Compare the2023 Nissan MuranoVS 2022 Lexus RX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 RX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Murano and the RX 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, 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Murano is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Murano	RX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	28%	33.2%
Neck Stress	223 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	34 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	242/256 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	266	305
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	40.1%
Neck Stress	124 lbs.	267 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	169/236 lbs.	403/457 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Murano is safer than the Lexus RX:

	Murano	RX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	102 lbs.	110 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	165
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	299 lbs.	594 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	591 lbs.	685 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Murano is .5% to 2.8% less likely to roll over than the RX.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Murano its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 89 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

There are over 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Lexus 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 RX isn’t in the top three in its category.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Murano
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
RX
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Murano uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Murano has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Murano stops shorter than the RX:

	Murano	RX
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	123 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 RX doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the RX (111.2 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

The Murano Platinum AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the RX 450h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Nissan Murano may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the Lexus RX.

The design of the Nissan Murano amounts to more than styling. The Murano has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is lower than the RX (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Murano get better fuel mileage.

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 RX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Murano Platinum AWD is quieter than the RX 350 F Sport AWD:

	Murano	RX
At idle	41 dB	42 dB
Full-Throttle	75 dB	77 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	67 dB

Passenger Space

The Murano has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, .7 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX.

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (67 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The Murano’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (1500 vs. 0 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Murano’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the RX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Murano is less expensive to operate than the RX because it costs $200 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Murano than the RX, including $659 less for a water pump, $67 less for a muffler, $37 less for front brake pads, $245 less for a starter, $1133 less for a timing belt/chain and $1117 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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 RX isn’t in the top three in its category.

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