After one glorious week of driving debauchery, I have averaged an
astounding 10.2 mpg! This thing can swill dead dinosaurs with the best
of them; however, it should be said that I spent about 90% of my Armada
driving time with the accelerator buried in the floor-mat.
317 horsepower is okay for such a big machine, but 385 lbs feet of
torque is nothing to sneeze at. The 5.6 liter V8 sounds great, kind of
like a muffled trophy-truck and I loved hearing it sing. Despite being
in production for many years, the Nissan Armada is not only relevant;
it feels better than many competitors. Yup, I like the steering feel
better than 80% of the competitors in this bracket.
AND 0 to 60 times are still mucho competitive at a tick under 7 seconds (at over 5,200 feet).
Based on the long-in-tooth Nissan Titan (even though it’s still one of
my favorites) the Nissan Armada’s shape will never be confused with a
mellow Toyota or overly styled American barge. The Armada is its own
machine with an unusual shape that some like (i.e. yours truly) or hate
it (“she who must be obeyed” aka – the wife).
The 4-wheel independent suspension works brilliantly on the road and
this beast went up a rutted, muddy, snow-filled path much faster than
my rugged Land Rover. Steering is always responsive, on or off road.
Maneuverability is easily as good as a Tahoe and throttle response it
the best in the business.
Being that you sit high in the saddle (very high) parking takes some patience.
Properly equipped, the Nissan Armada can tow 9,100 lbs which is very
competitive. As I can attest to the excellent towing prowess of the
Nissan Titan – I’m sure the Armada is just as exceptional. Despite
being spacious (97 cubic feet), the Armada lags behind the
competition’s total cargo capacity. Still, overall seating comfort is
excellent in all three rows.
One of my only issues (as I can care less about the Armada’s chronic
dependence on petrol) is the rear doors. Yup, as a parent of little
squirts, I can’t phantom planning a family oriented vehicle like this
and putting the door handle WAY out of my 5-year-old’s reach. It looks
cool, but suffers from being fairly useless for children under 4 feet.
Nissan loaned me the ‘Titanium’ edition. It carries a kick-ass Bose
stereo system (with 11 speakers), auto leveling suspension (rear),
leather, power folding 3rd row, back-up camera and other goodies which
substantiates the nearly $46,000 entry price (in Titanium trim). Don’t
let that throw you, as I have it on good authority that Nissan dealers
are pushing to get Armadas off their lots.
So, if you’re looking for a robust vehicle that tows, is comfortable,
handles great and feels as rugged as Indiana Jones – take a peek at the
Nissan Armada!
Did I mention it was built in the U.S?
Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car
sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out
of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to
enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com
page HERE.
Follow on twitter @TFLcar or watch latest car review videos on YouTube.
