SAFETY

The Murano CrossCabriolet has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the rear seats, but more importantly, the roomy backseat could easily house even the chunkiest infant carriers.

With the top down, it was a cinch to get child-safety seats in and out of the car. I could simply lift them in and out without reaching, bending, stretching or bumping into an inadequate door opening. I appreciated the CrossCabriolet's high side walls; they came up to nose-height or higher on my kids. Convertible aficionados may balk at the side walls, but they gave me an added sense of safety and security, knowing that my kids were mostly covered in the second row when the top was down. To find out how the Murano CrossCabriolet did in MotherProof.com's Car Seat Check, click here.

The Murano comes with standard all-wheel drive, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system with traction control, active roll bars that deploy if the car tips, and six airbags, including side curtains that deploy from the doors, but they don't protect the rear passengers.

    See also:

    2010 Nissan Cube review
    The Cube - which is a "mobile device," not a car, Nissan says, returns for 2010 with a base price of $13,999 (plus $720 freight), which is just $9 more than the 2009 starting price. Fo ...

    NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system
    The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System will not allow the engine to start without the use of a registered key. If the engine fails to start using a registered key (for example, when interference ...

    Key operation (if so equipped)
    Key operation (if so equipped) To open the trunk lid, turn the key clockwise. To close the trunk lid, lower and push the trunk lid down securely. ...