Compare the2023 Nissan MuranoVS 2023 Audi A6 Allroad

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Murano are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Murano has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Murano has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A6 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Murano has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A6 Allroad.

The Murano’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Murano and the A6 Allroad 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, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Murano is safer than the Audi A6 Allroad:

	Murano	A6 Allroad
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	28%	30%
Neck Stress	223 lbs.	322 lbs.
Neck Compression	34 lbs.	64 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	242/256 lbs.	292/435 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	266	354
Neck Injury Risk	25%	41%
Neck Stress	124 lbs.	228 lbs.
Neck Compression	78 lbs.	98 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	169/236 lbs.	263/331 lbs.

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

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, results indicate that the Nissan Murano is safer than the Audi A6 Allroad:

	Murano	A6 Allroad
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	135
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	102 lbs.	174 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	299 lbs.	716 lbs.

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

Warranty

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Murano 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A6 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A6 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Murano’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The A6 Allroad isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Audi.

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

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Murano uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A6 Allroad requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Murano has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Murano stops shorter than the A6 Allroad:

	Murano	A6 Allroad
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Murano has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the A6 Allroad.

For better maneuverability, the Murano’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the A6 Allroad’s (38.7 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Murano has a greater minimum ground clearance than the A6 Allroad Premium Plus (6.9 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Murano to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Nissan Murano may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 600 pounds less than the Audi A6 Allroad.

The front grille of the Murano uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Murano has 7.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A6 Allroad (108.1 vs. 101).

The Murano has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the A6 Allroad.

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the A6 Allroad with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 30 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the A6 Allroad with its rear seat folded (67 vs. 63.8 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Murano offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Murano’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The A6 Allroad’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Murano has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A6 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Model Availability

The Murano is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A6 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Murano and the Audi A6 Allroad, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano first among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The A6 Allroad isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Murano outsold the Audi A6/S6/RS 6 by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.