Midsized SUVs with space and style.
If you're shopping for a midsized SUV, you've got loads of great choices. These vehicles offer passenger space, cargo room, and all-wheel drive, which is great news for families and large groups. The Nissan Murano and the GMC Acadia are two popular options that you may have come across in your search for the perfect SUV. Learn more about their similarities and what sets them apart so that you can decide whether the Murano or the Acadia is right for you.
Side-by-side Comparison
2020 Nissan Murano | 2020 GMC Acadia | |
|---|---|---|
Average Price | Less than $27,500 | Less than $31,000 |
Performance | ||
Base Engine | 260-hp 3.5L V6 | 193-hp 2.5L four-cylinder |
Horsepower | 260 | 193 |
MPG | EPA-estimated 23 mpg with base engine | EPA-estimated 23 mpg with base engine |
Interior | ||
Seating | 5 | Standard 7; option for 5-6 |
Cargo Space | 32 cu-ft with all seats folded | 41.7 cu-ft with third-row folded |
Front-seat Legroom | 40.5 inches | 41 inches |
Rear-seat Legroom | 38.7 inches | 39.7 inches |
Overall Interior Space | 102.8 cu-ft | 143.8 cu-ft |
Ratings | ||
Tailpipe Emissions | 386 grams per mile with standard engine | 386 grams per mile with standard engine |
NHTSA Safety Rating | Overall 5/5 | Overall 4/5 |
Certain vehicles may have unrepaired safety recalls. Click here to look up a specific vehicle.
Features and Trim Options
The Nissan Murano and the GMC Acadia both offer a spacious interior and available all-wheel drive. A major difference is that while the Murano only offers seating for five, the Acadia comes standard with seven seats (across all model years). There are also options for five and six seats in the Acadia. In model years 2018 through 2020, both vehicles come standard with tech features that consumers have come to expect, including Apple Carplay®, Android Auto™, and Bluetooth® connectivity.
GMC Acadia
The Acadia is available in seven trim levels from 2017–2020. Within those trims, there's something for everyone. The highest trim, the Denali, comes with luxury touches like a hands-free liftgate and heated and ventilated leather seats. If you want all-wheel drive or the V6 engine, you'll need to opt for at least the Acadia's SLE-2 trim. The standard configuration is seven seats, although there are options for five or six seats in the Acadia. All 2017–2020 GMC Acadias come with:
Remote keyless entry
Bluetooth connectivity
Back up camera
Nissan Murano
The Nissan Murano comes standard with seating for five with no other available seating configurations. The 2018–2020 Murano offers four trim options. The highest, Platinum, has upscale features like leather seats and a panoramic moonroof, and driver-assist features including emergency braking and sign recognition. All 2018–2020 Muranos come with:
Apple Carplay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity
Forward collision warning
Push-button ignition
Engine Options
The Nissan Murano in model years 2017–2020 comes with one engine option: a 260-hp, 3.5L V6. It comes standard with front-wheel drive but all-wheel drive is an available option.
The Acadia offers more engine options. The base engine is a 193-hp 2.5L four-cylinder, which is paired with front-wheel drive. A 310-hp 3.6 L V6 is an available option, and you'll need to upgrade to that if you'd like to have all-wheel drive. For 2020, an optional 230-hp turbocharged four-cylinder was introduced.
Fuel Economy
The Nissan Murano and the GMC Acadia have comparable gas mileage in all of their available engine options and trims.
The 2020 Nissan Murano with the standard 260-hp engine gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg combined fuel economy with both front-wheel and all-wheel drive.†
The 2020 GMC Acadia with the standard 193-hp engine gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg combined fuel economy when paired with front-wheel drive.†
That engine gets an EPA-estimated 22-mpg combined fuel economy with all-wheel drive.†
The 2020 GMC Acadia with the optional 230-hp turbo engine gets an EPA-estimated 24 mpg combined fuel economy when paired with front-wheel drive.†
That engine gets an EPA-estimated 23-mpg combined fuel economy with all-wheel drive.†
With the available 310-hp V6 engine, the 2020 GMC Acadia gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined fuel economy with front-wheel drive, and 21 mpg combined fuel economy with all-wheel drive.†
Towing
Both the Nissan Murano and the GMC Acadia come with some standard towing capabilities. The Murano, with the standard 260-hp engine, can tow an estimated 1,500 pounds, when properly equipped.††
The Acadia with the base-level 193-hp engine can tow an estimated 1,000 pounds when properly equipped.††
If you're looking to tow regularly, the GMC Acadia with the V6 engine is the best choice: it can tow an estimated 4,000 pounds, when properly equipped.††
Tech Features
The Nissan Murano and the GMC Acadia both have a host of technology and driver-assist features. The upper trim levels introduce additional features that aren't standard. Here's what you can expect to find on each:
Nissan Murano
Standard Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity (2018 and later)
Standard Bluetooth (2017 and later)
Standard forward-collision warning (2018 and later)
Seven-inch display screen (2017–2018); eight-inch display screen (2019 and later)
Standard navigation (2018 and later)
Front USB port (2017 and later)
GMC Acadia
Standard rear USB ports in the second and third row (2017 and later)
Seven-inch touch screen (2017 and later)
Standard Bluetooth, Apple Carplay, and Android Auto connectivity(2017 and later)
Standard rear vision camera (2018 and later)
Standard six-speaker audio (2017 and later)
Cargo Space
If you need to optimize cargo space, take a look at these specs with each SUV's various configurations. The 2018 Nissan Murano has 32 cu-ft of cargo space when the rear seats are up, increasing to 67 cu-ft when they're folded flat. The 2018 GMC Acadia has 12.8 cu-ft of cargo space behind the third row. When that row is folded flat, the Acadia has 41.7 cu-ft of cargo space, increasing to 79 cu-ft when all rear seats are folded flat.
