2021 NISSAN MURANO VS HONDA CR-V

A MORE SPACIOUS RIDE FOR EVERYONE

Whether you’re driving the kids to school or are bringing friends along for the ride, you’ll want to ensure that your SUV has plenty of room in the back seats for everyone to be comfortable.

While both SUVs can fit five passengers, there’s more room overall inside the 2021 Murano. This SUV offers 108.1 cubic feet of passenger volume, while the Honda CR-V only has 105.9 cubic feet of passenger room.

Adults will enjoy ample space up front, with more than 39 inches of front headroom and 40 inches of front legroom in both the Murano and the CR-V. Additionally, back-seat passengers will be able to stretch out, with over 39 inches of rear headroom and 38 inches of rear legroom in both vehicles.

The main differences between these SUVs in terms of cabin room, though, is in their hip room and shoulder space:

	Nissan Murano	Honda CR-V
Front Hip Room	55.4 inches	55.1 inches
Rear Hip Room	55.2 inches	49.5 inches
Front Shoulder Room	59.5 inches	57.9 inches
Rear Shoulder Room	58.9 inches	55.6 inches

As you can see, the Murano has much more hip room and shoulder room all around. Your kids in the back row can have a roomier road trip without bumping into each other.

ENHANCED COMFORT

In addition to having ample passenger space, you need an SUV that’s built to keep you cozy through every mile you roam. The Nissan Murano and the Honda CR-V are well suited for chilly winter rides, with available heated front seats to keep you warm.

Unfortunately, the CR-V leaves your little ones in the second row out in the cold. The Murano will keep them cozy, with available heated rear outboard seating as well.

When the sun starts to shine again, you’ll want to cool down after sitting in the sun to watch your daughter’s soccer game. Once again, the Murano has you covered, with available climate-controlled front seats that include cooling. You’ll need to blast the A/C in your CR-V, since this feature isn’t available.

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STAYING CONNECTED OUT ON THE ROAD

Comfort isn’t the only cabin amenity you’ll have to look forward to in these SUVs. Thanks to smartphones, the world is accessible from our fingertips. We can stay on schedule through integrative calendars, have a library of our favorite music in one place, and remain in constant contact with our family and friends.

With the Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ integration in the 2021 Nissan Murano and the Honda CR-V, you can stay connected from your car. When you plug in your compatible device, your apps will be visible on the vehicle’s display screen.

You can easily access your customized playlist, pull up maps to navigate to your destination, and make hands-free phone calls. You’ll even be able to use your voice to respond to text messages, so you can remain focused on the road ahead. These features come standard in the Murano as part of its 8-inch NissanConnect® infotainment system.

The standard 5-inch display in the Honda CR-V, on the other hand, doesn’t come equipped with smartphone integration. You’ll be treated to its convenience when you upgrade to the 7-inch system. However, this feature still doesn’t measure up to the expansive baseline screen in the Murano.

A REFINED LISTENING EXPERIENCE

To make listening to all your tunes more enjoyable, these SUVs come with speed-sensitive volume. This system accounts for how fast your vehicle is traveling and, when you reach highway speeds, raises your volume to drown out any road noise. The result is never missing a word of your favorite podcast or morning talk show due to the sounds of the highway.

However, you may have an even easier time listening to your tunes in the Murano, since it comes standard with a 6-speaker sound system. For a more robust listening experience, you can upgrade to the 11-speaker Bose® Premium Audio System.

The CR-V, in comparison, comes standard with only four speakers and then maxes out at an available nine speakers. You may not have the same enjoyable listening experience.

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KEEPING YOU ALERT

With either SUV, you can benefit from a range of driver-assistive features to help you safely navigate the roads.

To help keep you and your little ones out of harm’s way wherever you roam, each comes standard with Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.

These systems measure the distance between you and the car ahead and warn when you’re too close to a frontal obstacle. If needed, they can even apply the brakes to help you avoid a frontal collision.

Other safety technologies you’ll be treated to in these SUVs include the following:

• Intelligent Lane Intervention: Alerts you to detected lane drift and applies gentle steering corrections, if needed, to get you back on track.
• Blind Spot Warning: Keeps an eye on your side blind zones and alerts you to detected vehicles, so you’ll know when it’s safe to leave your lane.
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert: Warns of approaching vehicles when you’re backing out of a parking space or driveway, so you can be on your way safely.
• High Beam Assist: Maintains high beams at night to provide you with a clearer view of the road ahead. When another vehicle is approaching, it intelligently toggles downwards to help prevent a collision.

With the Murano, you’ll find these precautions even on the baseline trim level. While systems similar to Intelligent Lane Intervention and High Beam Assist do come standard in the CR-V, Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are only available when you upgrade to a higher trim level.

The Murano also takes standard safety to the next level, with Rear Automatic Braking. It monitors the distance between you and obstacles behind you, bringing your SUV to a stop, if needed, to avoid impact.

When you’ve been on the road for a while, standard Intelligent Driver Alertness in the Murano keeps an eye on your driving to detect when you may be drowsy or distracted. You’ll be urged to take a break and grab a cup of coffee at the nearest rest stop to ensure your children have an alert driver behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, the CR-V doesn’t offer features like these two to provide an extra set of eyes in various driving situations.

UPGRADE YOUR SAFETY

The 2021 Nissan Murano takes your protection to the next level, with the following available features:

• Intelligent Cruise Control: Maintains a set following speed and distance between you and the car ahead, stopping and slowing your SUV with the flow of traffic.
• Intelligent Around View® Monitor: Utilizes cameras strategically placed around the exterior of your SUV to provide a comprehensive view of your surroundings for more secure parking maneuvers.
• Traffic Sign Recognition: Reads the road signs and alerts you to detected Do Not Enter, Stop, Yield, and Speed Limit signs.

Once again, the Honda CR-V falls short of its competitor. It does offer an advanced cruise control system. However, the other safety systems aren’t found on this SUV at all.