2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Versus 2015 Nissan Murano
The midsize SUV field is getting an overhaul this year with redesigns of the Ford Edge, Kia Sorento and Nissan Murano. We were impressed when testing the Nissan’s futuristic-looking entry a few months ago, and when a Platinum-trim Murano arrived in our fleet at the same time as a decked-out 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited we decided to test them against each other.
Related: Cars.com’s SUV Buying Guide
Cars.com editors Joe Bruzek and David Thomas took the two SUVs for a day of head-to-head driving in city, highway and suburban traffic in single-digit temperatures with a decent wind chill to boot around Cars.com’s Chicago headquarters.
Here’s how the two SUVs shook out in one of our closest comparisons to date:
Handling
Winner: Grand Cherokee
The Murano’s steering is a huge drawback. It’s loose, unresponsive and offers no reward during spirited driving despite an exterior that screams “sporty.” The Grand Cherokee, on the other hand, feels more connected to the road through the steering wheel and chassis despite not being the most athletic; the Jeep exhibits more body lean in tight corners.
Ride
Winner: Grand Cherokee
Neither SUV was as soft riding as might be expected, but for different reasons. The Grand Cherokee’s optional air suspension is not like riding on a cloud of air, though it rides quietly without sending much discomfort to the cabin. The Murano has less wind noise than the Grand Cherokee but more road noise from the optional 20-inch wheels. Thomas previously tested the standard 18-inch wheels for his review and found the ride quieter and more comfortable overall, but on this day the Jeep takes the category.
Acceleration
Winner: Grand Cherokee
The Grand Cherokee’s eight-speed automatic transmission does wonders in making the 4,875-pound Grand Cherokee drive like a lightweight. OK, maybe not lightweight, but definitely not 858 pounds heavier than the Murano, which weighs 4,017 pounds. Head-to-head acceleration doesn’t differ too much in seat-of-the-pants feel; it’s how the Grand Cherokee’s transmission ekes every last drop of power from the 290-hp V-6 that’s impressive, and it’s done by always picking the right gear. The Murano’s continuously variable automatic transmission is good, but it didn’t deliver power as quickly as the Jeep.
Braking
Winner: Murano
The Grand Cherokee shows all that extra weight during braking where the brakes just don’t feel up to the task of slowing down the hulk with precision. The Murano didn’t inspire much more confidence, but the carlike approach edged out the more traditional SUV in this category.
Visibility
Winner: Grand Cherokee
While the tall ride height hurt the Grand Cherokee in other categories, here it’s commanding view of the road won out versus the closer-to-the-ground Murano. The Nissan’s wild design and side profile creates a significant enough blind spot to be a problem, thanks to the small rear windows. The side mirrors do a decent job most of the time, but the Grand Cherokee’s overall visibility was significantly better.
Interior Quality
Winner: Murano
Jeep has a Grand Cherokee for every taste. At the highest Summit trim level, the interior quality is nearly on par with its significant price tag. We tested a not-quite-at-the-top Limited trim level and were still impressed overall. The Murano in the top Platinum level we tested is clad in richer materials with a more contemporary design, plus it was less money than the Grand Cherokee Limited.
Passenger Comfort
Winner: Tie
Both cars’ supple leather seats offer big comfort in the front and back. The Grand Cherokee loses points for its high seating position and is harder to step into even with the adjustable-height air suspension programmed to lower when in Park. We clocked the suspension’s lowering process at a poky 21 seconds from normal ride height to its lowest position. In the back, the Murano’s nearly flat floor gives more room for rear passengers compared with the Grand Cherokee’s slightly larger center hump, though the Grand Cherokee has a sense of being roomier — perhaps due to its lighter colored interior. In the end it was just too close to call.
Technology/Entertainment
Winner: Murano
When the Grand Cherokee’s Uconnect multimedia system with an 8.4-inch touch-screen is working properly, it’s one of the best in the business, though glitches happen. During our extended time with the Jeep, the stereo stopped working while Thomas was test-driving it. No matter what he did, Thomas couldn’t get sound from any source — even after restarting the car. It operated normally again after a few hours of not being driven. The Murano’s multimedia system and 8-inch touch-screen are easy to use and have some nifty customizable features. It also isn’t trying too hard to be ultra-modern with integrated touch-screen controls or touch-sensitive buttons. Simplicity wins here and likely would have won even without the Jeep’s system failing.
Cargo Space
Winner: Murano
The Grand Cherokee’s sizable ground clearance equates to a cargo load floor that’s higher off the ground than the Murano. The Murano’s cargo space is easier to load large items into and looks considerably more usable to the eye than that of the Grand Cherokee, but it only has 3.3 more cubic feet over the Jeep, according to the manufacturer specs. Wide wheel wells in the Grand Cherokee are a likely culprit, taking up available cargo width.
Worth the Money
Winner: Murano
It’s hard to ignore the multimedia system glitches in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and its reliability overall when talking value. The Murano is decked out at $43,955, including a destination fee, while the $47,780 Grand Cherokee is only at the Limited trim level; there’s still Overland and Summit trim levels above it. With these exact SUVs, the Murano takes the cake with its ultra-modern design, inside and out, cargo usability plus Nissan’s better track record, though it’s still not stellar, for reliability. First model years of a redesign are always a question mark too.
Results
Winner: Murano
This was a close test with the Murano eking out a win by just a few points overall and just one additional category win. We argued quite a bit about which one we’d buy if given the choice.
In many of the performance categories the Murano came up just short to the Grand Cherokee. For most shoppers, the wins in the other areas will weigh just as heavily. That’s not to say the Murano performed poorly on the road considering it is clearly a better choice for those looking for an SUV with carlike attributes. Those looking at the Jeep will be forced to make more tradeoffs associated with SUVs.
