Dodge Durango vs Nissan Murano 04/20/2011
Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet and Ford typically dominate the tops of the sales charts in most market segments, but that doesn't mean that they're the only brands buyers should consider. The Dodge Durango and Nissan Murano are two excellent examples of strong vehicles that may not get as much attention as some of their segment competitors. We decided to change that by comparing the two side-by-side.
These two cars are very close in price, with the Durango starting at $29,195 and the Murano priced at $29,050. The Dodge is backed by a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain pledge, while the Nissan carries a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty.
One of the Durango's strengths is performance, and it shows in the raw figures. Dodge claims 290 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, beating the Murano's 260 hp and 240 lb-ft by a sizable margin. The Nissan doesn't really make it up for it in fuel economy, either, as it matches Dodge in highway mileage and only gets 2 extra mpgs in the city.
Neither vehicle offers a truly remarkable interior, although the Murano does offer keyless ignition standard while the Durango does not. Dodge is a bit better about allowing drivers to add options like a built-in hard drive and parking assistance a la carte, while these features are either unavailable or tied to higher trim levels on the Murano.
In the end, this is a clear win for the Durango. Drivers pay just a bit extra up front and get a better warranty along with a substantial performance upgrade over the Murano.