Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us for our crystal-clear review of the new Nissan Murano... Dan Maffett "glues" us in to simplified dent repair... Stephanie Hart investigates how AI can ease enthusiasts builds... And we'll end with a high-G Track Test of the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing...

So, come drive with us, next!

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whether it's... JOHN: When the Nissan Murano arrived for 2003, the brand boldly entered the modern crossover era.

Fully embracing it's Altima-based DNA, the stylish and luxurious Murano delivered a far more refined driving experience than the rough-and-ready truck-style utilities that Nissan was known for.

Well, it's time for a 4th generation of Murano, so let's see if it still surprises.

♪ ♪ Nissan has plenty of rugged off-roaders in their lineup, this 2025 Nissan Murano is not one of them.

And that's kind of refreshing, as is the fact that Nissan even embraces calling it a crossover.

And why not?

Instead of all the pseudo-off-road packages, why not promote the fact that you sell a comfy, luxurious SUV with true car-like driving behavior.

Front seats in this midsize 5-passenger utility are as comfortable as anything you'll experience from a mainstream brand and more than a few luxury lines as well.

The rest of the interior is incredibly stylish, falling just short of Infiniti territory.

Most of our staff like the unique surfaces that blend in with touch controls, and we love that they actually work pretty well too.

The quilted leather here in Platinum trim is quite nice, but so is the leatherette in lesser trims.

Stepping up to Platinum also gets you a hands-free power liftgate, ventilated and even massaging front seats, heated rear seats, and head-up display.

Tech upgrades over last year include 12.3 inch screens for driver info and for infotainment.

The central touchscreen has Google built-in, and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Designed more with empty nesters in mind than families, the rear seat room is not as plentiful as many midsizers, and cargo capacity is 32.9 cubic-feet behind the rear seat and 63.5 with it folded is actually less than the compact Rogue.

One change that we're not as fond of is replacing the 3.5 liter V6 with their variable compression 2.0 liter turbo-4.

So, less horsepower, from 260 to 241, but more torque, from 240 to 260 pound-feet.

But Nissan went and totally redeemed themselves by pairing that four-banger with a true 9-speed automatic transmission instead of Xtronic CVT-ness.

Putting the new combo to the test at Mason Dixon Dragway, there was a very soft launch with engine revs slow to build, and it didn't feel overly fast.

But the trip to 60 in our all-wheel-drive equipped tester took just 7.2 seconds, two-tenths quicker than the V6 in 2019.

That was due to the added torque and new transmission which delivered very smooth shifts, each one triggering a little power boost as they seemed to drop right into the perfect RPM.

Quarter-mile time was 15.6 seconds at 92 miles per hour.

The Murano's very soft nature made for a disconnected feel entering our handling course, but the steering did turn out to be sharper than before, and speeds were relatively high as there was plenty of grip to be had.

It actually liked to be pushed pretty hard, you just have to deal with all the body roll that comes along with that.

The Murano rolls on mostly the same chassis as last year, but the suspension has actually been firmed up a bit with new shocks and larger stabilizer bars.

Soft too is the brake pedal but with very consistent results, 60 to 0 in just 111 feet.

The wheelbase and length are about the same as last year, but the new Murano sits 2.6 inches wider and is actually better looking than ever; 20 and 21 inch wheels are available, both come with aero covers which aid both efficiency and style.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are the same for front or all-wheel-drive, 21 city, 27 highway, and 23 combined; we averaged a good 26.2 miles per gallon of Regular with AWD.

That's an average Energy Impact Score; using 12.9 Barrels of Oil Yearly, with 6.4 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

The Murano is available in three grades; base SV, which is your only option, if you want to stick with front-wheel-drive, starts at $41,860; SL at $47,950 and top Platinum at $50,990, both come with all-wheel-drive.

The 2025 Murano is not only an impressively nice Nissan effort, but also an incredibly stylish and luxurious SUV.

If you're ready to look past all the SUV stompers on the Nissan lot and willing to embrace your softer side, the 2025 Nissan Murano is equipped to surprise and delight you.

♪ ♪ A cutting-edge app is reinventing how car enthusiast's can more easily achieve their specific design goals.

No more searching for that specific custom part, when the app's artificial intelligence can find it in seconds.

