The front seats are comfortable and supportive, even for people well over six feet tall. Petite drivers are also able to get comfortable, with the power-adjustable pedals that help ensure a good driving position without getting too close to the steering wheel where the air bag is housed. The overall interior fit and finish are good. Murano's instrument cluster is garnished with genuine brushed aluminum trim that gives it a younger, sportier look.

A prominent pod juts from the center of the Murano's dash presenting audio and climate controls. We aren't crazy about the pod's appearance, but it puts the switches close at hand. Murano's standard dual-zone, fully automatic climate control is a step above the class, and it features rear air-conditioning vents located on the B-pillars.

Buttons on the stereo are on the small side, but easy to use once you get the hang of them. The preset buttons, for example, can be programmed to select either AM or FM stations without having to press the separate mode button first. Controls on the steering wheel allow easy volume adjustments.

The navigation system works well and includes a three-dimensional birds-eye view that's sometimes more fun to follow than the flat map.

Useful features make the Murano a satisfying car for day-to-day use. A large center console separates the front seats, enhancing the sports sedan feel of the interior. The center console features a two-tiered lockable storage box with enough room for a laptop computer or a purse, cell phone, sunglasses, coins, cups and bottles. The door pockets flip out for easy access, and there's a hidden storage tray and two bins under the cargo floor. There are also three power outlets: front-passenger footwell, center console and rear.

Murano's cabin feels airy. The Murano is a five-seat vehicle with similar interior space as the seven-seat Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot. The rear seats take advantage of the additional space. As a result, the Murano's back seat is limousine-like. A six-foot, four-inch rear-seat passenger can cross his legs comfortably. The rear seatback easily adjusts for rake by pulling a strap, allowing your back-seat passengers to kick back and enjoy the ride. We found Murano's rear accommodations more comfortable than the second-row seats in many SUVs where passengers sit more upright.

The rear seats flop forward by pulling on a strap as you normally would or from the rear hatch by flipping a clever manual lever accessed from the rear hatch. The seats are split 60/40 and are flipped down individually. Flopping both seatbacks down presents a big cargo area with a nice flat floor. The load floor measures about the same length as the seven-seat Honda Pilot's. Indeed, with maximum cargo capacity of 81.6 cubic feat, Murano dwarfs nearly all of its five-seat competitors and some of the seven-seaters as well. Even with the back seats in place and five passengers aboard, there's still a substantial 32.6 cubic feet of storage space. Moreover, the rear seats split 70/30 when they fold, so the Murano can carry one or two passengers in back with long items like skis laid flat along the other side.

On the downside, at 30.4 inches, the rear load height is a bit higher than the class average. And the Murano's bulky cargo cover seems to flap around and take up room. We'd be inclined to store it in the garage.