2023 Nissan Armada

The Japanese automaker’s biggest SUV, the 2023 Nissan Armada is a full-size, old-school body-on-frame rig with a big V8. Though this generation of Armada was only introduced in 2017, it’s based on a more utilitarian global model called the Nissan Patrol introduced in 2010. A popular off-roader in places like Western Australia or Namibia, the Patrol is a rival to Toyota’s Land Cruiser, but the Armada skews more family-friendly. It offers room for up to eight people, lots of modern comforts and serious towing brawn.

Nissan makes very few changes to the Armada for 2023, but the big ute got a major update in 2021. Those changes included updated front and rear styling with dazzling LED lamps, new standard active safety features and a major infotainment update with a newly standard 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Despite this SUV’s fundamental age (the related Patrol went into production in January of 2010), the interior and tech do not seem particularly dated. Handling, fuel economy and third-row space, however, reveal its limitations.

Now the oldest design in its class, the Armada’s primary competitors are the Toyota Sequoia, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Ford Expedition, but Jeep’s Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee L are also on the periphery. In years past, the even-older Sequoia proved a good foil for the Armada, but it was totally redesigned this year and gained a standard hybrid powertrain, more towing capacity and a vastly improved cabin. Still, Nissan remains ahead of Toyota on cargo space and costs less. In fact, the Armada undercuts all of its full-size competitors on price.

There’s only one Armada engine, a big and powerful 5.6-liter V8. With 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, it’s on par with the top-level GM V8s in terms of power, and the Armada also beats the GM SUVs on towing capacity, with an 8,500-pound standard rating. That’s more than enough to haul the family and tow its toys. The big frame, available four-wheel drive (4WD) and ample ground clearance mean solid off-road capability, but it’s not as much of an adventurer as the Wagoneer and feels big and truck-like on the pavement.

Fuel economy, however, is worst in class, and about 1 to 3 mpg less, model for model, than its thirstiest competitors. There’s room for seven or eight depending on the seating options and the first two rows are spacious and comfy, but the third row is cramped by class standards and so is the cargo hold. Even a few midsize SUVs do better in those areas, but the Armada still tops the Sequoia on overall cargo space. GM and Jeep blow it away on cargo utility, however, and Jeep, Ford and Toyota have it beat on towing capacity.

The Armada comes with a good suite of advanced driver assistance systems and some which competitors charge extra for, including forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. Balancing out this generous equipment, however, is mediocre or incomplete crash test data, though the same can be said for many competitors. Those are demerits, but Armada also costs as much as $9,000 less than some of its direct competitors, so a mid-level Armada compares directly on price to a base-model Tahoe or Wagoneer.

Performance 11/15

Every Armada is powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine producing 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but 4WD is available across the lineup as a $3,000 add. The V8 is powerful and brawny, but it’s not as smooth as some newer hybrid and turbocharged six-cylinder engines in similar vehicles. It compares well to GM’s 5.3-liter V8 though, which is available in the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon.

With that V8 brawn, the Armada can tow a maximum of 8,500 pounds. That’s a good number, but many other big SUVs can lug more, including the Expedition (9,300), Sequoia (9,520) and Jeep Wagoneer (up to 10,000). Helpfully, there’s a standard trailer brake controller system to aid in towing, and SL and Platinum models also get trailer sway control.

The Armada’s stout frame, capable four-wheel-drive system and 9.2 inches of ground clearance can handle most of what one would encounter on a ranch or desert setting. Rock-crawling would be a stretch except for the most expert drivers and Nissan doesn’t specify a fording depth. It should provide plenty of capability for moderate adventures, but the Yukon AT4 and Jeep Wagoneer might be better for serious off-roading.

Despite being a body-on-frame truck, the Armada has a refreshingly smooth ride on the pavement. Progress in the big Nissan is soft and easy thanks to its front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension but does lean pretty heavily in cornering in ways the GM SUVs don’t.

Fuel Economy: 5/15

MPG is the Armada’s Achilles heel, and it’s especially apparent now that the Sequoia (previously an even-worse gas guzzler) has gone hybrid for 2023. The Armada now comes in dead last among big SUVs in fuel economy and it’s the only one left that only offers a V8. With the standard rear-drive layout, the EPA rates the Armada for 14 mpg city, 19 highway and 16 mpg combined, while 4WD versions do just 13 mpg around town, 18 on the highway and 15 combined. Nissan makes up for the poor mileage with a huge 26-gallon fuel tank.

Every other big SUV is more efficient, including, amazingly, the 6.2-liter V8 GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe, though they take premium fuel. Chevy and GMC also offer more frugal powertrains including turbodiesels, while Nissan does not. The twin-turbo V6 Ford Expedition returns 19 mpg combined and Jeep Wagoneer with the 5.7-liter hemi V8 18 mpg, and over time this 3 to 4 mpg advantage really adds up. The Sequoia, meanwhile, returns 22 mpg combined, 21 city and 24 highway with rear-wheel drive. (4WD shaves two mpg from each measure.) 

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 10/15

All Armadas come equipped with Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 suite of advanced driver assistance gear. It includes forward collision alerts, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot alert, lane departure warnings, rear cross-traffic alert and rear automatic braking. The SUV also has adaptive cruise control, which some competitors charge extra for.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) last reviewed the Armada in 2020 and gave it four stars out of five. That’s a so-so rating but only the Ford Expedition has since scored higher, and none of the Armada’s direct competitors have been recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Comfort & Room: 11/15

Although the Armada is a good towing rig, its primary role is as a people mover. To fit the whole family, Nissan offers two interior configurations: a standard second-row bench to carry eight occupants or optional captain’s chairs on SL and Platinum trims that can accommodate up to seven. 

