A full-size SUV is an excellent option for large families, and buying a bigger vehicle doesn’t have to mean you’re breaking your budget. There are only a handful of affordable options for purchasing a full-sized SUV that offers third-row seating, and some of them are better than others. Nissan isn’t a luxury brand, but it’s known for overall reliability, so why is the Nissan Armada not the best option for a well-priced three-row seating SUV.

What the Nissan Armada is lacking

The Nissan Armada doesn’t have a strong start, because it isn’t necessarily competitively priced. You can buy an Armada brand new for a base model price of $47,100 or as much as $63,530 with all of the bells and whistles. The Armada isn’t poorly priced in comparison to the Ford Expedition, which starts at just a thousand dollars more at $48,990 but has less base-model amenities and features.

Consumer Reports didn’t give the Armada the worst scores it did pretty well in comparison to the competition. There were a few creature comforts where the Armada fell short, and even though it isn’t the most expensive SUV on the market, that’s still a lot of money to spend on a base-model vehicle, considering how cheap some rare supercars have become.

There isn’t anything notable or enjoyable about the Armada’s driving experience. The suspension is gentle enough to handle bumps and dips in the road, but the overall structure of the car feels heavy and awkward. Turning hard corners or swaying exposes the car’s excessive body roll, which means it feels unstable and top-heavy.

How the Ford Expedition makes up for it

The Ford Expedition makes up for the shortcomings of the Nissan Armada, and it might be enough to make up for the difference in price. The Expedition offers a much more sturdy driving experience, and the ride quality handles imperfections in the road just as well as the Armada, if not worse. The Expedition has a much more responsive steering and acceleration, which the Armada desperately lacks.

The Nissan Armada is by no means a bad option for an SUV, and there are just some ways that the Ford Expedition stands out more. The difference between the two has a lot to do with specific features and drive quality, but you don’t have to take our word for it, because a simple test drive can verify the difference in the drive.