Home » Some Dealers Are Whacking $12,000 Off Muranos, Which Probably Means Things Are Going Great

Some Dealers Are Whacking $12,000 Off Muranos, Which Probably Means Things Are Going Great

Nissan Murano 12k Off Ts
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The Murano was Nissan’s first crossover built specifically to appeal to the North American market. It’s been a strong seller for much of its history, with Nissan routinely pumping out over 50,000 a year to customers looking for a comfortable mid-sized crossover. However, the fourth generation is apparently failing to connect, and prices are dropping in turn.

Murano numbers have been sliding for years, but they’re getting more awkward right now. As per CarEdge figures, there is 234 market days of supply currently sitting at Nissan’s US dealerships. A massive 20,602 Muranos are currently in stock and on sale, with only 3,957 sold in the last 45 days.

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Some might speculate the Murano isn’t as appealing versus its current strong rivals in the midsized segment, others will argue that sales have stalled due to a lack of a convertible version. For dealers, though, the only real move at this point is to discount, and discount hard. We’re talking five-figure sums here.

Nissan Cheap Murano
Seeing these sell for $12,000 below MSRP in the first year of a new generation must have some executives hot under the collar. Credit: Cars.com via screenshot

The fourth-generation Nissan Murano lineup begins with the SV, available in front-wheel-drive or optional all-wheel-drive. Entering production late last year, it abandoned the long-running V6 and the infamous CVT, replacing them with a 2.0-liter turbo inline-four and a traditional 9-speed automatic transmission. It’s good for 241 horsepower, which is plenty enough to propel it up to highway speeds in a reasonable amount of time. Front-wheel drive is standard on the SV, but you can upgrade to AWD if so desired.

If you’re looking at the base model, MSRP starts at $41,860. However, you needn’t pay such a lofty price at this current moment. After all, Newton Nissan of Gallatin, Tennessee, has a 2025 model for just $30,625, a discount of $12,000 compared to sticker. It also has a bunch more for under $33,000. You can find similar deals in Florida, too, while Ziegler Nissan in Illinois has an AWD model for just $33,997.

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If you want, though, you could consider the SL. It’s a boring letter combination, but the higher trim level does come with AWD as standard, as well as luxury touches like heated mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, and a 360-degree parking camera—all stuff that makes it feel like a more modern, complete vehicle.

Nissan Cheap Sheboygan
The SL does come with a raft of extra equipment over the base model, and you can get them pretty cheap right now. Credit: Cars.com via screenshot

The SL does also come with a higher sticker price, but you’re not Hank Hill, so you’re not even considering paying sticker price. If you’re down in Wisconsin, Van Horn Nissan of Sheboygan has a 2025 model for just $40,071, a discount of $8,824 below MSRP. As a bonus, you get to tell all your friends you’re going to Sheboygan, which is a very fun name to say.  In Tennessee, those larrakins at Newton Nissan of Gallatin will do you even better, charging just $37,320 for a white example, while John Roberts Nissan in Manchester has a pretty similar deal, too.

Perhaps you desire the greater sophistication of the Platinum trim. You get standard AWD, rad 21″ wheels, as well as massaging front seats that are heated and ventilated, plus a motion-activated liftgate, among other upgrades.

Once again, the cheapest examples are at Nissan of Gallatin in Tennessee. The dealership has a Platinum in stock for $39,845, a discount of $12,000 compared to the sticker price of $51,845. In Missouri, you can get almost $10,000 off at AutoCenters Nissan, with a similar deal on offer from Old Orchard Nissan in Illinois.

Nissan Murano Cheaper Again Platinum
Nissan of Gallatin is one of the few dealers out there that shares real photographs its vehicles. Even the heavily discounted ones! Credit: Cars.com via screenshot

It’s almost a shame to see things go this way. Nissan went hard on the Murano’s redesign, bringing it thoroughly up to date in both aesthetic and equipment. And yet, the nameplate is continuing its slide into irrelevance. In 2024, the final year of the third-generation model saw sales slide beneath 20,000 for the first time since the crossover went on sale partway through 2002. Things are doing better this year, with Nissan shifting 18,228 units of the new model up to the end of Q2. Still, the glut of product on dealer lots tells us it’s a long way from the glory days when Nissan was selling over 80,000 a year. It’s not exactly the strong start Nissan would have hoped for when dropping the new model.

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The model does have its drawbacks, too, which might be dimming enthusiasm. Sticker prices start higher than competitors like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Chevrolet Blazer, while few are impressed by an SUV recording 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

2025 Nissan Murano 10989
Credit: Nissan
2025 Nissan Murano 29118
The new model looks sharp and of the moment, but that hasn’t been enough to shift all the product Nissan has in stock. Credit: Nissan

Nissan has been working hard to refresh its lineup, and its fleet is no longer looking out of date and tired compared to the competition. Models like the new Murano and Kicks look sharp and should be drawing eyes, but Nissan will have to implement an excellent ground game if it’s going to shift its narrative and get customers surging back into dealerships again. In the meantime, pricing will reflect its desperation.