Pricing
The Murano, which comes standard with five seats, is generally priced lower than the Acadia, which comes standard with seven seats. See below for average CarMax prices for all model years of the Nissan Murano and GMC Acadia.†††
Nissan Murano
2017—Average price less than $22,500†††
2018—Average price less than $23,500†††
2019—Average price less than $29,000†††
2020—Average price less than $27,500†††
GMC Acadia
2017— Average price less than $26,500†††
2018—Average price less than $26,500†††
2019—Average price less than $28,500†††
2020—Average price less than $31,000†††
Safety Ratings
The 2019 Nissan Murano with front-wheel drive received an overall 5/5 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 2019 GMC Acadia with front-wheel drive received an overall 4/5 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Certain vehicles may have unrepaired safety recalls. Click here to look up a specific vehicle.
2019 Nissan Murano
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Test: A head-on collision between two similar vehicles traveling at 35 mph.
Overall: 5/5
Side Barrier Crash Rating Test: A vehicle standing in an intersection sustains driver-side impact from a vehicle moving at 38.5 mph.
Overall: 5/5
Side Pole Crash Rating Test: A vehicle slides sideways at 20 mph and impacts a tree or telephone pole.
Overall: 5/5
2019 GMC Acadia
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Test: A head-on collision between two similar vehicles traveling at 35 mph.
Overall: 5/5
Side Barrier Crash Rating Test: A vehicle standing in an intersection sustains driver-side impact from a vehicle moving at 38.5 mph.
Overall: 5/5
Side Pole Crash Rating Test: A vehicle slides sideways at 20 mph and impacts a tree or telephone pole.
Overall: 5/5
Reliability
The Nissan Murano has slightly higher reliability ratings than the GMC Acadia. Here's how each rates:
Nissan Murano
RepairPal gave the Nissan Murano an overall reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as above average.
Cost: RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Nissan Murano is $507, compared to an average of $521 for compact SUVs and $652 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Frequency: According to RepairPal, Nissan Murano owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.5 times per year, compared to an average of 0.3 times for compact SUVs and 0.4 times for all the vehicle models RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Severity: RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 14% for the Nissan Murano, compared to an average of 11% for compact SUVs and 12% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
GMC Acadia
RepairPal gave the GMC Acadia an overall reliability rating of 3 out of 5 stars, which RepairPal describes as average.
Cost: RepairPal reports that the average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a GMC Acadia is $734, compared to an average of $573 for midsized SUVs and $652 for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Frequency: According to RepairPal, GMC Acadia owners bring their vehicles into a repair shop for unscheduled repairs an average of 0.4 times per year, compared to an average of 0.4 times for midsized SUVs and 0.4 times for all the vehicle models RepairPal considered in its dataset.
Severity: RepairPal reported that the probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 19% for the GMC Acadia, compared to an average of 13% for midsized SUVs and 12% for all the vehicles RepairPal considered in its dataset.
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2010–2019 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
*RepairPal Reliability Ratings are provided by RepairPal and CarMax is not responsible for their accuracy. These ratings are based on RepairPal Reliability data as of 12/31/2018. Learn more.
Emissions
According to EPA estimates, the 2020 Nissan Murano with the standard 260-hp engine has tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions of 386 grams per mile with both front-wheel and all-wheel drive.
The 2020 GMC Acadia with the standard 193-hp engine has EPA-estimated tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions of 386 grams per mile. With the available 230-hp turbo engine, the 2020 Acadia has EPA-estimated tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions of 362 grams per mile with front-wheel drive and 374 grams per mile with all-wheel drive. With the available V6 engine, the 2020 Acadia has EPA-estimated tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions of 413 grams per mile with front-wheel drive and 433 grams per mile with all-wheel drive.
These estimates are based on a brand-new model. Visit fueleconomy.gov for more details.
The Bottom Line
The GMC Acadia and the Nissan Murano have comparable fuel economy and emissions. If you're looking for more space, the Acadia is a good choice, since it comes standard with seven seats and has more overall interior space and cargo space. If you select the V6 engine, the Acadia can also tow more, making it a good choice for campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. However, the Nissan is a good SUV if you only need five seats and don't want to pay the premium for more space.
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