2024 Nissan Murano

The Honda Passport is our current favorite in the midsize SUV category. It is comfortable, has plenty of space for passengers and cargo, and is surprisingly capable off-road. Like the Murano, the Passport comes standard with a V6 engine. But the Passport's six-cylinder is more powerful and better integrated with its transmission, a nine-speed automatic. The Murano gets better fuel economy on paper, though in our tests the Nissan underperformed its EPA estimates.

The Santa Fe is an often overlooked option in the midsize SUV category. It's decently powerful with the turbocharged upgrade engine, has a comfortable ride, and comes with an impressive complement of tech and convenience features. The Santa Fe's base engine is a naturally aspirated four-cylinder with 190 horsepower on tap, but step up to the Limited trim and above and you get a turbocharged inline-four good for 281 horses. It's not only more powerful than the Murano's V6, but it also gets slightly better fuel economy. In addition, a comparably equipped Hyundai will have a lower price tag and carry one of the best warranties around.

Redesigned in 2021, the Nissan Rogue still feels new and fresh, especially when placed side by side with its larger Murano stablemate. Though it's perhaps not as upscale as the Murano's cabin, the Rogue's interior feels more modern and in some parts nearly as spacious. Backseat headroom is identical to the Murano's and the Rogue gives up only 0.2 inch of legroom to its larger sibling. Meanwhile, the Rogue offers more cargo room thanks to the Murano's interior volume-limiting raked roofline. You'll save some money going with a Rogue, but you might miss the extra power of the Murano's V6.