Image credits: Nissan, Cars.com via screenshot

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Cars? I've owned a few
Cars? I've owned a few
3 hours ago

Fun fact, there’s a Cheboygan across the lake in Michigan.

Harvey Park Avenue
Harvey Park Avenue
4 hours ago

> others will argue that sales have stalled due to a lack of a convertible version.

I see what you did there.

AlterId, redux
AlterId, redux
10 hours ago

We love The Autopian, but these easy clickbait posts where y’all throw out the results of a lazy cars.com search with no mention of the disclaimers and fine print behind the featured prices are at best vexatious as all get out.

A quick click on the link to the dealer’s page for the first listing cited would show that the quote excludes the $889 doc fee but includes $4,500 in “finance assistance” (which requires Nissan Motors Acceptance Corporation financing at the dealer’s standard rate, which was reported as 12.8 percent on the Sheboygan listing) and $4,000 in “trade assistance” along with a $3,500 dealer discount.

Maybe truth-in-advertising regulations are more stringent in Australia than they are here (more transparent ad pricing was on the verge of being required as of July 2024, but it got stalled and the coalition of sadists, sociopaths, bigots and idiots emerged victorious in November, so that ain’t happening), but enough of your humble commenters have pointed this out that it really shouldn’t be happening anymore.

TooBusyToNotice
TooBusyToNotice
12 hours ago

Its a mute point, Lewin. Their reputation is gone. The perception is people drive them because thats the only thing they can afford. Which means they probably aren’t maintaining them well. Which means they break down quickly and don’t get repaired after accidents. Which means too many on the road look like trash. Which cements the public’s view that they don’t want to be seen in one or deal with the lack of reliability. Their Z seems like a pretty good car, but they are asking way too much for what it is. I think getting as many of those on the road as possible is their best option because those buyers will likely take care of them. My sister is on her second Pathfinder. Theyre nice and they’ve had a good experience.

Last edited 12 hours ago by TooBusyToNotice
Anoos
Anoos
12 hours ago

The new Z was an opportunity they completely messed up.

The first thing that had me even glancing in their direction in two decades, and their dealers immediately slapped markups over an already high-ish price. I have not yet seen one in the wild – in an area where a lot of people have the money and space for a fair-weather sports car.

It was never going to be a super high volume seller, but they could have sold enough of them so that people would see the Nissan hamburger badge on something other than an Altima with one smashed headlight, illegal tint and an exhaust system of questionable integrity.

TooBusyToNotice
TooBusyToNotice
12 hours ago
Reply to  Anoos

I live in an affluent area with a pretty solid car culture. I’ve seen one on the road.

Last edited 12 hours ago by TooBusyToNotice
TooBusyToNotice
TooBusyToNotice
12 hours ago

**moot point

Last edited 12 hours ago by TooBusyToNotice
Goof
Goof
13 hours ago

Murano is a 2-row only in a segment full of 3-row options.

Nissan needs to be like Gillette: “F$%& it! We’re going to FIVE ROWS!”

Anoos
Anoos
12 hours ago
Reply to  Goof

Or Nissan can be like Nissan. Offer something at the same price as the competition with fewer features and then throw five figures on the hood when you can’t move them.

Alexander Moore
Alexander Moore
5 hours ago
Reply to  Goof

Murano is a 2-row only in a segment full of 3-row options.

Like what? The Sorento and Santa Fe? Toyota has the 2-row Crown Signia, Chevy the 2-row Blazer, Honda the 2-row Passport, VW the 2-row Atlas Cross Sport, etc.

Nissan just sucks and this thing lacks any major USP. The Toyota is a hybrid, the Honda can ‘go off-road’, and the VW and Chevy are cheapish by comparison.

Angel "the Cobra" Martin
Angel "the Cobra" Martin
15 hours ago

No hybrid? That seems like a massive miss. My wife wants to get a comfortable cruiser as we will be regularly driving from CA to Montana and she wanted a Cadillac, but GM has no hybrid (she currently drives a Maverick). She said there is no way she is going to a passenger car getting 27 MPG when she gets 42 in a pickup.

Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
15 hours ago

If I didn’t know the variable-compression KR-engine was an unreliable heap of shit, I’d say that $30K Murano was a great deal.

But I DO know that so at even at $30K, I wouldn’t recommend the Murano.

At least they got rid of the CVT. Now if only they’d put the sweet VQ engine back into it and instead of that stupid KR engine, make a good reliable 4 cylinder hybrid powertrain.

Anoos
Anoos
10 hours ago

This has that stupid variable compression engine?

That engine was a bad idea from the start. Seriously, that was an engineering concept that only a bs tech founder could love. At least the tech founder would have the decency to never produce or sell it.

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
15 hours ago

Stands in Nissan dealership and asks oneself: “Hmmm, do I want Altima Energy or Murano Banality?”

G. K.
G. K.
15 hours ago

I think it would be a winner if Nissan had retained the 3.5-liter V6, but adopted the 9AT. As in the Pathfinder.

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