Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2021 Nissan Murano

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Murano doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Highlander AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Murano doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

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

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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Nissan Murano:

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

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Murano.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

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

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (295 vs. 260) and 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander is faster than the Nissan Murano:

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Murano FWD (21 city/29 hwy vs. 20 city/28 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Highlander’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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Murano doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

The Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the Murano’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the Highlander more stable handling and braking.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Murano Platinum AWD (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Murano’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Murano can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 33.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Murano (141.3 vs. 108.1).

The Highlander has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear hip room than the Murano.

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Murano.

The Highlander’s cargo area is larger than the Murano’s in almost every dimension:

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced 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.

The Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, 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 Highlander’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 Highlander and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Highlander 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 Highlander’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 Highlander Platinum’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. 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 see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

The Highlander’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 Highlander Limited/Platinum has a 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.

Insurance will cost less for the Highlander owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Highlander with a number “8” insurance rate while the Murano is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the Murano because typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the Murano, including $231 less for a water pump, $391 less for a muffler, $46 less for front brake pads, $39 less for a fuel pump, $199 less for front struts and $663 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the Nissan Murano, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Nissan Murano by over five to one during the 2021 model year.