The Verdict: Nissan Murano

I was driving our Nissan Murano test car through central London late at night a week or two back, when I came across an impressive annual fund-raising event of which I had previously been completely unaware.

Thousands of women were walking a course around the streets of the capital in order to raise money for breast cancer research, although the participants in the Playtex Moonwalk stood out not so much because of their number but the manner of their dress. Instead of t-shirts, blouses or other tops, they were wearing highly decorated bras imaginatively and extravagantly adorned with tinsel, flashing lights and other attention-seeking devices.

In fact, come to think of it, a vast crowd of excited ladies showing off their brassieres probably constitutes one of the few settings in which the striking new Murano is going to struggle to get noticed. I'd very much been looking forward to seeing the Murano in the metal; beforehand, most of the photos I'd seen made it look like something that had escaped straight from a designer's sketch pad onto the road without the usual practical compromises that have to be imposed once engineers, marketing men and bean counters become involved. When it arrived, our test car turned out to be black – still eye-catching, but this colour scheme had the unfortunate effect of accentuating the rather garish chrome grille.

The Murano's rounded shape has some drawbacks, too; the luggage space is smaller than it would be in a boxier vehicle, while the triangular rear pillars make the reversing camera essential. The rest of the cabin presents quite a contrast with the exterior styling; it is modern and tasteful, but straight lines and right angles dominate instead of curves.

On the road, the Murano has a fair turn of speed; in fact, it shares its V6 engine with Nissan's 350Z sports car. In the 350Z it roars like a lion, but fitted to the Murano, it purrs like an overfed tabby; it also has to pull quite a bit of extra weight around, and there is an automatic gearbox in place of the 350Z's manual, and yet the essential liveliness of this capable power unit still shines through.

The Murano costs just under £30,000. That makes it a much more expensive means of drawing attention to yourself than parading around in a fancy bra, but it's not bad value for a large and stylish SUV.

Philip Grey, 32, Barrister from Royston, Hertfordshire
USUAL CAR: VW GOLF 1.6 AUTOMATIC

"I'm not used to something this size and I did find it unwieldy in town. You don't seem to sit high enough to improve visibility over other traffic, nor does it effectively flatten speed bumps – so, putting aside people wanting a car of this image, there are no practical advantages I could see over a normal vehicle. Out of town, it's got fair acceleration, but the suspension is wallowy on poor roads. Changing to manual was a real disappointment, the gear lever is set far too far from the dash. I doubt it'll sway those for whom a BMW X3, Merc M Class or Land Rover would be more obvious choices."

Doug Bentall, 39, PR director from Tonbridge
USUAL CAR: VW TOUAREG 2.5 TDI

More stylish than your average 4X4, but it isn't high enough off the ground to look down on other road users. The steering was light and the driving experience more like a conventional car. The leather seats were comfortable, but otherwise the quality of the interior lets the image down. The 3.5 litre engine delivers oomph aplenty for what is a heavy car and the auto box was smooth. I loved the rear view camera but without it backwards visibility is poor. For a £30K budget I would either choose a German estate or a real off-roader, not something in between.

Dom Firth, 30, Consultant from London Docklands
USUAL CAR: AUDI A3 2.0 TDI

It arrived looking like the ride of a low grade gang member, the one who can't afford a Porsche Cayenne. Sadly any pretence at illicitly gained luxury ended with the outside, despite the plush leather seats the facia and trim looked drab and tacky. The car felt astonishingly underpowered despite having a 3.5 litre, 234 bhp V6 engine. Add this to any car with similar interior proportions and you'll have a panther, the Murano felt more like a hippo. I would have had to take my bike to pieces to get it in the back. It's distinctly less capable, practical and nowhere near as luxurious as my A3.

THE VERDICT

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