Nissan Armada

The SUV can fit up to eight people including the driver. The front and second rows offer abundant leg room for adults while the rear seats can be comfortable too if conditions are right. It has a quiet and luxurious interior furnished with high quality fabrics. The cargo space is around a low 16.5 cubic feet but can be expanded to a whopping 95 cubic feet by folding down the last two rows which on the other hand sacrifices passenger seatability. The available standard infotainment features include a 13-speaker Bose audio system, an 8-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, navigation, four USB ports, HD Radio, satellite radio and voice recognition. Available features include remote start, a moonroof, a surround-view camera system and a back-seat dual-screen entertainment system.

The Armada’s available exterior attributes consist of roof rail crossbars, moonroof wind deflector, a hatch tent, exterior ground lighting, side-window deflectors, chrome side mirror covers, chrome body side moldings, and impact sensors. The Armada color palette contains shades of pearl white tri-coat, brilliant silver metallic, gun metallic, super black and Hermosa blue pearl. 

The Armada uses I-AWD (Intelligent All-Wheel Drive) technology to adjust power distribution depending on available traction or quality of the road surface. It provides three drive options namely Auto - for automatic switching between 2WD and 4WD, 4H - for greater traction and 4L - for maximum torque. Its advanced four-wheel-drive switches to 2WD for maximum fuel efficiency and switches back to 4WD while treading on low friction roads. The SUV is good at handling turns with less body roll and has an overall composed drive (although some rivals promise smoother rides).

The Nissan Armada is powered by a 5.6 litre Endurance gasoline V8 engine with direct injection technology. It generates a horsepower of 390 at 534 Nm torque and has a maximum towing capacity of 3855 kg. Other noteworthy features of the engine include an intelligent VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) valve control technology that improves throttle response, a set of 32 valves and also dual overhead cams. The engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission which consists of impressive attributes like downshifting rev-matching, automatic transmission fluid warmer, wider gear ratios, adaptive shift control, and idle neutral control. Such features allow the vehicle to receive adequate power at low speeds and enjoy a smooth and quiet ride at high speeds. The Armada does not offer a satisfactory mileage. The city numbers are 14 mpg while the highway value is 19 mpg.

NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) rated this Nissan three out of five in frontal crash tests and rollover tests and five out of five in side crash tests. The Armada’s overall NHTSA rating is thus a good four out of five. The safety features that the Armada is equipped with include traction control, child safety locks, integrated turn signal mirrors, Daytime Running Lights (DRL), front tow hooks, brake assist, 4-Wheel ABS (Anti-lock braking system), 4-wheel disc brakes, electronic stability control, front head airbag, front side airbag, rear head airbag, driver airbag and passenger airbags.

The 2019 Armada got several driver assistance attributes standardized. Along with that, the SUV assures a powerful engine, well-predicted numbers on reliability and a composed drive. But on the minus side, it has an old school infotainment setup, an ugly mileage, and an unimpressive cargo space. It is no doubt a good buy but there are still better and more modern options in the market.