Compare the2024 Nissan MuranoVS 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

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

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 Tiguan 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 Tiguan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Murano’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Tiguan.

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 Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Murano and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Murano	Tiguan
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	148	156
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	299 lbs.	510 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	591 lbs.	855 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Murano its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 135 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tiguan is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Murano 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Murano’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Murano has a standard 550-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-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 Murano’s reliability 37 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano first among midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 69 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volkswagen.

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

Engine

The Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 76 more horsepower (260 vs. 184) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (240 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Murano is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Murano	Tiguan
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	9.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.4 sec	25.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.6 sec	9.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Murano has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Murano has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 15.9 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 Tiguan 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 Tiguan are solid, not vented.

The Murano stops much shorter than the Tiguan:

	Murano	Tiguan
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Murano has larger tires than the Tiguan (235/65R18 vs. 215/65R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Murano SV has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan S.

The Murano has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Tiguan doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Murano’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Tiguan (111.2 inches vs. 109.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Murano is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Tiguan.

The Murano Platinum AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® 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 Tiguan 4Motion® (27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

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 Tiguan (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Murano get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Murano uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Murano Platinum AWD is quieter than the Tiguan 4Motion® (41 vs. 42 dB).

Passenger Space

The Murano has .3 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.1 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and 3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

The front step up height for the Murano is 1.6 inches lower than the Tiguan (15.8” vs. 17.4”). The Murano’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the Tiguan’s (15.1” vs. 17.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 12 cubic feet).

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

Ergonomics

The Murano SL/Platinum’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Tiguan can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The Murano’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Tiguan’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Murano has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Murano’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Tiguan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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

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 is only available on the Tiguan SE/SEL.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Murano is less expensive to operate than the Tiguan because it costs $355 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Murano than the Tiguan, including $198 less for a water pump, $116 less for a muffler, $193 less for a starter and $117 less for front struts.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Murano second among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three in its category.