Compare the2023 Nissan MuranoVS 2023 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Murano are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Nissan Murano has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Equinox doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Murano has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 Equinox’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 Equinox.

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 Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Murano and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, 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 Chevrolet Equinox:

	Murano	Equinox
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	242/256 lbs.	363/349 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	266	376
Neck Injury Risk	25%	26%
Neck Stress	124 lbs.	153 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	169/236 lbs.	264/236 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 Chevrolet Equinox:

	Murano	Equinox
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	101	109
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	102 lbs.	195 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	288
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	55 G’s
Hip Force	299 lbs.	630 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	591 lbs.	730 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 3.4% less likely to roll over than the Equinox.

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 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Equinox has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Murano’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Murano’s reliability 19 points higher than the Equinox.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 4 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 85 more horsepower (260 vs. 175) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (240 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Murano is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

	Murano	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	9.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.8 MPH	81.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Murano has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox FWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Murano has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 15.6 gallons).

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 Equinox doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Murano	Equinox
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.1 inches	11.3 inches

The Murano’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Equinox are solid, not vented.

The Murano stops shorter than the Equinox:

	Murano	Equinox
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	120 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Murano has larger tires than the Equinox (235/65R18 vs. 225/65R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Murano S/SV has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Equinox LS/LT. The Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Equinox.

Suspension and Handling

The Murano has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Murano flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Murano has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Equinox (111.2 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Equinox.

The Murano Platinum AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Murano has 4.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Equinox (108.1 vs. 103.2).

The Murano has 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

The front step up height for the Murano is 1.4 inches lower than the Equinox (15.8” vs. 17.2”). The Murano’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the Equinox’s (15.1” vs. 17.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 29.9 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (67 vs. 63.9 cubic feet).

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

	Murano	Equinox
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37”/74.4”	34.9”/67.4”
Max Width	54”	53.7”
Min Width	43”	40.7”
Height	33.7”	31”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Murano. The Equinox doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The Murano uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Equinox uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Murano’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

If the front windows are left open on the Murano the driver can close them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Equinox can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Murano has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Equinox doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Murano SV/Midnight/SL/Platinum’s standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Murano has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox and isn’t available on the Equinox LS.

The Murano’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Equinox LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Economic Advantages

The Murano will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Murano will retain 46.1% to 47.26% of its original price after five years, while the Equinox only retains 44.91% to 45.97%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Murano is less expensive to operate than the Equinox because it costs $582 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Murano than the Equinox, including $410 less for a muffler, $130 less for front brake pads, $42 less for fuel injection and $133 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Murano and the Chevrolet Equinox, 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 Equinox isn’t in the top three in its category.