HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[HMC]

I find it’s a curious vehicle this Murano. What is it? Part sports car, part off roader, part hatch, with a surprisingly exotic engine, and a wilfully different gearbox. All wrapped in a gopping package. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

These were so well regarded by Nissan , that one was placed in a skip outside the big Nissan dealership at the bottom of the M1, to promote a scrappage scheme. I don’t think it was the 2009 one but they were only just out of production and could only have been 4/5 years old at the time.  I remember thinking it was a terrible marketing decision whenever I drove past.

[DVee8]

1 hour ago, cort1977 said:

Indeed.  There was even a convertible version for our American friends.  Those of a sensitive nature should google carefully...

Bloody hell there was!

[HMC]

I thought it might have even been made in America, but wiki tells me it’s from the parent country. Apparently it was sold in America for 2 years before it entered the uk market.

Presumably the uk was an afterthought as it feels like something conceived with the USA in mind (even the seats are unusually wide and soft) 

[Schaefft]

The Murano Cross Cabriolet will be a sought after classic*, I'm telling you now! Apparently they actually hold their values surprisingly well, who would have thought... Definitely what inspired all the crossover convertibles we get in Europe as well so thanks Nissan for that one...

[AnthonyG]

After the financial crisis hit in 2008, if you were one of the very rare set of people who still wanted a Murano you could get yourself a new one for less than half list price, they were that desirable!

It was hard enough selling cars that people normally wanted…so the deals on more obscure stuff were silly.

I think there was a broker offering new Dodge Avengers, I think it was, as two for the price of one - literally.

[Markeh]

My dad was the service manager at a Nissan dealer between 03-06 - at some point he had one of these in orange. I remember him coming home one day with no headlining because they'd decided to chuck some dealer-fit accessories onto it, including a roof-mount DVD player, but hadn't had time to finish the job before he needed to leave. I'm assuming the lengthy commute he had each day is part of the reason why he switched back to diesel X-Trails and later Pathfinders.

[HMC]

So the Murano is sold. But im not changing the thread title. As I type a fellow shiter is out in the wilds of east London @RobT on an HMC collection mission. 

Why no change to the topic title? Because he’s collecting another V6 Nissan lemon. Spiritual successor to the 300c on the uk market and the last hurrah for Nissan uk playing at luxobarges. That’s certainly too many clues for you lot, but it’s a niche in a niche as it’s the rarely seen late facelift version. 

[500tops]

QX?

[wuvvum]

2-litre or 3-litre?  I've had both (in pre-facelfit form) - the latter GLF, the former, er, don't.

[HMC]

I have word the barge has been driven away. Hopefully not too rough an area, I did not issue Rob with a stab vest.

Hes just sent me a photo of a derelict Datsun coupe (not my purchase)

[hairnet]

maxima?

does @STUNO know its gone from outside his house

 

[Schaefft]

This better by the 4DSC! What happened to @Jim Bell's?

[RobT]

Belated pez shot back home.  Just wanted to get out of Ilford tbh.  Also needed a piss, but good luck finding any public toilets there.

Drives really well, nice and wafty.  Probably not quick but I'll find out tomorrow on the run down to Devon.  Was perfectly adequate bimbling around London.

[RobT]

Best bit.  Cloth.

 

[Schaefft]

Not the Maxima I had in mind but still interesting purchase. 2.0 or 3.0 V6?

[HMC]

Cheers Rob for the first stage of the collection!

This facelift was rebadged “maxima qx” perhaps as a way of encouraging sales ? @Spottedlaurel is our resident knowledgable person on this

[HMC]

40 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Not the Maxima I had in mind but still interesting purchase. 2.0 or 3.0 V6?

It’s a 2.0 v6. Smooth but slow. Think Roger Moore in A View to a kill.

[Brodders]

Didn't even know they were bothering to sell these in the UK as late as 2002, but glad someone took the plunge so we could admire it 20 years down the line.

