Surviving Xi-mageddon in the Nissan Murano

The arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Seattle brought with it some of the worst traffic the area has seen – worse even than when President Obama visited – and it would have been terrible if I hadn’t been driving the 2016 Nissan Murano Platinum edition.

This all-wheel drive (AWD) sports utility vehicle (SUV) starts out at $29,560 for a stylish and comfortable ride. The Platinum level of Murano takes the comfortable and style to the next level to the tune of $43,745.00, as driven.

However, with the impending visit of a foreign dignitary, with traffic in Seattle bad and about to get worse, I was happy to have Nissan’s top of the line Murano.

The radar-assisted cruise control was magnificent in traffic. When traffic came to a standstill, so too did the Murano. When traffic started moving again, so too did the Murano. All with minimal inputs from me, the driver.

Let me put this another way:

As people were slamming on their brakes or rushing to get to the gas (so others didn’t use the space created to cut in), I had my tunes serenading me and I effortlessly rode through (sat in) traffic.

Similarly to the Nissan Maxima, the seats of the Murano were NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats, both for the front seats and the back.

Nissan’s Zero Gravity driver’s seat offered 8-way adjustments, including lumbar, while the front passengers only had 4-way options with no lumbar options, though they both had heating and cooling functionality.

Splashes of leather adorned the seats, shifter, (heated) steering wheel, and various bits of dash and door, creating an inviting environment to relax in.

The interior of the Murano was refined to the point where even President Xi, if he’d been in the Murano, may have been pleased with the plush surroundings. Either way, I was pleased with my surroundings while battling – nay – gliding through the parking lots created by his arrival and subsequent tours.

When there was the barest bit of open road, and I could get on the gas pedal without worrying about putting the front end into someone else’s back end, the Murano’s 3.5L V8 engine leaped into action like a secret service agent.

Similarly to a secret service agent, the Murano had all of the information you’d need behind the wheel. The Nissan Connect application delivers all your apps to your 7-inch display, including Pandora, IHeartRadio and Facebook, allowing you to stay safe while staying connected.

All in all, I couldn’t have chosen a better vehicle in which to ride out the worst traffic this area has seen in a while – meaning that your daily commute in the new 2015 Nissan Murano Platinum will be a comfortable and luxuriant breeze.