a much bigger fan of the Murano’s more inspired design that wouldn’t look out of place coming out of a Lexus factory.

Nissan Rogue rear view
Rogue
Nissan Murano rear view
Murano

Comparing size, the Murano is the bigger of the two, measuring 192.4 inches long versus the Rogue’s 184.5 inches. It’s also around three inches wider and an inch taller, although the Rogue offers slightly more ground clearance compared to the Nissan Murano.

Interior Space

The Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano are both two row SUVs that can seat up to five people.

Despite being the smaller crossover, the Rogue actually boasts over an inch more legroom for the front seats. There’s also more headroom for passengers in the back.

Meanwhile the Nissan Murano offers more rear seat legroom and has wider seats in both rows. However, the

For cargo capacity, the Nissan Rogue offers more cargo space with 39.3 cu.ft. when the rear seats upright, or a rather generous 70.0 cu.ft. when the rear seats are put down. By comparison, the Nissan Murano offers 32.1 cu.ft. and 67.0 cu.ft. of cargo volume respectively. Again, the Rogue goes against the common assumption that a compact crossover can’t load as much cargo as a midsize SUV.

Interior Design

While the Nissan rogue makes clever use of its space to leave more room for cargo, the Murano’s interior feels more luxurious. Instead of the simple black plastics that line the Rogue’s interior, you get plusher materials with wood grain trims and aluminum accents that add a classy touch.

Nissan Rogue interior
Rogue
Nissan Murano interior
Murano

The Murano also gets more luxury features like zero gravity seating designed to reduce fatigue on longer journeys and an impressive 10-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support.

Of course, the Rogue’s interior quality does ultimately depend on the trim you choose, and going for the Platinum Reserve interior package will give you nice leather-appointed seats with quilted leather inserts.

Interior Features

Being the more expensive model, the Murano comes with more interior features unless you option your Rogue or go for a higher end trim. The Nissan Murano Platinum comes with things like adaptive cruise control and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, whereas the Rogue does not.

However, even the cheaper Rogue trims are generously-equipped for their price. A 7-inch touch screen infotainment with full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility come as standard. Other features often missing from base trims in comparable compact crossovers such as blind spot monitoring and a rear view camera, also come as standard with the Rogue.

Engine Performance

Although both the Rogue and Murano include hill start assist and an Xtronic CVT® as standard, the engine selection differs across the two models.

The Nissan Rogue offers two powertrains – traditional and hybrid. Going with the traditional powertrain, the Rogue has a 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 175 lb.-ft. of torque. This makes it capable of towing up to 1,102 lbs.

The Murano is only available with a 3.5L DOHC V6 gas engine. This more powerful engine can produce 260 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of torque that gives it a maximum towing capacity of 1,500 lbs. Despite being the heavier vehicle, the Murano is still accelerates quicker than the Rogue thanks to the more capable engine.

Both compact SUV models can engage sport mode to boost power and responsiveness.

Those anticipating some soft off-roading or wintry conditions will want to consider the intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) versions of the Rogue/Murano. By default, they come with a front wheel drive configuration.

Fuel Economy

As you would expect from a smaller car, the Rogue offers superior fuel efficiency, capable of 29 mpg in combined highway and city driving. However, within the midsize class the Murano offers relatively good fuel efficiency with 24 mpg in combined driving.

Safety

Both Nissans offer good safety for both the driver and passengers. However, the 2019 Nissan Murano is one of the top-rated SUVs for safety according to NHTSA, earning a 5-star safety rating overall and across all individual crash tests. The Rogue didn’t fare as well, earning a 4-star overall rating .

Looking at IIHS tests, both vehicles scored the highest scores in crashworthiness tests.

Driver Assists

From the 2019 model and beyond, both the Nissan Rogue and Murano offer a good number of safety assistance features. This includes forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection and more.

They also offer options for intelligent driver-assists such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and monitoring, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist and rear cross-traffic alert.

Reliability

Looking at the most recent JD Power scores for the 2018 models, both scored 9/10 for overall quality which and 10/10 for mechanical quality . Nissan SUVs are generally considered fairly reliable, and Nissan offer a 3-year/36,000-mile basic and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty which is fairly standard within the automotive industry.

Verdict

Nissan offer two good crossover/SUV options with the Rogue and Murano. The Rogue is their best-selling vehicle in the U.S. and has gained a solid reputation for being affordable, reliable and practical . However, as the Crossover segment becomes more crowded with competition, the Nissan Rogue lags behind the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V which are considered to be the best available options right now.

The Nissan Murano is better suited for those looking for a more luxurious experience and an engine that delivers more oomph. The Murano represents good value for money within the midsize SUV segment, and it’s aggressive styling definitely makes it more interesting than the Rogue’s uninspired looks.

If you’re still deciding on which Nissan crossover is for you, we highly recommend a visit to your nearest Nissan dealership for a test drive.

