Review on the Nissan Murano or Impul 725SW SUV

This Nissan Murano or Impul 725SW SUV 4x2, specifications as follows:-

 Engine capacity: The QR25DE is a 2.5 L (2488 cc)
Bore and stroke: 89mm x 100mm
Compression ratio: 9.5.1
Power output : 175 HP / 130KW @ 6000rpm
Torque: 180 ft.lbf at 4000rpm


Performance wise, its just merely OK from the 2.5litre unit, as it need to haul something that's around 1.8tonnes. A hard drive on the stretches of genting highlands will expose all the weaknesses of the handling of any vehicles, and this big SUV is not exempted. This SUV gives a bumpy ride on rough roads even though it has a long travel suspension. The low speed ride is terrible, and small ridges rattled their way into the cabin, and even those fantastic and cushy seats cant seems to hold you in properly in place because the ride can get so bumpy that you will constantly find yourself adjusting your bottom very often.
When cornering, this SUV tends to lurch thru the corners. The amount of body roll is OK, but when cornering, it tends to feel front heavy, making cornering entry feels scary. Thankfully the steering feels is good and accurate, but there's not much feels to it.
The brakes on the other hand feels just 'sufficient' to stop this SUV, perhaps its because of the long travel pedal? The brakes also tend to cook easily, because when i reached the foothill of genting highland, i found myself slamming harder on the brakes to stop.

On highway runs, this thing feels more comfortable, partly due to its smooth CVT gearbox. The engine is spinning at merely 2000rpm when doing 120-130kmh, and at speeds of up to 160kmh, the cabin remains very quiet. But in town the CVT behaves differently, because i found myself braking more frequently in heavy traffic.The gear ratio can be so high that a dab on the accelerator can bring the vehicle so far away. Fuel consumption of this vehicle is relatively high, and i average around 6.4 - 7.3Km/litre when driving around town , but when driving on the highways it improves at around 10-11km/litre.

The interior of this cruiser is a very comfortable place to be in, because it is spacious, the big and cushy seats are comfy feels supportive just like couch would, and it is quiet. Driving controls feels good,  tactility is OK, ergonomics is OK but the overall build quality feels somewhat poor. The doors don't close with a solid "Thud", the back tonneau cover rattles when going over bumps, and door handles that feels too filmsy.
The rear seats are very spacious and comfy, and it can fit 3 big and tall fellas back there comfortably. The keyless entry feature is very usefull, as well as the rear and side camera that becomes indispensable when parking this vehicle in tight spaces.


As conclusion the the ownership of this SUV, i'd say its best suited for highway runs, because its the only place where i find it relaxing to travel in, and also won't scare me. Most auto magazines will tell you how good this SUV is, but let me tell you that it ISN'T, and the only reason why i end up owning this Murano is because there is no other car in the market that is this stylish,big,have good ground clearance, good standard specs, and within the 2500cc range.

The way it drives feels 'similar' to the KIA SORENTO.

Sorry for the poor picture quality,  its taken with my HD2 again, lost my lumix yesterday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update 16/4/2010

Taken the Nissan Murano 3.5 AWD for a spin and it is different compared to the IMPUL tuned units. For one the ride is smoother and much much more comfy, but with extra weight at the front, it feels a little more nose heavy when cornering hard. Also, the Nissan Murano rolls more in corners.

So the  Impul 725 is actually, a tuned up version of the nissan murano, that has a terribly harder ride, and a little bit more enjoyable when cornering hard.