Is the Nissan Armada Really That Bad?
Before you commit to the 2020 Nissan Armada, it’s recommended that you check out other options like the Chevy Tahoe or Toyota Sequoia first. While the Nissan Armada is a fine SUV, that’s precisely the problem. It’s just OK compared to great rivals.
Is the Nissan Armada a good SUV?
The Nissan Armada is proving to be an OK SUV. It’s classified as a budget-friendly SUV, but it has a starting price of around $47k. The Chevy Tahoe starts at about $49k, providing a higher rated family SUV for only an extra $2k. Also, the Dodge Durango is a powerful three-row SUV that starts around $30k.
Also, the 2020 Nissan Armada receives praise from Edmund’s for having a beefy V8 engine. It comes with a 5.7-liter engine that pumps out 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque.
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It can tow up to 8,500 lb. This towing capacity is on par with rivals. The ride quality is pretty good due to the quiet cabin and upscale interior, but that’s pretty much for the list of pros.
Nissan Armada ride quality
The Nissan Armada is noted for being extremely thirsty with a poor fuel economy. It only gets up to 14 mpg in the city and up to 19 mpg on the highway. However, this isn’t too far behind its rivals.
When tested, Edmund’s drivers found that the Nissan Armada had a very stiff ride. It was hard to feel how much the vehicle was turning around corners, and it leaned too far around curves. While it’s not expected to be sporty, rivals require less driver focus and have better handling with more precise steering.
The seats are noticeably flat and lack comfort for longer drives. Also, the suspension is pretty jostling. The Nissan Armada fails to smooth out bumps and bounces drivers and passengers around. Keep that in mind if one of your kids is prone to car sickness.
Also, the third row is too cramped for adults. There are only 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. You can fold the seats flat to access up to 95.4 cubic feet of cargo space, but this is less space than competitors. Plus, the trunk area is very high up over the rear bumper, making loading cargo difficult.
Nissan Armada tech
The Nissan Armada receives complaints about having a seemingly outdated infotainment center. It feels about 10 years old, with outdated graphics that are difficult to use. It can’t connect to Apple Carplay or Android Auto, which would improve its convenience. It’s difficult to update the map data as well.
You won’t find modern features such as a heads up display or digital cluster display. There isn’t a built-in Wi-fi hotspot, and the Nissan Armada doesn’t offer wireless phone charging. However, it can connect to Alexis and Google Assistant.
The Nissan Armada also only includes a few basic safety features like blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic alerts, and lane-keeping assistance. It doesn’t offer distracted driver warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights, and more.
So while the interior is nice, and the amount of power the Nissan Armada has is excellent, it seems to be in a poorly packaged SUV. It needs to have improved tech, an enhanced suspension, better seats, and to be more user-friendly. Check out other options before settling on the Armada.