Well, our Stephanie Hart has the details on how "Mia" could ultimately open up the car-enthusiast lifestyle to almost everyone.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: The new MOTORMIA app helps people build their dream car, essentially in seconds, with the help of AI.

This car was built using the help of the AI, named Mia, who suggested modifications be made to the handling.

Okay, let's take it out on the road and see how it feels.

ISAAC: Go.

STEPHANIE: Not bad at all.

In the driver's seat is Isaac Bunick, the Chief Enthusiast Officer of MOTORMIA.

He founded the company in 2023, naming it after his daughter, Mia, who helped inspire him.

Two years later the MOTORMIA APP officially launched.

Today, there are more than half a million people who have visited the MOTORMIA platform, according to Isaac, and each month tens of thousands download the app.

ISAAC BUNICK: With every incremental user that jumps to the platform she's, she's basically getting more and more exposure to different cars and...in real time, learning about those cars, trying to help you identify different ways to experience your car.

STEPHANIE: After downloading the free app, here's how it works.

ISAAC: You add the car to your collection, um, Mia will bring to the table a picture of the car, the factory specifications of the car, and then you interact with Mia and get answers on how you can personalize that vehicle for different objectives, whether it's performance or appearance.

STEPHANIE: Mia is trained to rationalize just like a car enthusiast.

ISAAC: She returns what she calls Mia's favorites, which is basically the combination of real world evidence and enthusiasts' consensus and social proof, together with fitment information, that gives you the ultimate answer.

STEPHANIE: Very cool tech.

With Mia's help, enthusiasts can even discover where to buy the parts Mia recommends, resulting in heightened visibility for manufacturers and service providers.

ISAAC: She'll tell you, okay, this is the number one-- these are the top three exhausts that enthusiasts who own a Honda Civic like to install.

She will click it, you'll click it and you will see where you can get that exhaust from, you'll see what it looks like, what it costs, and if you want to add it to your build, then you can add it to your build and see what the impact would be to the vehicle just like you would in a video game like in Gran Turismo.

STEPHANIE: Eventually, users will be able to make purchases directly in the app.

One day Mia will even be able to help car enthusiasts master DIY repairs and recommend auto repair and body shops.

KALEB GORDON JETTIE: The MOTORMIA app helped me, especially on this wheel here figuring out which size would and wouldn't rub, uh, as well as the brake pads because we had to redo the brakes.

It also helped me plan for future builds for the rest of the truck.

STEPHANIE: Consequently, the app is connecting generations by preserving and passing down automotive expertise.

ISAAC: When it comes to the older generation they have a lot of tribal knowledge that isn't institutionalized in any single way and it's spread across the web.

AI allows us to institutionalize that knowledge and transfer it to the newer generations that just want the answers quickly.

STEPHANIE: About one third of the U.S. population is a classified car enthusiast, but MOTORMIA believes the definition of a car enthusiast is gradually shifting as we start to share our roads with autonomous vehicles.

ISAAC: AI is taking the role right now of putting the driver in the passenger seat.

Over time most of our transactional driving will be fully automated by a robot.

We believe at that moment in time, the car enthusiast lifestyle will be universal.

Everybody in America will probably keep some sort of moving vehicle in their homes to enjoy on the weekend for the thrill of driving.

STEPHANIE: Pretty mind blowing to think about.

If and when that happens, a new breed of car enthusiasts will emerge.

ISAAC: Over time, we hope the technology will just close the gap, you know, between the anxiety of thinking of becoming a car enthusiast and actually becoming a car enthusiast.

There are millions of mods that have been put on cars virtually, um, that represent enthusiasts' dreams.

People have a very strong affinity for...for this lifestyle and for the joy of being able to simulate their dreams and ultimately carry out their dreams on their cars.

JOHN: Get ready to be glued to your seats; Dan Maffett stopped by to show us how one simple tool can make dent repairs a cinch on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: The world of dent repair has come a long way.

It used to be, if you had a dent like this, you had to strip it to metal, weld on studs that allowed you to lock on a slide hammer like this, and then literally reverse hammer that panel flat.

Now, that wasn't the end of it.

Once, you got that out, you had to go back in with a hammer and dolly like this, find the right shape for that panel, and work the metal in and out, stretching it and shrinking it until you got to the panel shape that you wanted.

