2018 Toyota Highlander vs. 2018 Nissan Murano

Size Comparison

First, let's look at the size of these two vehicles. The 2018 Toyota Highlander has an overall length of 192.5 inches, a width of 75.8 inches, and a height of 68.1 inches. The 2018 Nissan Murano has a length of 192.5 inches, a width of 75.4 inches, and a height of 66.1 inches. As you can see, the Highlander is just slightly bigger than the Murano when it comes to exterior size.

Cargo space is another important consideration when it comes to a size comparison. For cargo space, the 2018 Toyota Highlander has 13.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats, 42.3 cubic feet behind the second row, and 83.7 cubic feet behind the first row.

The Nissan Murano is a bit different because it only has two rows of seating. However, the Murano gives you 31.1 cubic feet behind the second row and 67 cubic feet behind the first row.

These two vehicles are very similar in size. However, the Highlander gives you three rows of seating while the Murano only gives you two. That leads to some differences as far as the cargo capacity. Behind the last row of seating, the Murano gives you more cargo space as compared to the Highlander, but behind the first row of seating, the Highlander gives you more cargo space.

Interior Differences

When you take a look at the interior of these vehicles, you can start to see some big differences. For example, when it comes to passenger capacity, these vehicles are very different. The 2018 Toyota Highlander can seat seven or eight passengers depending on if this vehicle has a bench seat or captain's chairs. The Nissan Murano, on the other hand, can only seat five passengers.

What do these vehicles offer for interior features? You can expect to get a lot of standard features in the 2018 Toyota Highlander. This vehicle gives you features like Bluetooth, five USB ports, voice recognition, a rearview camera, a 6.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and more standard.

Safety is also standard in the Toyota Highlander as Toyota's Safety Sense suite of features comes standard all of their newer vehicles. The standard safety features on the Highlander include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.

Standard features on the 2018 Nissan Murano include Bluetooth, a six-speaker audio system, HD radio, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a rearview camera. For safety features, the Murano does offer you a few features standard, but you have to upgrade to get some of the other safety features. For example, the Murano gives you forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking standard, but you have to upgrade for features like blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and more.

These vehicles have some key differences on the inside. The Toyota Highlander not only offers you more seating, but it also offers you more standard safety features than the Nissan Murano.

Performance

Next, let's take a look at the performance of these vehicles including the engine options, horsepower, and fuel economy. The 2018 Toyota Highlander gives you 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission standard. This engine produces 185-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. If you want to upgrade your engine, you can get a 3.5-liter V6 engine. This engine produces 295-horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque.

As for fuel efficiency in the Highlander, the base engine gets 20 city miles per gallon and 24 highway miles per gallon. The V6 engine gives you 20 city miles per gallon and 27 highway miles per gallon.

Now, let's look at the Nissan Murano. The 2018 Nissan Murano only has one engine, so you do not have any other engine options. The engine for the Nissan Murano is a 3.5-liter V6 engine that gives you 260-horsepower.

When you look at the fuel efficiency of the Murano, the EPA estimates that you get 21 city miles per gallon and 28 highway miles per gallon.

Let's compare the performance of these two vehicles. The Toyota Highlander has two engine options for you to choose from, while the Murano only provides you with one option. When you compare the V6 engines on each of these vehicles, the Toyota Highlander has the more powerful engine. The Highlander's V6 gives you 295-horsepower as compared to the 260-horsepower of the Murano. When you look at fuel efficiency, these vehicles are very similar. They are within just one mile per gallon on average. However, the Murano does have the slight advantage with fuel efficiency.

Pricing

Finally, let's take a closer look at the pricing of these two vehicles. The 2018 Toyota Highlander starts off at a price of $31,230. This is for the base level trim of the Highlander. If you want to get the top-of-the-line Highlander trim, it will cost around $47,000.

For the 2018 Nissan Murano, you can expect the pricing to start off at $30,800. However, when you look at the highest trim level on the Murano, that price increases. You can expect to spend $42,230 on the range-topping Platinum trim.

As you can see, the Toyota Highlander is slightly more expensive than the Nissan Murano. However, you will want to take into account all the features that go into the price. For example, the Toyota Highlander gives you advanced safety features standard, whereas with the Murano, you have to upgrade to get some of those same features. Also, the Toyota Highlander gives you more seating for passengers so you can bring everyone along. This means the higher price on the Highlander makes a lot of sense.

Which is Right for You?

These vehicles are both great SUV options. However, the Highlander seems to be the better option. This vehicle gives you three rows of seating, more overall cargo space, more standard safety features, and a stronger V6 engine. The Murano does have a lower price, but it simply doesn't offer you as much as the Highlander does. We think the 2018 Toyota Highlander is the winner of this comparison.