Nissan Murano vs. Mercury Mariner Review

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs approximately the same to get the Murano to the dealership as the Mercury Mariner. The Mercury Mariner won't tax your gas budget considerably more than the Murano will. There really isn't much of a difference in gas mileage here, but if you must know, the Nissan Murano is a tad more economical than the Mercury Mariner. When it comes to MSRP, the Mercury Mariner costs quite a bit less than the Nissan Murano.

Utility
The Nissan Murano is a better choice than the Mercury as far as transporting cargo, especially if you often need to carry a lot of equipment or large dogs. The Nissan Murano and the Mariner can accommodate the same number of passengers.

Convenience
You'll very likely have to take the Mercury Mariner for a fill-up more often than the Nissan Murano because of its tank size and gas mileage.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Nissan offers a bit more head room than the Mercury Mariner, there honestly isn't much of a difference. The Murano is not particularly more spacious for your passengers than the Mercury Mariner.

Dimensions
The Nissan Murano is quite a bit more ponderous than the Mercury Mariner. Your wallet will hurt more every time you fill up the Nissan Murano than the Mercury Mariner because of its bigger tank. The Mercury rides lower than the Nissan Murano, which is a good thing for its center of gravity and ease of access. The Mercury Mariner and the Nissan Murano compete for the same parking spaces. The Nissan's longer wheelbase will likely result in a smoother, more stable ride; on the other hand, the Mercury Mariner may give a more agile feel in daily traffic.

Handling
With their similar turning circles, the Mercury Mariner and the Nissan Murano definitely handle approximately the same into and out of tight spots.

Drivetrain
The Nissan Murano has a more sizeable engine than the Mercury Mariner. Note that smaller engines are often cheaper to fix, but smaller engines can be stressed more. Torque is the force that lets you accelerate quickly, and in this respect, the Nissan Murano is considerably more powerful than the Mercury. Torque equals pickup, and the Nissan Murano will have picked up and gone by the time the Mercury Mariner finally gets moving.

Overview
The Mercury Mariner and the Murano have the same basic warranty.

Other
The Mercury Mariner produces fewer smog-forming pollutants per 15,000 miles than the Nissan Murano.