Compare the2023 Porsche MacanVS 2023 Nissan Murano

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 Macan has a standard Multi-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.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Macan’s standard Porsche Hill Control allows you to creep down safely. The Murano doesn’t offer Porsche Hill Control.

Both the Macan and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

Warranty

The Macan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Murano’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Murano’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Murano’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

Engine

The Macan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 1 more horsepower (261 vs. 260) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Macan S’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 115 more horsepower (375 vs. 260) and 143 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Macan GTS’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 174 more horsepower (434 vs. 260) and 165 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Macan turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Nissan Murano:

	Macan	Murano
Zero to 60 MPH	5 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.4 sec	19.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.9 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98 MPH	92 MPH
Top Speed	144 MPH	119 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Macan’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.

Transmission

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Murano doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Macan	Macan GTS	Murano
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	15.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	14 inches	12.1 inches

The Macan stops much shorter than the Murano:

	Macan	Murano
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 235/65R18).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano S/SV’s standard 65 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Murano S/SV. The Macan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

The Macan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Murano’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Murano doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Macan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.7% to 44.3%) than the Murano’s (58.8% to 41.2%). This gives the Macan more stable handling and braking.

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (7.9 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Macan’s minimum ground clearance is 2 inches higher than on the Murano (8.9 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The Macan is 6.7 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Towing

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (4409 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Management on the Macan uses the Porsche Stability Management 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 Macan 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 30% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Murano SL/Platinum, the Macan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Macan’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 Macan and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Macan 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 Macan’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 Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Murano’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. 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.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Murano doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Macan’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Murano SV/Midnight/SL/Platinum.

The Macan’s standard 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.

The Macan’s optional Self Steering ParkAssist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Murano doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Macan owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Macan with a number “5” insurance rate while the Murano is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

The Macan will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Macan will retain 56.76% to 58.19% 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 Macan is less expensive to operate than the Murano because typical repairs cost less on the Macan than the Murano, including $83 less for a fuel pump and $169 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Macan was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 4 years. The Murano has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.