2016 NISSAN MURANO WINS CARS.COM BEST MID-SIZE SUV AWARD

With the growing popularity of midsize SUVs for the past few years, the category has become increasingly crowded. The appeal is not difficult to understand as these vehicles offer the safety and stability of a larger SUV, without the hefty price tag or low gas mileage of their larger siblings while still providing plenty of room in the back seat. Cars.com reviewed five of the top offerings for 2016 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, the Kia Sorento, the Ford Edge and the Nissan Murano with the Murano earning top honors for the year.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
A group of judges took the five vehicles on an adventure in Wisconsin that included a 145-mile real-world test drive to assess braking, handling and noise, fuel economy was reviewed and the feedback from a local couple was also taken into consideration. Added up, each vehicle scored:

2016 Nissan Murano, 811 points
2016 Ford Edge, 779 points
2017 Kia Sorento, 740 points
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 706 points
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 694 points
2016 Nissan Murano Interior

CLASSY INTERIOR
Judges agreed that the Murano interior stood out from the pack with comfort and styling that felt above its class. Straddling the line between mainstream and luxury SUV, the Murano’s interior provided expansive space for passengers — even in the back seat. The seats are comfortable even for larger individuals, something that hasn’t always been the case in non-luxury Nissan models and the back seats are not recessed and lowered as they are in many other midsize SUVs allowing for a more conversational feel within the vehicle.

EXTERIOR STYLING
The Murano is dressed to impress on the outside as well as the inside, with interesting angles and flowing lines to engage the eye from all directions. Body sculpting leaves the Murano looking more like a concept car than a production vehicle, and that was just fine with the Cars.com judges, too. Even the headlights and taillights got into the party with a boomerang-style look that will make it easy to pick your vehicle out from the crowd.

2016 Nissan Murano

PERFORMANCE
While the Murano doesn’t have the very best gas mileage of the group or the overall best performance, the well-rounded vehicle receives excellent marks in all directions. Testers found that acceleration was brisk and took full advantage of the 3.5-liter V-6 engine to make high-speed passing a breeze. You won’t be left waiting for that extra burst of power, as the engine can deliver exceptional drive when you need it due to the automaker’s continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

If an all-around near-luxury SUV is on your shopping list, it would be hard to beat the 2016 Nissan Murano. From quick pick-me-up acceleration to smooth handling through the curves to a swoon-worthy interior, the Murano designers definitely brought their A-game this year to win the Cars.com nod for best mid-size SUV of 2016.