Bakersfield Life

Nice to meet you, Murano

By: Olivia Garcia

       I’ve been curious about crossovers from the moment I was expecting my third son.

We’ve always been a SUV family, just like plenty of others — that is before many were lured over to the fuel-efficient, smaller crossover.

 

        Of course, when we were a family of five, it made sense for us, too. We’d fit perfectly. A fourth son later, however, that’s no longer the case for the Garcias. A king or extended cab truck, SUV or van remains our choices for the time being.

 

      Nevertheless, I still can’t help but appreciate what crossovers have to offer for the average American family.

 

       My latest test drive, the 2011 Nissan Murano SL, answered many questions I had about crossovers.

 

      Actually, Nissan of Bakersfield’s Fleet Manager Juan Carlos Medina showed me a few things that I didn’t know: You can sync 5 different phones with the Murano. Its Music Box will import all those CDs of yours into car’s hard drive or you can listen to your iPod, local stations, or XM radio. There’s a built-in camera for those backing-out moments. The car will also set off an alert and refuse to lock if keys are left inside.

    

       (I don’t know about you, but I have accidentally locked myself out of my car a few times. Thankfully, AAA or my hubby was patient enough to deal with my crisis.)

 

      The Murano comes with micro-perforated leather seats, a better choice for summer days for the short- or skirt-wearing drivers or passengers. We all want to avoid the sting of hot leather seats as we jump in our cars.

 

      Another thing I appreciated about the Murano is the center console compartment that carried the right amount of space to store my Canon Rebel fitted with a wide-angle lens and battery grip. Now I’m no professional photographer. I have tons of friends who are, but I love taking photos of my kids and relatives — so much that I have become the unofficial family photographer. Or maybe that’s the title I’ve given myself without family consent? Hmmm. Well, that’s another story.

 

      I do know that I found myself cool with parking in tight spots. If you are a SUV owner, you know what I’m saying. Many of us hate parking in crammed parking locations. I mean, it’s not easy squeezing out of your car when you have less than a couple of inches of space between your door and the one next to you.

 

      Been there, done that. Never fun, especially with impatient little ones.

 

      I was running late to my grandma’s 90^th birthday lunch at La Colonia Restaurant, one of my favorite all-around spots and not too far from where I grew up in east Bakersfield. The first thing I was dreading was the parking. And just as I expected, there it was — the last remaining open spot — in front of the restaurant between a SUV and the concrete wall divider.

 

      I took a chance. Sliding into that spot was a piece of cake. I’ll be honest. There’s no way I would have tried it in my SUV. I would have settled for a spot about two blocks down. That place is pretty busy on the weekend. Happy birthday, grandma Sophie, by the way. You are still very beautiful… I love you!

 

      One of my older boys really liked the dual-pane moon roof, and the awesome weather only gave more reasons to let in some sunshine and cool breeze.

 

      Throw in some great music, courtesy of Bose speakers, and you’d want to find reason to stay in the car, driving most of the day. As a fan of Bose speakers, I can tell you what a difference a set of those babies make in your car, and this is standard issued for the Murano! Makes music lovers happy.