Compare the2022 Lexus RXVS 2021 Nissan Murano

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/04/25

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Murano doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

Both the RX and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus RX is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	RX	Murano
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	53	101
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	214 lbs.	392 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	17 inches
HIC	275	439

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The RX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Murano’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Murano. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Murano ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Murano’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked fifth.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Nissan is ranked 13th.

Engine

The RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (295 vs. 260) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (268 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The RX 450h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 48 more horsepower (308 vs. 260) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the RX 350 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the Nissan Murano:

	RX	Murano
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.7 MPH	91.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the RX 450h 3.5 V6 Hybrid CVT AWD gets better fuel mileage than the Murano AWD (31 city/28 hwy vs. 20 city/28 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the RX Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Murano doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the RX Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Murano doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Lexus RX at emission levels ranging from “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Nissan Murano is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the RX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Murano:

	RX	Murano
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	12.1 inches

Suspension and Handling

The RX has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Murano’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The RX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Murano’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The RX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Murano’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the RX more stable handling and braking.

The RX 350 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Murano Platinum AWD (27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RX has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.2 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the RX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The RX has 3.6 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room and .9 inches more rear hip room than the Murano.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is limited to 1500 pounds. The RX offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the RX uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 41% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 17th.

Ergonomics

The RX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Murano doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RX’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Murano’s parking brake has to released manually.

The power windows standard on both the RX and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the RX is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Murano prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The RX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Murano’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The RX’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Murano S’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Murano SV/SL/Platinum’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the RX offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights. The RX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the RX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Murano doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The RX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Murano SV/SL/Platinum.

The RX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Murano offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RX offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Murano doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the RX owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the RX with a number “5” insurance rate while the Murano is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the RX is less expensive to operate than the Murano because typical repairs cost less on the RX than the Murano, including $115 less for fuel injection, $144 less for a fuel pump and $173 less for front struts.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Lexus RX as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus RX outsold the Nissan Murano by over two to one during the 2021 model year.

See Available Inventory