Compare the2022 BMW iXVS 2022 Nissan Murano

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The iX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Murano doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the iX and Murano have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Murano’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The iX has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the iX. But it costs extra on the Murano.

Both the iX 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 seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 1522 to 1936 pounds more than the Nissan Murano. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The iX 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.

The iX’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Murano’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Murano.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 1 place higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produce 256 more horsepower (516 vs. 260) and 324 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produce 350 more horsepower (610 vs. 260) and 571 lbs.-ft. more torque (811 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the iX gets better mileage than the Murano:

			MPGe
iX
	AWD	xDrive50i 20” Wheels Electric Motors	86 city/87 hwy
		xDrive50i 22” Wheels Electric Motors	86 city/85 hwy
		xDrive50i 21” Wheels Electric Motors	82 city/84 hwy
Murano
			MPG
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy

The iX’s EPA estimated pure electric driving range is 305 to 324 miles on a full charge (depending on wheels). The Murano has to run its internal combustion engine to move.

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW iX higher (10 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the iX produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	iX	Murano
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	12.1 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (275/40R22 vs. 235/65R18).

The iX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano S/SV’s standard 65 series tires. The iX’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Murano S/SV. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

The iX 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 iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Murano doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Murano (118.1 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Murano.

The iX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.2% to 51.8%) than the Murano’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the iX more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.8 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The design of the BMW iX amounts to more than styling. The iX has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .25 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Murano (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the iX get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The iX has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

Cargo Capacity

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Murano with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 32.1 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Murano with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 67 cubic feet).

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

	iX	Murano
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41”/75”	37”/74.4”
Max Width	43.8”	54”
Min Width	43.8”	43”
Height	31.6”	33.7”

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks BMW 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 12% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 17th.

Ergonomics

The iX offers an optional 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 iX’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Murano’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the iX and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the iX 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 iX’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 iX’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 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 iX has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights. The iX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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

The iX’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 iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Murano.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW iX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Murano.

The iX’s Automatic Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Murano doesn’t offer an automated parking system.