Compare the2024 Nissan MuranoVS 2024 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

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 Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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 Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Murano and the Cayenne Coupe 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cayenne Coupe has not been tested, yet.

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

There are over 5 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Murano’s warranty.

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

On the EPA test cycle the Murano gets better mileage than the Cayenne Coupe running its gasoline engine:

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

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 Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a CVT.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Murano has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

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 Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Nissan Murano may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 1550 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

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 Cayenne Coupe (.34 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Murano get better fuel mileage.

The Murano has 1.7 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne Coupe.

The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat up (32.1 vs. 20.9 cubic feet). The Murano has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat folded (67 vs. 53 cubic feet).

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

The Murano has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Murano’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Cayenne Coupe’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Murano has a standard rear wiper. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Murano has standard extendable sun visors. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

Insurance will cost less for the Murano owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Murano will cost $7600 to $15580 less than the Cayenne Coupe over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Murano will be $45198 to $126279 less than for the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

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

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 Cayenne Coupe isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Nissan Murano outsold the Porsche Cayenne by 52% during 2023.