Compare the2025 BMW X3VS 2024 Nissan Murano

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the BMW X3 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 X3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Murano doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the X3. But it costs extra on the Murano.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Murano doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X3 and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 around view monitors.

Warranty

The X3 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 X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Murano’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, 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’ 2024 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 With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks BMW higher than Nissan.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The X3 M50 xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 133 more horsepower (393 vs. 260) and 188 lbs.-ft. more torque (428 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the X3 gets better mileage than the Murano:

			MPG
X3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	27 city/33 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/30 hwy
Murano
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the X3’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Murano doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the X3’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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW X3 higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the X3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The X3 M50’s 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 X3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Murano:

	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive	Murano
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.7 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.5 inches	12.1 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Murano (245/50R19 vs. 235/65R18). The X3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (F:255/40R21 & R:285/35R21 vs. 235/65R18).

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano SV’s standard 65 series tires. The X3’s optional 255/40R21 front and 285/35R21 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 X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Murano SV. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Murano’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The X3 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X3’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Murano (112.8 inches vs. 111.2 inches).

The X3’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.5% to 49.5%) than the Murano’s (58.8% to 41.2%). This gives the X3 more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the X3 M50 xDrive has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the X3 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The X3 30 xDrive’s minimum ground clearance is 1.6 inches higher than on the Murano (8.5 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The X3 is 5.6 inches shorter than the Murano, making the X3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Towing

Standard Trailer Stabilization Control on the X3 uses the Dynamic Stability Control 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 X3 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.

Ergonomics

The X3 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 X3’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 X3 and the Murano have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the X3 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 X3’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 X3’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Intelligent Key standard on the Murano doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The X3’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 intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the X3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Murano doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X3 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Murano doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X3 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X3 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Murano doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The X3’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 X3’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 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the BMW X3 and Nissan Murano offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The X3 features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Murano’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The BMW X3 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Nissan charges extra for Homelink® on the Murano.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW X3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Murano.

The X3’s Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Control Parking 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

The BMW X3 outsold the Nissan Murano by over two to one during 2023.

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