My kids' booster seats fit like a charm in the backseat. The seat belt buckles were a little floppy, but older kids won't struggle with them. Younger ones may need a little help buckling up on their own. The three tether anchors were easy to access, yet the two sets of lower Latch anchors were a little tight against the seat bottom. In MotherProof.com's Car Seat Check, the 2011 Murano fit three child-safety seats in its backseat.

The Murano has been crash-tested by both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In IIHS' tests, it scored the top score of Good in frontal-offset, side-impact and rear crash tests. It scored Marginal in a roof-strength test. It also received four stars out of five overall in NHTSA's crash tests.

The Murano is equipped with safety features such as four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, front-wheel drive, active head restraints, an electronic stability system with traction control and six airbags, including side curtains for both rows.

Optional safety features include all-wheel drive and a backup camera.