GRM Review: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

We got a Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. That thing you didn't know you didn't want.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2012-nissan-murano-crosscabriolet/

So who's right about the structural rigidity, Joe or JG?

I'd guess Joe (sorry JG)

It didn't work for AMC either...

JG Some dude at Nissan has a hot, 22-year-old girlfriend that lets him do all the freaky stuff and she thought it would be totally rad to have a convertible Murano. When he told her that wasn’t a thing that should be, she stuck out her bottom lip and said “But I WANT it!” Done. You really gonna say no to that?

This has to go in the Magazine.. JG you sir are a Cunning Linguist. Pulitzer Prize anyone?

'Had to put on some Ramones really loud to feel clean again...'

Reminds me of the review quotes you see on movie posters such as:
"I laughed, I cried"
-Roger Ebert

I expect to see in Nissan's advertising

"...the Murano convertible isn’t all stupid.
-JG Pasterjak

Why the use of stock photos? Why no photos with staff driving?

JohnRW1621 wrote: Reminds me of the review quotes you see on movie posters such as: "I laughed, I cried" -Roger Ebert I expect to see in Nissan's advertising "...the Murano convertible isn’t all stupid. -JG Pasterjak Why the use of stock photos? Why no photos with staff driving?

No one wanted to be seen in it. If we ever run for political office, a car guy driving this thing would be the equivalent of the John Kerry windsurfing photo. For you oldies, that's the Dukakis tank photo.

m4ff3w wrote: So who's right about the structural rigidity, Joe or JG? I'd guess Joe (sorry JG)

I'm totally right. I think JG had ingested an entire bowl of jello, so he may have thought all the jiggling was from him, and not the car / truck / abomination.

It is kind of funny....you shut the door, and the whole car shakes and shimmies.

you do sit up high though......which seems to be a main selling point these days

My question is this...how in the world did you guys end up doing a review on this thing? I surely can't imagine you called Nissan begging to drive it. Did Nissan call you with the bright idea you may like it? If so, it would beg the question "What where they thinking?" Could you have refused the test drive?

Gotta hand it to Nissan, they're not afraid to build weird stuff. Granted, it's not usually the good kind of weird, more the WTF kind, but still - A for effort.

alex wrote: Gotta hand it to Nissan, they're not afraid to build weird stuff. Granted, it's not usually the good kind of weird, more the WTF kind, but still - A for effort.

Well.... They are owned by the French...

I saw one of these driving in town the other day. I drove almost all the way around it trying to find the "nice" angle, but couldn't find it. Man, what a horribly, horribly ugly car.

Bryce

Klayfish wrote: My question is this...how in the world did you guys end up doing a review on this thing? I surely can't imagine you called Nissan begging to drive it. Did Nissan call you with the bright idea you may like it? If so, it would beg the question "What where they thinking?" Could you have refused the test drive?

Each week we receive a new car or two from the "press fleet". Although we can occasionally request certain cars, most of the time they are random machines. We certainly didn't ask for the Murano vert, but we figure you guys might enjoy hearing our take on it. This is why the new car reviews aren't always for performance machines.

Yeah. We'll have a Boxster one week, an Acura RDX the next, then Kia Optima, Volvo S60, Nissan box van. It's all over the place.

I have this weird feeling that with this board in about 10-15 years there will be a few nuts who want that thing.

m4ff3w wrote: So who's right about the structural rigidity, Joe or JG? I'd guess Joe (sorry JG)

Oh, it's a little floppy, but it struck me as not nearly as floppy as a vehicle should be with such a large chunk of itself not there.

jg

Klayfish wrote: My question is this...how in the world did you guys end up doing a review on this thing? I surely can't imagine you called Nissan begging to drive it. Did Nissan call you with the bright idea you may like it? If so, it would beg the question "What where they thinking?" Could you have refused the test drive?

Like Alan said, we're just sort of on a rotation. The cars make the circuit and we get what's next.

Here's the worst part: My wife and I were taking a couple days off in Key Largo, so we made our weekly press car switch at the logistics service's South Fla. warehouse. We traded the FR-S for the Nissan (not so easy to hand those keys over), and we also got to walk around their warehouse stuffed to the bejeezus with high end Benzes (including some gullwings), Audis (including some TT-RS), Fords and Chevys. Most of the cars they babysit are actually what are called "program cars." While press cars go out to journalists, these program cars go to visiting executives, diplomats, VIPs, and celebrities. Many of the Benzes they had on hand had just come back from some major soccer deal in Miami where they were being driven by the players. And apparently ten minutes before we got there, Justin Timberlake dropped off an Audi R8 to swap for an S8 because he had to drive his parents around for a few days.

So, yeah. Then we got in the Murano convertible and I had to go buy some of those giant sunglasses that fit over your regular glasses and my wife got a massive handbag and a hat the size of a table and we blended seamlessly into the rest of South Florida.

jg

Did you do any drive thru's at 55+ communities? You would have been a superstar...or gotten carjacked for your sweet ride...

Every time I see one of those out and about two things go through my mind:

1. Who the berkeley at Nissan thought that was a good idea.

2. Holy E36 M3 someone actually bought one

That's so Motor Trend.

JG Pasterjak said: Plus, hunters will love the combination of all-whel-drive and a convertible top, meaning they can drive out to the woods and shoot hogs without ever leaving the supple, leather-clad confines of the Murano’s interior.

Actually that's the first good use for one I've ever seen, you know besides what they do to caravans on Top Gear.

Who the hell at Nissan signed off on this? Times are lean - why would any car marker invest development and marketing dollars into vehicle which is almost guaranteed to be a loss?

hrdlydangerous wrote: It didn't work for AMC either...

It feels so wrong, but now that I know this exists, I want one badly.