Cheggers Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Having looked at X5's, Cayennes, Rangies etc, I decided to buy a piece of absolutely nailed-on Futureshite...a Nissan Murano Why futureshite? - A bit like my old Scenic RX4 it's lovely but completely pointless and didn't sell well. What the hell is an "urban crossover" anyway? It has the quirky combination of 350Z gas-guzzling engine, CVT gearbox, 4 wheel drive and road tyres. The exterior is wonderfully "Space 1999", with the interior more "Blue Peter". So what's it like? Well, it's much as you'd expect of a modern Japanese car. It's very clever, very competent but lacks that certain something you get with it's European equivalents. It goes like stink, and once you're used to the rubber band gearbox (albeit with electronically faked gearshifts) it's incredibly smooth and refined. While the interior is best described as quirky, the leather armchairs wouldn't be out of place in a gentlemens club, so it's actually a nice place to be. I fully expect it to drink like Gazza on his holidays, but hopefully no worse than the others I was considering. And it's surprisingly big...fucking massive actually. I think I like it PS: No collection thread as the nice man delivered it. HMC, anonymous user, Lacquer Peel and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Station Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Is that the 350Z engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 Is that the 350Z engine?Yes, but I think slightly detuned (240-ish bhp) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I take it's not lpgd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 Not yet...I may consider it if it looks like a long term relationship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aston Martin Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 The Americans got a better/worser version. inconsistant, DS20 and AnthonyG 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2MB Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I have seen the same one of these at 4 different petrol stations in various corners of Yorkshire, leading me to believe that your suspicion they like a drink might well be true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuke Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 the rubber band gearbox (albeit with electronically faked gearshifts)I'd be livid if I bought a CVT only to find they'd tried to make it feel like a regular automatic. Surely the whole point is that you can pretend you're in a massive, luxury Daf? KruJoe, Parky, HMC and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 theres one at 2.5k on gas.......... 500 poond to tax it farkin ell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KruJoe Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Aye, what Duke said. Can you turn the fake shifts off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motormatt Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The Americans got a better/worser version. I heard that they came with a free copy of Wham's greatest hits in the glovebox and Julian Clary did the satnav voice. fred and Aston Martin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rml2345 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 That dreadful convertible thing is so daft that I actually quite like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDeere Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Having driven a rubberbandomatic Jeep Compass 1100 miles around Texas this week, the Murano's fake shifts sound like a great idea. Otherwise there is absolutely no acceleration or kickdown. BTW, the Compass oozed the sort of quality more normally associated with 1970s products assembled in Longbridge. A hateful and ugly p.o.s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cros Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 If Walt Disney made cars.... Come to think of it the Metropolitan may have kicked this all off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owain71 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I heard that they came with a free copy of Wham's greatest hits in the glovebox and Julian Clary did the satnav voice. ...which clearly Range Rover thought was a great idea... coming to a hairdresser's near you soon: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warren t claim Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Although I have no conclusive proof I'd wager that either Kerry Katona or Martine McCutchinson have owned at least one of these each. Not that I'm implying that you're some sort of Z list, vacuous, bankrupt celeb slag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan58 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 These are full of awesomeness (the Murano not that hideous thing above) - although I think they look much better in that orangey colour. And as far as being a pointless cross-over thing goes, it's not as pointless as my Streetwise - still I like it cause it's chunky... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Although I have no conclusive proof I'd wager that either Kerry Katona or Martine McCutchinson have owned at least one of these each. Not that I'm implying that you're some sort of Z list, vacuous, bankrupt celeb slag.Who are you calling vacuous? Z list, bankrupt celeb slag maybe... warren t claim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad D. Conelrad Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Oh my goodness, they made their cars slower by forcing CVTs to hold fake ratios. *buys 2015 model year car**complains it doesn't drive like it has a 1945 Hydra-Matic**Honda, Subaru et al ruin cars to suit* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Aye, what Duke said. Can you turn the fake shifts off?It's amazing how well it works, they've managed to capture the best of both worlds...just imagine a DAF with kickdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motormatt Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 ...which clearly Range Rover thought was a great idea... coming to a hairdresser's near you soon: Dear me, people actually paid money for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilA Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 ^ That reminds me a little in proportion of 1920's touring limousines... huge high body with people sat in it wearing those fully little swimcap type hats, only their head visible above the edge of the door It just needs solid steel wheels and a mascot and flags on the front to complete the image, possibly rolling along the road slowly with some dictatorship-type standing in the back waving to the crowds --Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheggers Posted March 10, 2015 Author Share Posted March 10, 2015 A quick update from a few days in...The more I drive it, the more I like it. It's a bit more frugal than I expected, and I've managed to work out the satnav & trip computer However, I can't think of another car in this class that doesn't have: - An external temperature display - A remote boot release Neither are exactly critical, but just seem like odd omissions from an otherwise well-equipped car. DS20 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 a japanese car without a boot release??? actually make that 2 the civic doesnt either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 It's amazing how well it works, they've managed to capture the best of both worlds...just imagine a DAF with kickdown Thats like trying to imagine David Cameron with Testicles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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