miniround

Personally, I actually walked into a Nissan dealership and saw a new Murano in burgandy. I was pleased until I saw the sticker. 40k for a Nissan SUV seemed wayyy too much...

Have you priced out and or tested an Infiniti EX?

and as for on 0'10 RX--There will either be changes made or a new model all together...so..

Kerchak

The nearest Acura or Infiniti dealership/service is 6 hours away, so I'm a little nervous about getting one of those fine cars. I will check them out this summer, though, but I bet I find the EX too small (for hauling and headroom) and too low to the ground. These are things I wish to change from my current BMW 325i.

I'm on a business trip and I took the Murano and RX350 brochures along. Poured over the Murano one today and it's pretty impressive. Lots of tech doo dads like the Acura RDX. (And we do have Nissan and Lexus dealerships where I live.)

You may find this surprising but I look at pictures of these two cars and sometimes find them had to tell apart!

LexFather

I think the Murano is impressive NEW but after 3 or 5 years, well I know which one will still feel more solid, which one that will age better inside and out and the one that will have better resale. Nissan dealers leave far to be desired.

What is simply amazing is the RX is a luxury SUV that outsells the Murano, it simply is the standard others are measured.

What is also amazing is the Murano/Highlander etc offer good values/comparisons to luxury vehicles. They have come a long way!

arnoldslex

Porsche Cayenne?- Std - 290 hp On the Porsche site it goes for as little as 42000.00

Much different from the RX. You know it would be not considered femmy!
When I drive the wifes I feel a little less masculine. Too soft for me. Honestly I really like the ride and change for pace from my sporty daily.
Why not buy a BMW 3-5 seried sedan?

We also owned an 01 RX and spent 3500.00 on a trans redo, Rear hatch latch broke, Antenna, 180.00 A/F sensor. They are not without their troubles. I sold it at 105000 miles.

AHughes

Your're kidding. Why buy a French made car? Renault owns Nissan. Not me. Frank James Central Oregon

Kerchak

I went for a test drive in the Murano LE at lunch today. It had almost everything on it, I guess... nav, dual moonroof, etc.

The salesman who accompanied me was an idiot.

The car was pretty nice. Quiet, nice steering feel, good suspension. Exploring all the tech features was a little frustrating since the salesman did not understand most of them. But, I got a taste for them.

On Monday I will have a day off and hope to take my wife for a test drive in the Murano followed by the RX350. I'm interested in her opinions!

But... I may have made my decision. Just sitting in the Murano, and certainly driving it, I was nowhere near as impressed as I was in my recent RX350 test drive. The Lexus is simply better made, even if some of the tech features may not be present yet.

This was driven home (no pun intended) when I got back in my BMW 325i and drove back to work. While the BMW has a few things that I seek to change in a new car, it has given me a taste for a really well made car.

I will say one other nice thing about the salesman experience at the Lexus dealership. First, it is the same dealership that sold me my BMW. The sales people always simply go over the features and adjustments in the car, answer any questions you might have, then hand you the keys. I have the car to myself, for as long as I feel I need it to test it out. I love focusing on the car and not on making conversation with the salesman as he tries to qualify me and then begin closing the sale. I like being treated as an adult.

Though it sounds like I have made up my mind, I will continue to research and shop for a few more months. I appreciate the welcome and the help I have already received on this forum. Friendly folks here! Thanks!

The G Man

Well, to be fair, you should compare a Lexus to the Infinity, not Nissan

Kerchak

True enough. I'm afraid there is no Infiniti dealership in my city. The closest is 6 hours away, and that gives me pause for purchasing one. I do plan to check them out on a trip this summer, and also Acura.

I did ask the salesman if they serviced Infiniti at his Nissan dealership and he said yes. But, again, he was an idiot, so...

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

Folks, when I started this thread a while back my only objective was to say that the new Nissan Murano as a GOOD car, even in comparissson to a Lexus. I never tried to convince myself or anybody else that Nissan is BETTER than Lexus.

The G Man

The Nissan dealer may be about to do simple service on Infinity, but they dont stock a lot of the parts.

itsmejs

My wife & I test drove the Murano & RX350. The list was $40,110 for the LE with Nav but I found a dealer who quoted me $200 under invoice ($36575). The seats for me (6Ft/195lbs) were more comfortable and supportive than the RX350. I'm up a bit too high in the RX. I was sold on the Murano. I thought the ride was better and it was quieter. Also loved the smooth transmission. Now for the problem. Nissan took out the adjustable pedals for 2009. My wife is under 5ft and could not drive the Murano safely being that the seat had to be all the way up. We ended up purchasing a 2007 RX350 for about $2000 less. Not as comfortable for me but it fits my wife just right. It was give & take. The RX will hold it's value better than the Murano but I do miss some of the fun stuff that the Murano had.

cwirth

I had the opposite sales experience when I went to Lexus and Nissan. The Lexus saleman was uninformed about the RX. He tried to show me how the Bluetooth worked with his cell phone and it did not work. He then tried to show me how the voice system worked and that failed miserably. I left the test drive feeling that the RX was inferior. Now the salesperson that I bought my Murano from was very knowledgeble. I even tested him with several questions I knew the answers to and he answered correctly.

lexus114

To every one on this forum,I would like to apologize for sparking up a conversation between myself,and another member on this thread.I lost my privileges for two weeks,and I like to try and help people here that experience a problem,that I know I can help them with.Dont take this board for granted,it is a combination of very well respected individuals,and we all try and help each other here.Although I was only trying to be humorous,it didnt turn out that way.we must watch how we say things,as it can,and will offend someone else.Again,please accept my apology,and I especialy apoligize to DaveGS4 for my actions.
Sincerly
Lexus114

s4sammy

Back in 2006, I was looking for something to replace my BMW 325Ci and I narrowed it down to the 2006 GS300 or a 2007 RX350. My wife and I liked the RX350, but the GS gave us a push button start, keyless entry (no need to whip out the keys), bluetooth handsfree, and a host of technological improvements. I'm a gadget freek so we settled on the GS300.

Fast forward 2 years, and I now have 2 kids + the occassional In-Laws who visit from out of town. I've been shopping around for a 7-passenger SUV and was looking forward to the rumored 7-passenger Lexus RX350. The 2009 RX arrives and it's pretty much the same as the 07 RX. What a disappointment. We really wanted to get another Lexus because the dealer/service experience we've gotten so far with our GS has been simply beyond expectations.

We went to the auto show last year to look at some good CUV's and the Highlander was the closest thing out there that had the comfort of a Lexus. We came across the Mazda CX-9 on the way out and it was love at first sight! To make a long story short, we decided not to wait for the 2010 RX and just bought a 08' CX-9 Grand Touring. It's no Lexus, but it has a lot of key luxury features that we liked such as Xenon lights, Intelligent Key & Keyless Start, Bluetooth,Nav,Bose Stereo,Memory Seats,Blind Spot Monitor,Rear Seat Ent,Power Liftgate, LED tail lights & side mirror turn signals, and most importantly, ez access 3rd rows. The CX-9 has more of a sporty ride (almost reminds me of my BMW's) and it's front headlights resemble the those of our GS (see photo below). Maybe I'll trade it in for a 2012 RX, but so far, we're very happy with the CX-9.

I like the look of the new Murano, but I definitely think that the CX-9 is better looking than the Murano.

Fern

any concerns on the cx9 having a Ford drivetrain?