2021 Nissan Murano vs 2021 Toyota Highlander

Shoppers who viewed the 2021 Toyota Highlander likely did not perceive it as just another mundane midsize SUV. The Highlander's design was distinct and notable, successfully setting it apart from the myriad of SUVs that crowd American school parking lots. With its wide headlights, expansive hood, and assertive trapezoidal grille, the Highlander carved a commanding presence on the road.

On the sides, the vehicle featured a character line reminiscent of the sporty Toyota Supra, lending a touch of athleticism to its profile. At the rear, the taillights bore a resemblance to Lexus, albeit lacking the vertical element found on the luxury brand. This styling update made the Highlander appear longer and lower than its predecessor without any compromise on its actual size.

For 2021, Toyota introduced the XSE trim level to the Highlander’s range. This trim sported a more aggressive front end, including a restyled fascia and a lower spoiler, along with 20-inch wheels with black accents, which contributed to a more athletic appearance. Despite its sportier looks, the XSE was more about visual appeal and minor suspension tweaks than drastic performance enhancements.

The test vehicle, in Limited trim, exuded an upscale aura with chrome roof rails and accents. Inside, the Highlander Limited truly shone. Toyota aimed to strike a balance between practical and sporty but leaned more toward luxury. The Limited trim’s interior boasted nearly flawless fit and finish, with tan leather seats and dark brown trim harmonizing beautifully. Even though the wood accents weren’t real, they blended in well.

Comfort and convenience, quintessential for a family car, were well provided for in the Highlander. The interior was free from unwanted noises and offered a tactile experience marked by well-polished materials.

The 2021 Nissan Murano, with its once cutting-edge design, had become more mainstream over the years. Its L-shaped LED headlights and heavily contoured front end no longer stood out as avant-garde. Nonetheless, the Murano’s conservative interior and dash design remained functional and approachable, prioritizing comfort over groundbreaking aesthetics.

The Murano's trims—S, SV, SL, and Platinum—offered various levels of inclusion. The base S trim came equipped with features like 18-inch alloy wheels, manual front seats, dual-zone climate control, multiple USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moving up, the SV trim added conveniences such as power-adjustable front seats, adaptive cruise control, and remote start.

The SL trim elevated the luxury experience with 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated seats both front and rear, ambient lighting, a Bose stereo system, and integrated navigation. The Platinum trim, the pinnacle of the lineup, included a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, semi-aniline premium leather, dark wood interior accents, and ventilated front seats, enhancing the Murano’s appeal to those seeking extra refinement.

In summary, while the Murano's design may have been more subdued than the Highlander’s, its focus remained on comfort and user-friendly features, making it a strong contender for those prioritizing a contented driving experience.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander wasn't a vehicle that promised fiery performance but it delivered smooth and reliable operation. Under the hood, every Highlander housed a 3.5-liter V6 engine churning out 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain provided adequate acceleration and facilitated front-wheel or all-wheel drive options.

While the Highlander wasn't built for speed, it performed competently on highways and city roads. In comparison to rivals, it measured up well, matching the horsepower of the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. It had slightly less power than the Honda Pilot and more than the Chevy Traverse. The Ford Explorer ST, albeit significantly pricier, outperformed the Highlander in terms of muscle. The Mazda CX-9, with 250 horsepower, lagged in this aspect but exceeded in torque.

Handling-wise, the Highlander was a typical three-row crossover, prone to some body roll through corners due to its soft suspension. The XSE trim’s tuned suspension did offer a slightly more dynamic drive, with higher-rated springs, retuned shocks, and a rear stabilizer bar, yet it remained focused on family-friendly comfort rather than sporty agility.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came exclusively with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque, managed by a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This setup channeled power through either standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.

The Murano’s V6 engine provided robust low-speed acceleration, making it quite responsive for city driving. However, the CVT tended to dull the performance at higher speeds, causing a slight delay in power delivery during highway overtakes.

Characterized by a comfort-first ride, the Murano offered refined driving qualities. It handled corners with composure while effectively absorbing road imperfections, making it an ideal choice for commutes and road trips. However, its towing capacity was limited to 1,500 pounds, lower than many midsize and some compact SUVs.

In essence, while the Highlander offered a balanced blend of performance and comfort, the Murano excelled in city driving and long-distance comfort with a trade-off in towing capacity and high-speed responsiveness.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander excelled in balancing passenger comfort and cargo utility. The front cabin showcased innovative storage solutions, including spacious shelves suitable for large cell phones and other essentials, complemented by convenient USB ports. Higher trims offered a standard wireless charging pad located within the center console.

The second-row seats boasted ample legroom and could slide forward or backward to optimize space for either middle or third-row passengers. However, the third-row seating was quite limited for adults, necessitating some compromise from those in the second row. The rear-seat climate control vents placement on the ceiling, directly over passengers’ heads, was less than ideal.

Cargo-wise, the Highlander had 16 cubic feet of space behind the third row, expanding to 48.4 cubic feet with the third row folded. Maximum cargo capacity reached 84.3 cubic feet with both the second and third rows down, accommodating a wide range of needs but still overshadowed by minivans in terms of sheer cargo volume.

The Nissan Murano, with its focus on two rows of seating, prioritized space and comfort for all passengers. The rear cargo area provided 32.1 cubic feet of storage with the seats in use, which expanded to 67 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While this didn’t match some competitors, including the Hyundai Santa Fe with 72.1 cubic feet and the Honda Passport’s substantial 100.7 cubic feet, the Murano compensated with practical ease-of-access features like the hands-free power liftgate available on SL and Platinum trims.

Notably, the Murano was designed with practicality in mind, featuring user-friendly elements such as a traditional shifter and a center console replete with trays and cubbies.

In comparison, the Highlander offered more cargo space, but the Murano’s focus on two roomy rows of seating made it a strong contender for those not requiring a third row or maximum cargo capacity.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander featured an 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system on lower trims, upgrading to a 12.3-inch display with the Limited trim and above. This larger screen, standard only on the Platinum trim, offered a sharp and vibrant interface, although its use of the larger size was restricted to certain apps, making its value questionable for some users.

Standard across the lineup were Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with navigation available as an optional extra. The JBL audio system, while good, didn’t stand out as particularly impressive despite the brand's premium reputation.

The Nissan Murano came equipped with an intuitive 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system across all trims. This system, bolstered by practical hard buttons and dials, facilitated easy access to menus and connected smartphone apps via standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Options for an enhanced tech experience included an 11-speaker Bose premium audio system and integrated navigation, complementing the straightforward but effective base setup.

The 2021 Toyota Highlander boasted an impressive array of advanced driver assistance systems under Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ (TSS 2.5+). This suite included advanced features such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, intersection support, road-sign assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-tracing assist, and automatic high beams.

The Highlander earned top safety accolades, achieving a five-star rating from NHTSA and being named a Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, encompassing features like reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. These newly standard features complemented existing ones, including forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection and driver drowsiness monitoring.

For added safety, features like a surround-view parking monitor, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and parking sensors were optional.