2024 Nissan Armada Review: Let The Old Times Roll

Where full-size three-row SUVs used to be powered exclusively by big V8 engines, this type of car is a dying breed now, even in the USA where the V8 was once a staple. The latest generations of Toyota Sequoia, Jeep Wagoneer, and Ford Expedition have efficient, downsized turbocharged six-cylinder engines. With a $56k starting price, the 2024 Nissan Armada is in the same ballpark as these rivals, but it's a throwback to a different era - an old-school body-on-frame SUV with a naturally aspirated V8, just like the Chevrolet Tahoe, but without the Chevy's updated platform and good driving dynamics. The Nissan feels its age of seven years and is ponderous to drive, but fairly roomy inside with space for up to eight and many standard features. Its thirsty 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 still sounds lovely and blesses it with excellent trailering credentials, but the outdated Armada may be running on empty in more ways than one.

New for 2024

The only change for the 2024 Armada is that last year's base S trim has been dropped from the range, so the SV trim now becomes the cheapest, raising the base price of a new Nissan Armada to nearly $56k for the latest model year. All trims are still available in your choice of rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, with no changes to the long-running powertrain.

2024 Nissan Armada Price: Which One to Buy

This year, the cheapest Armada SV trim will cost you $55,630 - an increase of only $320 over last year's SV, but around $5k more expensive than the discontinued S. Next up is the SL at $59,440, the Midnight Edition at $61,430, and then the Platinum at $67,690. These prices are for the 2WD models, but you can spec any of them with 4WD for an additional $3,000. This pricing is the MSRP and quoted excluding the $1,895 destination fee.

The SL is the sweet spot in the lineup. Besides all the standard equipment of the SV, it gains niceties such as 20-inch alloys, a power liftgate, leather upholstery, a power tilting/sliding moonroof, a heated steering wheel, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, and a surround-view monitor, the latter crucial to park the beast. The additional $8k jump to the Platinum for bigger wheels, plusher interior, and ventilated front seats isn't worth it - unless you insist on the heated second-row captain's chairs and don't mind losing a seating position.

Interior and Features

The cabin is a mix of old and new and succeeds in keeping passengers comfortable, while effectively containing noise levels on the move.

You can see the dashboard isn't a current design, and it lacks the new-fangled continuous digital displays that are all the rage nowadays. But Nissan has been adding features over the years, and everything you expect is there, including a digital gauge cluster and a proper infotainment system with a big touchscreen. And thanks to its old roots, there are still enough buttons to adjust things like the radio, heated seats, and climate control without having to delve into submenus on a touchscreen. The materials are of high quality, and the cabin feels solid and indestructible, even if it's a bit old-fashioned and not as glamorous as a BMW inside. Interior space is good in the first two rows, but the cabin isn't as configurable as newer designs, and the third row is small. Overcoming the nine-inch ground clearance will see adults even of average size use the assist steps to scale the lofty cabin, and parking is intimidating without the surround-view camera due to a few blind spots and the sheer size of the car.

Space

There is more than enough space up front, and the second row provides ample accommodation thanks to a class-average 121-inch wheelbase, but it lacks the ability to slide forward and backward as some newer designs do to improve third-row space. This is a problem if you need the third row, because it's cramped and rudimentary back there, more so than most rivals. There's no option to free up some legroom, and niceties such as leather upholstery are not extended to the third row, even in the Platinum. Full-size adults won't fit, and it's worth remembering that the Armada is, therefore, only a practical 4/5-seater for adults - or a strict four-seater with the second-row captain's chairs, because adults will hate you for having to clamber into the third row - and be uncomfortably cramped once seated.

Cargo

Trunk space is fair - and better than that of the Sequoia with its compromised packaging - but well short of the class best. Behind the third row, 16.5 cu-ft is on offer. With the 60/40-split third row folded, trunk volume swells to 49.9 cu-ft, and with the second row folded as well, a maximum of 92.6 cu-ft is realized. That latter figure only just beats the Sequoia's 86.9 cu-ft but falls way short of the Tahoe's 122.9 cu-ft. You do get some additional hidden storage space under the cargo floor.

The surfeit of storage spaces and cubbies in the cabin doesn't make up for the lack of trunk space, but turns the Armada into a very livable SUV. There's a glovebox, naturally, but also large door pockets, front seatback pockets, four cupholders, eight bottle holders, an overhead sunglasses holder, third-row storage trays, a phone rest that's also a wireless charging pad, and plenty of smaller spaces in which to lose things strewn about the cabin. With the second-row captains' chairs specified, there is a center console between these chairs with a console bin and cupholders. The console tips up easily to grant access to the third row.

Materials and Colors

The SV is the only trim that makes do without leather upholstery, but the leatherette on the seats is of good quality. It's available in two interior colors - Charcoal and Almond - with Silky Carbon trim and leather trim on the steering wheel and shifter knob. The SL upgrades to leather upholstery for the first two seating rows, available in Black, Charcoal, or Almond with double-stitched leather trim on the door panels, and wood-type trim. The Midnight Edition's leather is black, and it comes with the SV's Silky Carbon trim and a black headliner. Finally, the Platinum gets quilted leather upholstery - again only for the first two seating rows - and a cabin in Black, Espresso Brown, or Almond, with contast stitching on the steering wheel and Birdseye Maple wood-tone trim.

