Compare the2023 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Nissan Murano

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Murano.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Murano doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Forester and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Forester	Murano
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	186	342
Neck Injury Risk	23%	28%
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	34 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 lbs.	169/236 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Nissan Murano:

	Forester	Murano
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	101
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	389 lbs.	392 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	16 inches	17 inches
HIC	121	439
Spine Acceleration	40 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Murano:

	Forester	Murano
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	107	286
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.91 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.5 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1071 lbs.	1138 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	89 lbs.
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 Forester 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.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Forester has a standard 620-amp battery. The Murano’s 550-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Forester’s reliability 11 points higher than the Murano.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Murano doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 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 Forester’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. 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 Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the Forester produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Subaru Forester as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Nissan Murano is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester stops shorter than the Murano:

	Forester	Murano
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The Forester’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 Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Murano; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Touring handles at .83 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Murano Platinum AWD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Murano’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Nissan Murano.

The Forester is 10.1 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Murano (111.6 vs. 108.1).

The Forester has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Murano with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 67 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Murano’s liftover is 30.7 inches.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is limited to 1500 pounds. The Forester offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics 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.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Murano. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Forester’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Murano doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its NissanConnect Services can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Forester’s optional 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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Forester owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Forester will cost $515 less than the Murano over a five-year period.

The Forester will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Forester will retain 54.16% to 57.43% of its original price after five years, while the Murano only retains 46.1% to 47.26%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Forester is less expensive to operate than the Murano because typical repairs cost much less on the Forester than the Murano, including $35 less for a water pump, $238 less for a muffler, $21 less for front brake pads, $160 less for a fuel pump, $274 less for a timing belt/chain and $706 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Forester will be $10138 to $11882 less than for the Nissan Murano.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Nissan Murano by almost four to one during 2022.