When you’re in the market for a large SUV for your family, the Nissan Armada comes to most people’s minds, but it’s not exactly the best choice out there. Rivals, of this Nissan, offer a little more value for your money. One of them is the Toyota Sequoia. 

Consumer Reports reviewed the Armada and then offered up some better alternatives. The Sequoia, their under-the-radar pick, had more bang for your bucks in their opinion. Let’s look at both the Armada and the Sequoia and see how well they compare. 

Overview of the 2020 Nissan Armada

Consumer Reports gave it an overall score of 63 out of 100 possible points. While they found it a decent vehicle, there were just too many areas that didn’t impress them at all. 

The Armada has a 5.6-liter V8 engine under the hood, which is good, because it puts out 390 hp. It’s a pretty powerful motor, but it didn’t help fuel economy at all. 

While you expect low ratings from a large SUV, this one could only squeeze out 20 mpg on the highway. Driving it is disappointing as well. The suspension works like a dream. But the handling was too clumsy, and the steering too slow. They even noticed a pronounced body roll when they test drove it.

The interior controls only added to their frustration. They felt they were outdated, too cluttered, and some were too far to reach from the driving position. But the cabin overall was spacious and gave a decent amount of head and legroom. 

Overview of the 2020 Toyota Sequoia

The Toyota Sequoia received a 73 overall score. Consumer Reports liked this one better, despite the extra $3,000 on the base model, which is one reason why it’s considered an under the radar alternative. 

This large SUV sports a robust powertrain and has a hefty 5.7-liter V8 engine that puts out 381 hp. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help boost fuel economy much. Like the Armada and other competitors, it can only return 21 highway mpg. 

The cabin offers some room to stretch out, but Consumer Reports noted that their shorter drivers weren’t able to reach the pedals as easily when test-driving. Plus, there isn’t an adjustable option to overcome that problem. 

Interior materials are mediocre. Some areas, like leather seats, were nice. But they saw gaps around the glove box, and some areas of the seats felt lumpy. While you’ll find a few soft surfaces on the dash, most of it was hard plastic. The higher amounts of cabin storage, compared to some rivals, does bring the cabin rating up a bit, though. 

What makes the Toyota Sequoia a better choice?

The Toyota Sequoia has a much better predicted reliability rating than the Armada. It has a score of 5 out of 5 points for having fewer issues in previous years. The Nissan got a 3 out of 5 rating for the large number of problems it had in older models. 

The Sequoia also has user-friendly controls that are more modern than some of its rivals. Even though it has a similar layout with the far-reaching controls that the Nissan Armada does, it still makes adjusting your driving experience a bit easier. 

Climbing up into a large SUV, like the Toyota Sequoia, is always a challenge. But accessing the second and third-row seats is a little easier in the Toyota than the Armada. Plus, the third-row is more comfortable to use with adults than the Nissan. 

If you need to go for a full-size SUV, the Armada is an decent choice. But, if you can spare the extra couple of thousand or so, consider purchasing the Toyota Sequoia instead.