Murano or Rogue? Your Guide to Nissan’s Standout SUVs

Nissan offers a full lineup of SUVs, but two stand out from the crowd. The Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano are both popular choices; which one is right for you?

When it comes to two-row crossover SUVs, the compact Rogue and midsize Murano are excellent choices. The Rogue has been the best-selling Nissan vehicle for a few years and is the fifth best-selling vehicle in the United States. That doesn’t mean the Murano isn’t a good choice, but fewer midsize SUVs are sold than the compact Rogue. Let’s cover a few qualities that can help you understand which Nissan SUV you want to drive.

Is one Nissan SUV more reliable than the other?

The Nissan Murano hit top marks with J.D. Power, receiving a rating of 90 out of 100. In fact, J.D. Power ranks the Murano as the top midsize SUV in its class. This puts the Murano well ahead of the Nissan Rogue in terms of reliability. The Rogue earns an 82 out of 100 with J.D. Power, which is an above-average score. If you’re searching for the most reliable Nissan SUV, its easy to see you should choose the Murano.

Which SUV is more comfortable?

Both of these Nissan SUVs are comfortable and provide enough room for at least four adults to ride along comfortably. These SUVs include the Zero Gravity front seats, which are great for long road trips and many hours in traffic during commutes. The Nissan Murano is a midsize SUV, while the Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover. This means you’ll have more interior space in the Murano, which makes the midsize SUV more comfortable. At higher trims, the Murano offers heated and ventilated front seats, which are not available in the Rogue.

Which Nissan SUV offers more cargo room?

Here’s where things get a little more interesting. You expect a midsize SUV to have more cargo room than a compact model, but that’s not always the case. The Murano is on the smaller side of the midsize SUV class. In this comparison, the Nissan Rogue offers 31.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats in lower trims but 36.5 cubic feet in the SL and Platinum models. When the seats are folded, the Rogue provides 74.1 cubic feet of space.

Turning to the Murano, you’ll find 32.1 cubic feet behind the rear seats in every trim and only 67 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded.

Which SUV has better interior quality?

The impressive interior quality of the Nissan Rogue might be why it’s the most popular Nissan vehicle in the market. The Rogue has a highly-rated interior, especially with the top Platinum trim. Among compact crossovers, the Rogue stands out where the Murano looks and feels dated. In this category, the Nissan Rogue offers much better interior quality than the Nissan Murano.

Does one Nissan SUV have better tech than the other?

It seems odd that the Nissan Rogue might have an edge in the tech department, but this could have a lot to do with the generational age of these two SUVs. Regardless of this, the Nissan Rogue has the tech edge by offering wireless Apple CarPlay, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a head-up display at higher trims. Nissan hasn’t added these items to the Murano lineup yet and might not do so until the next generation.

Which Nissan SUV accelerates faster?

The Nissan Rogue uses a small 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine that delivers 201 horsepower to provide good efficiency and enjoyable city driving. This doesn’t bode well for the acceleration figures, though. When we look at what the Nissan Murano offers, we find a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. This power plant ensures the Murano can hit highway speeds much faster than the Rogue, making the Murano the faster of the two Nissan SUVs.

Is one Nissan SUV safer than the other?

The Nissan Rogue and Nissan Murano scored differently in all safety tests. When tested by the IIHS, the Rogue scored Acceptable for side impacts and Marginal for the moderate front overlap test. The Rouge received a Good rating for the other four crash tests.

The Nissan Murano received Good scores in all IIHS crash tests except the side impact test, in which it received a Marginal score. The midsize Nissan SUV also receives five stars from the NHTSA, while the Rogue receives four stars.

The Murano comes standard with more safety features than the Rogue, including reverse automatic braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights.

Which of these two Nissan SUVs will you drive?