Nissan Armada Road Test: Big SUV, Old Fashion Rough Ride.
With around 17,500 sold last year, the Nissan Armada is a pretty rare sight in the US. At least where I live. It is a Japanese alternative to much more popular giant American SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition, which is quite a tough spot to be in. Let’s see if it offers anything better or even different.
The exterior is finally more modern than the previous generation. But this still isn’t a really modern-looking vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. It is also huge. Huge to get in and out of, and huge to drive anywhere around town. But I guess that’s what people want when they are considering such gargantuan vehicles to drive around.
The interior is quite upscale and pleasant, as it should be for the “as tested” price of over $81,000. While it is nice, the interior isn’t really better than what you get in a modern Chevrolet Tahoe. The standard 12-speaker sound system is very good, but the seats are not that comfortable. I also noticed the center screen gets very, very hot, which is actually a problem when you’re using it as a touchscreen. The phone also gets very hot when charging on the wireless charging mat. That means you’re probably better off plugging it in.
The rear seats are pretty roomy, but nothing amazing. And the load floor with the seats folded is pretty high.
The first thing you notice when you start the Nissan Armada is how busy the 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 sounds. Of course it settles down after a while, but really, this is just not acceptable in a luxury truck of that price. A V8 is much smoother and quieter than this. Which is rather strange, since Nissan V6 engines used to be so smooth and quiet…
Within minutes, you realize the Armada basically still drives like a rough truck, no matter how many luxury options, leather seats and tons of speakers you get. This is strictly for “truck people.” You get the usual constant movements, shakes, and body roll. It never really settles down. The accelerator pedal also feels a bit jerky at times, making smooth low-speed driving pretty hard. And the giant flat hood in front of you can become quite a problem as you might not even see the car right in front of you.
Again, most truck buyers might be OK with that, but fuel consumption could still be an issue. Especially these days.
The Armada’s official rating is 15/18 MPG. That’s right, only 18 MPG on the highway. However, real-life numbers are a bit different. While I was able to get around 20 MPG on the freeway, I never got over 13 MPG around town.
I remember test-driving a GMC Yukon XL Denali with a 6.2-liter V8 a few years ago and getting only 12 MPG around town, basically the same as the Armada’s V6. But the GMC returned 23 MPG on the freeway, which really makes you wonder about the actual advantage of a turbocharged V6 over a good old smoother V8.
Still, these numbers are basically the same as they were in the 1970s, back when gas was well under $1 per gallon.
Driving something like this these days has to be an expensive hobby. And I am not sure what the Armada offers that the Tahoe doesn’t. Except some exclusivity, I guess…