Compare the2023 Nissan MuranoVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Murano SL/Platinum has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Murano and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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 and available all wheel drive.

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 Jeep Cherokee:

	Murano	Cherokee
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	28%	38.2%
Neck Stress	223 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	34 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	242/256 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	25%	37%
Neck Stress	124 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	169/236 lbs.	241/259 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 Jeep Cherokee:

	Murano	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	102 lbs.	133 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	264
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	299 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	43 G’s

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 1% to 2.3% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

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 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

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 11 points higher than the Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Cherokee isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

Engine

The Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 80 more horsepower (260 vs. 180) and 69 lbs.-ft. more torque (240 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Murano is faster than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Murano	Cherokee 4 cyl.	Cherokee Trailhawk
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	9.5 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	17.2 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.8 MPH	80.5 MPH	87.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Murano
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
Cherokee
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Murano uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee Trailhawk requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Murano has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (19 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Murano has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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 Cherokee are solid, not vented.

The Murano stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Murano	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Murano has larger tires than the Cherokee (235/65R18 vs. 225/60R18).

The Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Murano S/SV has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4. The Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cherokee Altitude LUX.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 4.6 inches longer than on the Cherokee (111.2 inches vs. 106.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The Murano Platinum AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Murano Platinum AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Cherokee (27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Murano has an electronically controlled liquid-filled front engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Cherokee uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

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 Cherokee (.339) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Murano get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Murano has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (108.1 vs. 103.5).

The Murano has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Murano is 2.1 inches lower than the Cherokee (15.8” vs. 17.9”). The Murano’s rear step up height is 3 inches lower than the Cherokee’s (15.1” vs. 18.1”).

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (67 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

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

	Murano	Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37”/74.4”	33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	54”	49.2”
Min Width	43”	39.4”
Height	33.7”	28.8”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Murano’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Ergonomics

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 Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Both the Murano and the Cherokee offer available heated front seats. The Murano SL/Platinum also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cherokee.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Murano offers an available wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Murano is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Murano is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Murano than the Cherokee, including $280 less for a muffler, $36 less for front brake pads, $25 less for a starter, $68 less for a fuel pump and $73 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Murano, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

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