Compare the2024 BMW iXVS 2023 Nissan Murano

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

Safety

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The iX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Murano doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the iX and Murano have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Murano’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The iX has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the iX. But it costs extra on the Murano.

Both the iX and Murano have rear cross-traffic warning, but the iX has Cross Traffic Warning with braking function (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the iX 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, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 1494 to 1904 pounds more than the Nissan Murano. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

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

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Murano.

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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 256 more horsepower (516 vs. 260) and 324 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 350 more horsepower (610 vs. 260) and 509 lbs.-ft. more torque (749 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW iX is faster than the Nissan Murano:

	iX xDrive50	iX M60	Murano
Zero to 60 MPH	4 sec	3.2 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	9.3 sec	7.6 sec	19.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.3 sec	3.7 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	12.3 sec	11.5 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	115 MPH	120 MPH	92 MPH
Top Speed	123 MPH	154 MPH	119 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPGe
iX
	AWD	xDrive50 Electric Motors	83 city/82 hwy
		M60 Electric Motors	78 city/82 hwy
Murano
			MPG
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy

The iX can travel with zero emissions for 274 to 307 miles (dependent on model). The Murano can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the iX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Murano doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The iX, as a pure battery electric vehicle, has no need to “idle” its motors in traffic: they only burn power when moving. The iX’s climate control systems still work completely when the vehicle is stopped. The Murano still runs its internal combustion engine whenever it’s stopped, burning excess fuel.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW iX higher (10 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the iX produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The iX’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 60 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 iX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Murano:

	iX	Murano
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	12.1 inches

The iX stops much shorter than the Murano:

	iX	Murano
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (275/40R22 vs. 235/65R18).

The iX’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 iX’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Murano S/SV. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

The iX offers an available 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 iX M60 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Murano (118.1 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Murano.

The iX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.2% to 51.8%) than the Murano’s (58.8% to 41.2%). This gives the iX more stable handling and braking.

The iX xDrive50 handles at .88 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The iX M60 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Murano Platinum AWD (25.5 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.8 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the iX M60 is quieter than the Murano Platinum AWD:

	iX	Murano
At idle	29 dB	41 dB
Full-Throttle	67 dB	75 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	66 dB

Passenger Space

The iX has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

Cargo Capacity

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Murano with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 32.1 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Murano with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 67 cubic feet).

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

	iX	Murano
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41”/75”	37”/74.4”
Max Width	43.8”	54”
Min Width	43.8”	43”
Height	31.6”	33.7”

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

The iX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Murano doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The iX’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 iX and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the iX 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 iX’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 iX’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.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Murano’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

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

The iX’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 iX’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 iX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Murano SL/Platinum.

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Murano.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW iX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Murano.

The iX’s optional Automatic Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Parking Assistant Professional will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Murano doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the iX first among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Murano was rated second in its category.

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