Nissan Murano vs Audi Q5

The fourth generation of the Murano comes with a new powertrain and lots of new features, including tech and comfort options making their way into this lineup for the first time ever. Yet Nissan has also, for some reason, felt it necessary to take away certain desirable offerings that used to be more affordably accessible. It sits at the upper end of the automaker’s crossover and SUV range, above the Nissan Kicks, the Nissan Rogue, the Nissan Pathfinder, and the Nissan Ariya, but below the larger Nissan Armada.

Verdict: We’ve got a lot of good things to say about this new Murano. The downgrades stick in our craw, but in reality, they represent just a small handful of the many changes that are generally quite positive.

A year into its third generation, the Audi Q5 comes out swinging with screens, screens, and more screens in an attempt to hold its position as one of the bestselling compact luxury SUVs in the U.S. Audi customers and car enthusiasts, however, have panned the company's shift to a derivative exterior design and subpar interior materials while prices keep ratcheting higher. With thousands of test miles logged in Q5 models dating back to the first generation, we came to this Q5 review with an open yet highly critical mind, especially considering our Prestige test car’s roughly $65,000 asking price.

Verdict: Competent, not compelling, the Q5 meets expectations without setting the bar like it did in previous generations.