While the first and second-row occupants get lots of room (41.9 inches of front-row legroom and 41 inches in the back) the Armada skimps on comfort in the way back seats. With only 28.4 inches of legroom, the third-row seating is inhospitable for adults and older teens for more than a short hop, especially compared to the 34.9 inches found in the Tahoe’s third row, the 36.1 inches in the Expedition and the Wagoneer’s 36.6.

The seats are comfy, and upholstered in cloth on the base model. Heated front seats are found on SV trims and higher, but only Platinum models include ventilated seats, a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel and a heated second-row bench. 

Infotainment: 12/15

After a major upgrade in 2021, Nissan hasn’t really changed the interior much, and it’s still dominated by the 12.3-inch color touchscreen. Some competitors, particularly the Sequoia, now have larger optional screens, but the Armada’s remains one of the biggest standard units. The graphics, and backup camera, are crystal clear, but the display angled it back toward the windshield and it was clearly (if artfully) grafted onto an earlier dashboard. It can be a stretch to reach for some drivers. 

A seven-inch driver information display and gauge cluster are easily operated with steering wheel-mounted controls. Although this is an old vehicle now, the big 2021 update means it still has some of the latest and greatest features, including navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi connection. SV and higher models get wireless phone charging and, for 2023, Amazon Alexa compatibility. Armadas also come standard with Nissan Connect services, including concierge services and remote start. 

Platinum models also include a rear entertainment system and an intelligent rearview mirror, which displays a camera view when the regular mirror is blocked by people or cargo. Two USB-A and two USB-C ports are available in the cabin, and Platinum models have a 120-volt power outlet.

Cargo Space & Storage: 9/15

This is a big machine and that means lots of cargo space, but the Armada doesn’t compare all that well with the newer designs of its rivals. There are 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 49.9 behind the second row and 95.4 cubic feet with all the seats folded down. Those aren’t small numbers, but they’re well below the competition and even some larger midsize crossover SUVs like the Volkswagen Atlas and Chevrolet Traverse.

Surprisingly, the redesigned Sequoia offers less cargo space overall, with up to  22.3 cubic-feet behind the third row, 49 behind row two and 86.9 overall, well behind the VW’s 96.8 total and the Armada. The Tahoe and Yukon lead the pack with 25.5 cubic-feet of stowage behind the third row, 72.6 cubic-feet behind the second and 122.9 with all seats folded. The Wagoneer isn’t far behind at 27.4, 70.8 and 116.9 cubes in total.

Standard roof rails on the SV and higher trims help the Armada a little, and small-item storage is decent. A second-row console helps keep the cabin organized when outfitted with captain’s chairs and is removable when the need for maximum cargo space arises.

Style & Design: 9/10

Big and brawny, the Armada makes no apologies for its gigantic size and zero attempts to hide it. The soft round edges speak to how old the fundamental design is, but 2021’s updates only made it look better. The big grille, bulging hood and muscular fenders exude the mass and ruggedness buyers expect in this kind of SUV. The headlights are now full-LED with 50 individual lighting units in each lamp. The taillights receive a similar treatment, now shining with 70 LEDs. It all helps the Armada look quite like its posher sister, the Infiniti QX80.

Inside, the Armada’s cabin feels a little older than most competitors but nowhere near as old as the previous-generation Toyota Sequoia or current Lexus GX do. Thank the big screen and Nissan’s delicate chrome detail work for improving the ambiance and feel.

Is the 2023 Nissan Armada Worth it? Which Armada is the Best Value?

The Armada feels pretty old now, and many of its rivals are a little more capable, but it also undercuts most of them on price by as much as $8,000 to $9,000, and it comes with the standard V8. There is value here if your priorities align with Nissan’s.

The entry-level rear-wheel drive Armada S starts at $52,095 (including a $1,695 destination charge, all a bit more than last year). However, neither heated front seats nor second-row captain’s chairs are available on the S. Still, that’s $9,000 less than the base Wagoneer, $7,800 less than the base Sequoia and $4,000 less than the extremely basic Chevy Tahoe LS, which comes with far fewer standard features.

For better gear, buyers must step up to the SV ($56,645) or SL ($60,065). They include things like heated seats a Bose audio system, and the equipment levels are broadly similar to the mid-level Expedition and Tahoe, but here too the Armada undercuts by $4,000 or more, even with four-wheel drive added. No, it isn’t as fuel efficient or capable, but that’s a big chunk of money to save, and the new Sequoia may not be available without markups for some time.

The top-level Platinum trim is the most lux and adds quilted leather, ventilated seats and a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, but it starts at $68,415, which seems pretty high for what this is and is only $6,000 less than the QX80.

The SV trim with 4WD comes in around $58,000 offering a good blend of equipment that will cost more on any of the alternatives. We think that’s where the best value is here.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Nissan Armada?

Our research suggests that a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $2,366 for an Armada SL, though this averages all 50 states. The other trims don’t vary by more than $75 in either direction. That compares to $2,382 for the GMC Yukon AT4, $2,370 for the Ford Expedition Limited and $2,300 for the Toyota Sequoia Limited. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.