Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 Nissan Murano

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 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 its rear seat belts.

The Rav4 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 Rav4 Adventure/Limited AWD/TRD Off-Road’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Murano doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

Both the Rav4 and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	Rav4	Murano
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches

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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	Rav4	Murano
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	101
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	392 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	148
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	17 inches
HIC	299	439
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	41 G’s

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Murano:

	Rav4	Murano
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	286
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1138 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Murano last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 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 Rav4’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Murano:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Murano
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium’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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Rav4 higher (6 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the Rav4 produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Murano:

	Rav4	Murano
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .84 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Murano’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’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 Rav4 LE/XLE has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.4 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road’s minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the Murano (8.6 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The Toyota Rav4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 pounds less than the Nissan Murano.

The Rav4 is 11.9 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Rav4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Murano Platinum AWD (38 vs. 41 dB).

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Murano with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 32.1 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Murano with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 67 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rav4 easier. The Rav4’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Murano’s liftover is 30.7 inches.

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Murano’s in almost every dimension:

	Rav4	Murano
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	37”/74.4”
Max Width	59”	54”
Min Width	39.4”	43”
Height	36.6”	33.7”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is limited to 1500 pounds. The Rav4 4WD offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 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.

Ergonomics

The Rav4’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 Rav4 and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Rav4 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 Rav4’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 Rav4 XLE/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Murano SV/Midnight/SL/Platinum’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Rav4 Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Murano because typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Murano, including $175 less for a water pump, $348 less for a muffler, $138 less for fuel injection, $28 less for a fuel pump, $181 less for front struts and $605 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Rav4 and the Nissan Murano, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Nissan Murano by over 13 to one during 2022.