2023 Nissan Armada Review: Old But Gold

The final time I drove a Nissan Armada, I wasn’t impressed. It felt large and ungainly on my errand route round suburban Los Angeles, and the gasoline financial system in site visitors was abysmal. It appeared that each time I bought behind the wheel, I found one thing else to gripe about. Final week, nevertheless, I had the alternative expertise. On an extended, 800-mile highway journey to see household, the Armada endeared itself to me time and time once more.

Unsurprisingly, the large Nissan’s design transient is much better suited to freeway cruising than it’s commuting via Mid-Wilshire. With a hushed, glassy-smooth trip and inside supplies that rival the newest Lexus LX, the Armada is sort of superb for a Sisyphean quest for the horizon – so long as you don’t count on a lot effectivity from the husky, 400-horsepower V8.

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The Armada’s most notable benefit over a few of its rivals is a properly constructed cabin. Gentle-touch plastics and contrast-stitched leather-based cowl the dashboard, and the door panels have ruched vinyl that calls a mid-Nineties Avalon to thoughts – dated however cushy-soft. My Armada tester featured the $750 captain’s chairs within the second row, and the mounted console is probably the most clearly low cost little bit of plastic within the cabin. Avoid wasting money, depart the usual rear bench in place, and revel within the massive Nissan’s comfortable, squishy definition of consolation.

That description additionally applies to the Armada’s trip out on the open highway. A {smooth}, four-wheel unbiased suspension and ample sound deadening present insulation extra akin to hyperbaric chambers than cars. The entrance and rear buckets are Kansas-flat and I may have used a bit extra shoulder help after a number of hours within the saddle, however they do get heating throughout and air flow up entrance should you go for the Platinum trim. The dealing with will get sloppy if the highway begins to curve, however the Nissan SUV does City Automotive–fashion luxurious very properly.

A {smooth}, four-wheel unbiased suspension and ample sound deadening present insulation extra akin to hyperbaric chambers than cars.

Nevertheless, whereas it excelled for my little household’s journey to the mountains, I believe bigger broods could have extra to complain about. That’s as a result of the Armada gives solely 16.5 cubic ft of cargo house with the third-row seats in place, final amongst its aggressive set and trailing the Chevrolet Tahoe by 9.0 cubic ft. It is even down on its smaller Pathfinder sibling by 0.1 cubes. And also you gained’t be gaining a lot passenger house in trade for baggage – a excessive ground provides of us within the way-back an uncomfortable seating place, and there’s much less leg and shoulder room than within the Chevy, Ford Expedition, or Toyota Sequoia.

The growly V8 below the hood provides the Armada an above common 8,500-pound towing score, nevertheless it additionally has a hefty urge for food, particularly paired with full-time four-wheel drive with a selectable low vary. Its customary 400 hp beats the Tahoe and equals the Expedition, nevertheless it calls for extra gasoline than both, at 13 miles per gallon metropolis, 18 freeway, and 15 mixed. The Bow Tie brigade boasts 15 / 20 / 17, whereas the Ford does even higher at 16 / 22 / 19. And the Tahoe even gives a torquey turbodiesel inline-six that may hit as much as 26 mpg on the freeway with four-wheel drive.

The Armada gives solely 16.5 cubic ft of cargo house with the third-row seats in place, final amongst its aggressive set and trailing the Chevrolet Tahoe by 9.0 cubic ft.

Nonetheless, I discovered myself charmed by the large Nissan’s sultry V8 and posh expanses of quilted, stitched leather-based. I’ve mentioned earlier than that the Armada – what with its spectacular inside high quality and off-road lineage donated from the abroad Nissan Patrol – must be thought of a price range Land Cruiser, however I additionally assume it makes a superbly respectable household trip machine.

I drove a 2023 mannequin with an as-tested value of $73,310 because of the rear bucket seats and a $395 coat of paint, pricing that’s roughly comparable with the Tahoe Excessive Nation, Expedition Restricted, and Sequoia Restricted. The 2024 Armada begins at an inexpensive $57,515 for an SV 4×2 or $60,515 for a 4×4, additionally in step with its rivals.

The Verdict: That is probably not low cost, per se, nevertheless it looks like a good purchase for somebody on the lookout for extra space or energy than the equally priced, four-cylinder-only 2024 Land Cruiser can present. Extra so since even the SV has a superb inside and the identical {smooth} trip as my Platinum tester. In the event you want the house of a Tahoe, the Nissan will disappoint. However as a Land Cruiser-slash-Lincoln highway tripper, it’s exhausting to disregard the sneaky charisma of the Armada.