Well done, looks like a great purchase.

[HMC]

3 minutes ago, Brodders said:

Didn't even know they were bothering to sell these in the UK as late as 2002, but glad someone took the plunge so we could admire it 20 years down the line.

Well done, looks like a great purchase.

Thanks, to be honest I was aware of the original qx (tagline: IT EXISTS) but not this facelift. I’m going though a bit of an autoshite rebirth with an appreciation of these sorts of barges (see also Kia magentis/ Hyundai Sonata/ Hyundai ig30)

I love the ambition but indifference (on the whole) from snobby uk buyers. Core autoshite.

[Schaefft]

48 minutes ago, HMC said:

It’s a 2.0 v6. Smooth but slow. Think Roger Moore in A View to a kill.

A friend of mine had the 2.0 V6 with a manual until he wrapped it around a tree while drunk.

[HMC]

1 minute ago, Schaefft said:

A friend of mine had the 2.0 V6 with a manual until he wrapped it around a tree while drunk.

That’s some going! I’m imagining it has trouble breaking traction in the dry (quoted 0-60 is 14 seconds (!)) 

[Schaefft]

7 minutes ago, HMC said:

That’s some going! I’m imagining it has trouble breaking traction in the dry (quoted 0-60 is 14 seconds (!)) 

Almost, I think the manual is somewhere in the 10s. Probably taking a country road turn too quickly at night. The car was a banana but he barely had a scratch apparently!

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice one! TBH I get a bit bewildered by these, I certainly can't remember their model codes off the top of  my head. I think your one is a completely different model to the previous version just badged QX. I should know, I have brochures etc.

I think they called it Maxima QX to combine the legendary reputations of both the early '90s Maxima and the subsequent QX. Or maybe they were just being confusing.....

A couple that I've seen on the road:

 

 

[AnthonyG]

Maximas were popular in the States, not quite as much as Accords and Camrys, but certainly a high seller for Nissan when Americans still bought sedans in volumes of hundreds of thousands annually. 

I actually didn’t know they’d sold this second generation one over here! On a sales par with the Honda Legend of the same era I expect. 

[Schaefft]

27 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

Maximas were popular in the States, not quite as much as Accords and Camrys, but certainly a high seller for Nissan when Americans still bought sedans in volumes of hundreds of thousands annually. 

I actually didn’t know they’d sold this second generation one over here! On a sales par with the Honda Legend of the same era I expect. 

This gen Maxima was actually sold as the Infiniti i30 in the states, so kinda a premium car. For the last 20 years US Maximas were mostly sold to those who cannot get finance on anything else though, especially after Mitsubishi died, like almost anything Nissan and Infiniti put out over the last few years...

[Marm Toastsmith]

Funny, I’ve just driven a Nissan from east London to Devon, and the other day I was saying how much I fancied a QX after seeing one in an old American TV series (homelands).

Is the universe trying to tell me something?

[High Jetter]

Yup, infiniti is within reach!

[STUNO]

13 hours ago, hairnet said:

maxima?

does @STUNO know its gone from outside his house

 

Had mine now for nearly 3 years, a 3 litre as the 2 litre was not sold here. It has now done 275,000 km's and has NO rust and does not use any oil or water,oil changes are the only servicing it has needed. he engine is silky smooth and very quiet. It does need suspension bushes replaced which it will get next year. still very impressed by it and it can get going very quickly when I want it to !

[grogee]

14 hours ago, RobT said:

Belated pez shot back home.  Just wanted to get out of Ilford tbh.  Also needed a piss, but good luck finding any public toilets there.

Drives really well, nice and wafty.  Probably not quick but I'll find out tomorrow on the run down to Devon.  Was perfectly adequate bimbling around London.

That is gopping, well bought. Been tempted myself a few times along with Camry etc. And did the Legend thing not long ago.

What was Nissan thinking? I bet the sales brochure contained the words, "distinctive" and "unique".

I bet it will never ever break.