Comparison Table

2021 Nissan Rogue2021 Nissan Murano
Trim
Price$26050$32810
Performance
Engine2.5L Inline-4 Gas3.5L V6 Gas
Horsepower181 hp @ 6000 rpm260 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque181 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm240 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
TransmissionContinuously Variable Automatic (CVT)Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
DrivetrainFront-Wheel DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Handling
Steering TypeRack-PinionRack-Pinion
Rear SuspensionMulti-LinkMulti-Link
Rear Wheel SizeP225/65HR17P235/65TR18
Front SuspensionStrutStrut
Front Wheel SizeP225/65HR17P235/65TR18
Turning Diameter (ft.)-38.7
Fuel Economy
MPG/MPGe - Hwy3528
MPG/MPGe - City2720
MPG/MPGe - Combined3023
Gas Tank Size (gallons)14.519.0
Cruising Range - Hwy (miles)507.5532.0
Size and Weight
Height (in.)66.567.8
Length (in.)183.0192.4
Weight (lbs)33693823
Max Width (in.)72.475.4
Wheelbase (in.)106.5111.2
Interior Dimensions
Seating Capacity55
Front Seat Leg Room (in.)41.540.5
Front Seat Head Room (in.)41.139.9
Front Seat Hip Room (in.)54.155.4
Front Seat Shoulder Room (in.)57.159.5
Rear Seat Leg room (in.)38.538.7
Rear Seat Head Room (in.)39.239.8
Rear Seat Hip Room (in.)53.455.2
Rear Seat Shoulder Room (in.)55.958.8
Infotainment Features
HD RadioNot AvailableNot Available
MP3 PlayerStandardStandard
WiFi HotspotNot AvailableNot Available
Satellite RadioNot AvailableStandard
Bluetooth ConnectionStandardStandard
Entertainment SystemNot AvailableNot Available
Premium Sound SystemNot AvailableNot Available
Auxiliary Audio InputStandardStandard
Smart Device IntegrationStandardStandard
Hard Disk Drive Media StorageNot AvailableNot Available
Interior Trim
Cloth SeatsStandardStandard
Vinyl SeatsNot AvailableNot Available
Leather SeatsNot AvailableNot Available
Premium Synthetic SeatsNot AvailableNot Available
Bucket SeatsStandardStandard
Sun/MoonroofNot AvailableNot Available
Leather Steering WheelNot AvailableNot Available
Woodgrain Interior TrimNot AvailableNot Available
Comfort Features
A/CStandardStandard
Rear A/CNot AvailableNot Available
TelematicsNot AvailableNot Available
Seat MemoryNot AvailableNot Available
Seat-MassageNot AvailableNot Available
Keyless EntryStandardStandard
Keyless StartStandardStandard
Cruise ControlStandardStandard
Multi-Zone A/CNot AvailableStandard
Power LiftgateNot AvailableNot Available
Climate ControlNot AvailableStandard
Head-Up DisplayNot AvailableNot Available
Power Mirror(s)StandardStandard
Automatic ParkingNot AvailableNot Available
Navigation SystemNot AvailableNot Available
Power Driver SeatNot AvailableNot Available
Cooled Rear Seat(s)Not AvailableNot Available
Hands-Free LiftgateNot AvailableNot Available
Heated Rear Seat(s)Not AvailableNot Available
Remote Engine StartNot AvailableNot Available
Cooled Front Seat(s)Not AvailableNot Available
Heated Front Seat(s)Not AvailableNot Available
Power Passenger SeatNot AvailableNot Available
Remote Trunk ReleaseStandardNot Available
Heated Steering WheelNot AvailableNot Available
Adaptive Cruise ControlNot AvailableNot Available
Navigation from TelematicsNot AvailableNot Available
Universal Garage Door OpenerNot AvailableNot Available
Steering Wheel Audio ControlsStandardStandard
Safety Features
ABSStandardStandard
Brake AssistStandardStandard
Night VisionNot AvailableNot Available
Rear Parking AidStandardStandard
Traction ControlStandardStandard
Stability ControlStandardStandard
Blind Spot MonitorStandardStandard
Cross-Traffic AlertNot AvailableNot Available
Lane Keeping AssistNot AvailableStandard
Tire Pressure MonitorStandardStandard
Lane Departure WarningStandardStandard
Airbags
Knee Air BagStandardStandard
Driver Air BagStandardStandard
Seatbelt Air BagNot AvailableNot Available
Passenger Air BagStandardStandard
Rear Head Air BagStandardStandard
Rear Side Air BagStandardStandard
Front Head Air BagStandardStandard
Front Side Air BagStandardStandard
Warranty
Basic3 Years / 36,000 Miles3 Years / 36,000 Miles
Corrosion5 Years / Unlimited Miles5 Years / Unlimited Miles
Drivetrain5 Years / 60,000 Miles5 Years / 60,000 Miles
Roadside Assistance3 Years / 36,000 Miles3 Years / 36,000 Miles