But, that wasn't the end of it either.

Once, you were done doing that, you then had to bodywork and paint that panel.

Now, that was out of reach for most DIY guys.

But now, we've got a lot of options.

Now, there's some cheaper ones like this based on suction cups that are just not worth the time.

Now, this kit here is a paintless dent repair kit.

What it does is it has these various shapes.

You find the shape that matches the dent you're trying to repair, and you actually use a hot glue polymer in there and it locks it in place.

Once that's in, you can use various tools that they have.

This one is a clamp.

Once it locks in, you simply pop it out.

They also make a slide hammer attachment, so a little reminiscent of the old days, but you lock that on, pop it out and then you're able to get a flatter surface, pull that dent out, without as much work.

Now, we're going to pick the, uh, best adapter here, get some glue on there, and see if we can pull this dent.

Now, once the glue has started to change a little color, and it's cool to the touch, you know it's cured and it's ready to be pulled.

So, we're going to take this guy...gonna adjust it down so that both feet are firmly against the panel.

So, right there, it's locked against the panel, there's no slack, and then we'll just do a pull.

(popping sound) And you see we got most of those dents out.

The big circle dent that was there is gone.

We just have a few tiny pinpoints there that we need to work with.

So, this design of paintless dent is not going to get every little dent out of there, but it's going to get the big dents out, it's going to flatten it and save you a lot of money from a body shop.

So, this one is now cured, we're going to try to pull that last little bit of dent out of there.

Again, just lock it down, and give it a pull.

So now, that we've got that dent pulled out almost all the way, you can now buff it, clean it up, and most people won't ever notice that dent was ever there.

So, with the technology becoming way more affordable and easier to do it yourself, you have no excuse to live with a dent.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here, at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We don't like to stay idle, so let's pedal right into a new QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: The switch from gas to electric is a big step, but cars like this 2025 BMW i4 xDrive40 smooth out the transition.

And that's because, as we've noted before, the i4 retains so much of that gas-powered 4 Series feel.

This i4 still offers the quintessential 4 Series drive experience.

The suspension is tight, not stiff, and the electric powertrain, I think, takes it up a notch with more robust power and silky-smooth delivery.

I do wish BMW would add some steering wheel paddles, so that I can control the regen braking on the fly without having to menu dive.

But still, this i4 may be the best driving 4 Series without an M in front of it.

It wasn't long ago when near, 400 horsepower would automatically signify a BMW M car, but it's fairly common now; this M-less i4's xDrive all-wheel-drive system uses two electric motors for a combined 396 horsepower while being EPA rated up to 287 miles of range or 268 miles with these optional 19 inch M Sport package wheels.

Behind the M Sport steering wheel is BMW's curved display running iDrive 8.5, their latest operating system, and host of this augmented reality navigation-- easy to follow and appropriately techy.

The 2025 BMW i4 is a modern-day electric with a legacy feel, starting just shy of $60,000 and the xDrive40 going over 60, in line with BMW's place in the sedan market.

And we'll have more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: Stephanie Hart has something "extra, extra" for us this week.

It's all in the latest MotorNews.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: We have a lot of news coming out of Detroit, starting with Ram and the return of a fan-favorite engine.

The HEMI V8 makes a triumphant return to Ram 1500's lineup, joining its replacement, the Hurricane inline-6.

Talk about good timing, as Ram charges back into NASCAR after a 13-year hiatus.

And that's not all: 2026 model-year Rams will be backed by an impressive new 10-year or 100,000-mile limited warranty.

It's reminiscent of Chrysler's 7/70 warranty of years prior, and current offers from Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi.

Our next subject is also V8-powered.

It's the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, hailed as an American hypercar.

And we have to agree.

The ZR1X is effectively a cross between the ZR1 and the E-Ray, using a twin-turbo, midship-mounted V8 and a front electric motor for a combined 1,250 horsepower.

Chevrolet estimates a sub-2-second 0-60 time, running the quarter in under nine.

Ford unveiled two cosmetic kits for their bread and butter.

The Mustang FX package is a fox body throwback, featuring white wheels and accents, special mustang scripture and plaid seats.

Meanwhile, the F-150 follows in the Maverick's footsteps with its own Lobo package.

