The Murano's unique styling isn't for everyone, but it helps it to stand out on the road. From the side, it looks all curvy and aggressive, and the rear is well-done with sharp, angled taillights.

As a parent, the Murano is easy to work with. If you have kids in infant-safety seats, the doors are tall enough that you won't bonk your head when getting your child situated. If your kids are in convertible seats, the smaller ones will need a hand opening the door and getting in, but not as much as with a large SUV. If your kids are yet older but still in boosters, no worries; they'll be able to open and close the doors on their own.

The tailgate was easy to use mostly because my test car came with a power liftgate, which I didn't have in my 2006 Murano. If you think this feature is frivolous, let me challenge you with a grocery store parking lot in a snowstorm. Or a hail storm. Or a 2-year-old tantrum-storm. Trust me, this feature is worth it. Once the liftgate is open, there's plenty of room for strollers (even double ones), bags, groceries and lots of other things.

My test car had a 260-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine. This engine does just fine in the power department, and with an EPA-estimated 18/23 mpg city/highway, you'll be glad it's not a whole lot bigger. Thankfully, the Murano uses regular gasoline.