2022 Subaru Forester vs 2021 Nissan Murano

A few years ago, the 2021 Nissan Murano had a cutting-edge design that was almost too far ahead of the curve. By 2021, its L-shaped LED headlights and heavily contoured front end were just par for the course in car design. The interior and dash design had always been a bit more conservative, which was fine for a comfort-optimized SUV meant for commutes and road trips. The restrained cabin styling meant all the controls were right where they should be, minimizing any learning curve.

Trims for the 2021 Murano included S, SV, SL, and Platinum. Standard features on the base S included 18-inch alloy wheels, manual front seats, dual-zone climate control, four USB ports, push-button start, remote keyless entry, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moving up to the SV trim added power-adjustable front seats, adaptive cruise control, remote start, fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, black roof rails, heated side mirrors, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The SL trim added 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated front and rear seats, ambient cabin lighting, a Bose premium stereo system, and navigation. The range-topping Platinum trim added a dual-panel panoramic moonroof, semi-aniline premium leather with Prima-Tex protection, dark wood interior accents, and ventilated front seats.

For 2022, the Subaru Forester came in base, Premium, Sport, Wilderness, Limited, and Touring trim levels. Prices started at $25,195 MSRP for the base model, with the Forester Touring topping out at $35,295. The destination charge was an additional $1,125, and Subaru offered a wide range of dealer-installed accessories for this compact SUV. All-wheel drive was standard on every 2022 Forester.

The new-for-2022 Forester Wilderness was evaluated in Bend, Oregon, and the wilds of the Cascade Mountains. The test car had white paint, a dark gray interior fitted with water-repellant StarTex simulated leather, and a base price of $33,945, including destination. An option package equipped the SUV with a navigation system, a Harman Kardon premium sound system, and a power rear liftgate. With the dealer-installed engine underguard (skid plate), the test vehicle’s price came to $36,014.

The Subaru Forester had always been homely, and the Wilderness costume didn’t help. In addition to a suspension lift and higher ride height (for a total of 9.2 inches of ground clearance), the massive protective cladding glued to the body and the anti-glare matte-black hood decal made the test model look like a raccoon on wheels. Inside, aside from copper-colored stitching and accents, Subaru left well enough alone. The Forester’s interior emphasized function over form, setting the tone for the entire driving experience. Hard plastic and soft surfaces combined to create a cabin that exuded quality of construction and clarity of purpose, even if it came across as somewhat inexpensive and dated.

The 2021 Nissan Murano offered only one engine: a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 260 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). This V6 made stout power and delivered terrific low-speed acceleration, making it great off the line and around town. However, the CVT numbed out some of its power at higher speeds, which was fine if you weren’t in a hurry but required a half-second wait when overtaking on the highway.

The Murano had a comfort-first ride but maintained refined driving characteristics, allowing it to take corners evenly while soaking up road bumps. These attributes made the Murano an ideal commuter or road trip vehicle. However, its towing capacity was only 1,500 pounds, among the lowest for midsize SUVs, with even some compact SUVs offering better towing capabilities.

Spending quality time with a 2022 Subaru Forester made you forget about its exterior styling due to its sheer utility and practicality. The SUV continued with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine as the previous year, producing 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 176 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. All Foresters had a CVT and AWD, but the Wilderness model featured a design that provided a 25% increase in initial torque supply, doubling its towing capacity to 3,000 pounds.

The EPA estimated the 2022 Forester Wilderness would get 26 mpg in combined driving, and during the test drive in central Oregon, it averaged 25.9 mpg. Near sea level, the Forester’s engine was competitively adequate, emitting the characteristic grumble of a boxer-style engine. At higher altitudes, the engine felt sluggish, where a turbocharger would have been beneficial. The CVT featured eight programmed ratios and rarely called undue attention to itself. The Wilderness test vehicle also had SI-Drive, which put the powertrain into Sport mode for more lively response.

Subaru’s dual-function X-Mode system was standard on most Forester versions, allowing drivers to choose settings based on the surface beneath the tires. The 2022 Forester also had a re-tuned suspension for improved ride and handling, with the Wilderness model featuring longer springs and shocks that raised the suspension and improved ground clearance. The Forester Wilderness excelled in various environments, including off-road courses and minimally maintained forest roads, proving to be unstoppable within reason.

The 2021 Nissan Murano offered up to 67 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 32.1 cubic feet with the rear seats in use. Other two-row SUVs offered more cargo space, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe with up to 72.1 cubic feet and the Honda Passport with up to 100.7 cubic feet. The SL and Platinum trims made up for the limited cargo space with a hands-free power liftgate. The Murano excelled in ease-of-use, with a traditional shifter design and a center console loaded with trays and cubbies. The focus on two rows of seating provided tons of headroom and legroom, with the second-row seats offering partial reclining functionality.

The 2022 Subaru Forester emphasized functionality, making entry and exit easy with tall seating hip points. The StarTex upholstery in the Wilderness model was water-resistant, and the SUV included standard all-weather floor mats, a rubber cargo mat, and washable material on the rear seatbacks. The upgraded roof rails with new integrated tie-down locations accommodated a dynamic load of 220 pounds and a static load of 800 pounds, allowing for a three-person roof tent.

Comfort levels were high in both the front and back seats, with rear air conditioning vents and quick-charge ports making passengers happier. Storage space was decent, with bins in each armrest, bottle holders in each door panel, and dual front seatback pockets. Cargo space measured 28.9 cubic feet without the panoramic sunroof and 26.9 cubic feet with it. Folding the 60/40-split rear seat down provided 74.2 cubic feet (69.1 with the sunroof), putting the Forester in company with the roomiest compact SUVs.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came standard with an easy-to-use 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a sensible menu layout, hard buttons, and dials flanking the screen. It also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with available tech features such as an 11-speaker Bose premium stereo system and navigation.

Even in base trim, the 2022 Subaru Forester included a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite radio, HD Radio, and Starlink connected services. The Premium trim offered access to a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot and remote engine starting through an active Starlink plan. The Wilderness, Limited, and Touring trims featured an 8-inch screen, navigation system, Harman Kardon premium sound system, and a 180-degree forward-view camera.

The test vehicle had both navigation and the Harman Kardon audio system, producing clear, rich sound. The navigation system was helpful, but a breadcrumb function would have been useful for off-roading. The voice recognition system was hit-and-miss in terms of effectiveness. The PIN Code Access feature allowed owners to leave the key fob in the SUV and use a PIN code process to re-enter the vehicle.

The 2021 Nissan Murano came with a host of standard driver assistance features as part of Nissan Safety Shield 360, including reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. Other standard features included forward automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and driver drowsiness monitoring. Additional features such as a surround-view parking monitor, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and front-and-rear parking sensors were available.

Subaru debuted its next-generation EyeSight 4.0 safety system in the 2022 Forester, with twice the field of vision of the previous system. The new Automatic Emergency Steering system operated at speeds under 50 mph to help add stability when drivers took steering action to avoid a collision. EyeSight 4.0 included automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The Forester also included a rear-seat reminder system, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a rear automatic braking system. The Touring trim featured DriverFocus, a facial recognition technology that monitored for drowsiness and distraction, with a new gesture control function for the climate system.

The 2022 Forester earned a 5-star overall crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with 5-star ratings in all evaluations except for rollover resistance, which received a 4-star assessment. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had not rated the new Forester at the time of publication, but it was expected to retain the 2021 model’s “Top Safety Pick+” rating.