It lowers the truck slightly and bolts up a body kit for extra "street truck" ground effects.

Expect Lobos to start at around $60,000.

Toyota unveiled a number of new products recently, like the 2026 RAV4.

While, the 6th gen doesn't change much dimensionally, all RAV4s will now be hybrid in some form.

A new Woodland trim features all-terrain tires and other rugged apparel, whereas the first GR-Sport trim features sportier chassis tuning and body work.

Expect the 2026 RAV4 to arrive later this year.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews.

JOHN: It was just 3.0 years ago that we stormed around the nine high-speed turns of Savannah's Roebling Road Raceway in the then-new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

We loved everything about that remarkable beast of a sport sedan.

Well...since then, Cadillac has made the big boy Blackwing even better!

So, we're headed back to Roebling to check it out.

♪ ♪ Roebling Road Raceway is a high-speed track that suffers no pretenders, and this 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing gets around about as fast as any exotic hardware we've tested here; certainly, faster than anything else you can comfortably haul a foursome to the country club for 18 holes in, and it sounds wicked while doing it.

Media types love to hype "last of the breed" scenarios, and when this Beast from the Midwest rolled onto the scene for 2021, there were many predictions it would be the "last great V8 sedan."

Well, we're not into doomsday predictions or prepping for that matter, we're into enjoying every car as much as we can whenever we can, and the CT5-V Blackwing seems to be of like mindset, feeling right at home both overpowering Roebling's corners and streaking wide open down its long front straight.

It's hard not to enjoy the ridiculousness of it all, as that raucous V8 is sounding NASCAR, but the car is feeling much more like a world-class sport sedan.

It's a Corvette motor, something that goes all the way back to the original Cadillac CTS-V from 2004.

Things got serious in '09 when it starting making well over 500 horsepower and breaking Nürburgring records.

Fast forward to now and the CT5-V Blackwing's hand crafted and supercharged 6.2 liter roars to life in a way that seems to overpromise, but when you tap into its 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, you quickly realize it can back it up.

If, for some reason, it's too much for you, there are quieter exhaust settings.

Our original CT5-V Blackwing test 3-years ago featured the 6-speed manual, so in the interest of fairness, we opted for the 10-speed automatic this time around; it's quicker to 60 by two-tenths of a second, according to Cadillac, at 3.4 seconds.

But an unintended consequence of the Blackwing's Vortex of Awesomeness is that it unexpectedly sucked a winter storm into coastal Georgia and covered the track with snow before we could record our own straight-line numbers.

Fortunately, we did get plenty of laps in before that happened, and the 10-speed provided lightning quick shifts, with noticeably tighter gearing than the manual.

It's always a unique kind of joy to thrash a Cadillac around a racetrack, but this one seems more up to the task than any Cadillac to this point; spot-on steering, solid brakes, and gobs of torque readily available regardless of what number the tach needle is pointing at or what gear you're in.

Our test car came wearing Typhoon Metallic, one of three new color choices available for '25.

What else is new?

Well, the front end gets a tougher look, along with improved aerodynamics from reshaped ground effects and front fenders.

LED lighting is upgraded inside and out.

There's an updated Carbon Fiber Package, and new quad trapezoid exhaust tips.

About the only other thing that changes in here is fitment of Cadillac's 33 inch widescreen display.

And while, plenty of V performance cues remain, your senses still take in the best of Cadillac luxury.

CT5-V pricing starts at $58,390; and that's for a 360 horsepower, twin-turbo V6 which is pretty incredible in its own right, and you can you even add all-wheel-drive to that one.

This CT5-V Blackwing just takes it to a significantly higher level and starts at $99,090.

Get 'em while you can.

Predictions of the gasoline engine's demise over at Cadillac were perhaps a little premature, as there's plenty of people who still like their sport sedans loud, V8 powered, and supercharged.

And while there will probably always be high-performance Cadillacs, it's doubtful any will be able to deliver the full sensory overload kind of experience found here in the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, a world-class sport sedan that beats with pure American muscle and can hang with any driving machine out there, ultimate or otherwise.

If only everything could feel this real forever.

JOHN: Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we get tight with the sporty BMW X3 M50 and paddle up the track in the Toyota GR Corolla DAT.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

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We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over one million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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