Features and Infotainment

With the SV now the cheapest trim, the base standard features include keyless entry with push-button start, leatherette upholstery, power front seats (ten-way driver, eight-way passenger) with heating, dual-zone climate control, a HomeLink transceiver, remote start, a power-adjustable and leather-trimmed tilting/telescoping steering wheel, a wireless charging pad, and a seven-inch digital gauge cluster. The upper trims gain leather upholstery (first two rows only), ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, second-row captain's chairs, and a power moonroof.

The same infotainment system is used in all trims, comprising a 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, three 12-V power outlets, SiriusXM with NissanConnect Services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Amazon Alexa Built-in, four USB ports, Bluetooth audio streaming, HD Radio, a wireless charging pad, and a six-speaker audio system. The SL and higher trims upgrade the audio system to a 13-speaker Bose setup.

Performance

The hearty V8 pulls with a will and a delightful baritone gurgle, but downs gasoline at an alarming rate.

The engine in the Nissan Armada is a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 that can trace its roots back over two decades. It develops a stout 400 hp and 413 lb-ft and provides strong performance, giving the Nissan Armada a 0-60 mph sprint in the mid-six-second range and a top speed of 130 mph on its all-season tires. It might be old-fashioned and inefficient, but makes for impressive trailering, giving the Armada a maximum towing capacity of 8,500 pounds. RWD is standard, but a 4WD drivetrain is optional, with all trims using the same seven-speed automatic transmission. The Armada is too big and heavy for serious off-road driving and lacks a dual-range transmission, but the 4WD derivatives will take on the worst roads, with an ample ground clearance of more than nine inches in all trims enabling you to venture farther off the beaten track than any low-riding crossover.

As expected, the driving experience is completely free of any pretense of sportiness, with the Armada's brakes, transmission, and steering tuned to provide reliable responses without upsetting the big body. Ride comfort gets preference and is admirably supple. The Platinum's 22-inch wheels add a harder edge to the ride, but it stops short of being harsh. There's a lot of lean because of the soft suspension, and though the Armada can be hurried around corners and provides welcome steering feel, it's not made for this sort of thing. The seven-speed automatic is smooth but cannot be hurried, trading quick shifts for measured, jolt-free ones. It pitches noticeably when standing on the anchors, but the brakes are strong and provide powerful retardation. It all feels a little ponderous and old-school next to modern rivals but is never anything but stable and comfortable.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas mileage is predictably terrible, with the 2WD Nissan Armada's mpg estimates for the EPA's city/highway/combined cycles coming to 14/19/16 mpg - similar but not better than the 6.2-liter V8 Tahoe's figures, and both trailing the 3.4-liter turbocharged Sequoia's 22 mpg combined by a huge margin. The 4WD Armada is even worse at 13/18/15 mpg. A big 26-gallon fuel capacity still ensures a range of 390 to 416 miles, however.

Safety

Safety is now well behind the curve, with unsatisfactory crash scores, although the standard suite of driver assists is comprehensive.

The NHTSA's safety review of the Nissan Armada is another pointer to the car's age. With only three stars out of five for the frontal crash and four stars overall, the Armada's crash scores are no longer competitive. The IIHS hasn't crash-tested the Armada.

Quite a lot of standard safety features and driver assists will help you avoid a collision in the first place, though, with all Armadas coming with Nissan's Safety Shield 360 driver-assistance suite as standard. This suite comprises adaptive cruise control with front-collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection, driver-alertness monitoring, active lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and intervention with rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, automatic reverse braking, automatic LED headlights with auto high beams, hill-start assist, and trailer-sway control. The SL also gets a surround-view monitor, while the Platinum is the only trim to also gain rain-sensing wipers, traffic-sign recognition, and a camera-based digital rearview mirror.

Reliability

The reliability of the Nissan Armada is very good, and while JD Power only gave it an average score of 79 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability, recalls are vanishingly few. The last time an Armada was recalled for anything at all was the 2021 model for a failing fuel pump module that can cause a stall.

This is just as well, as the 2024 Nissan Armada's warranty is no more than average. The limited warranty covers the car for just three years/36,000 miles - the minimum expected nowadays - but the drivetrain warranty runs for a longer five years/60,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

The Armada is big and bold, casting a substantial shadow. The front has Nissan's characteristic V-Motion grille with a chrome surround - or black in the case of the Midnight Editions, whose mirrors, lower fascias, and roof rails are also black. All trims get LED headlights, DRLs, foglights, and taillights, but the SV runs on 18-inch alloys that look too small for the big body. The Platinum gets huge 22s, with the in-between SL and Midnight Edition getting different styles of 20-inch wheels. The SL also gains a power moonroof and liftgate, features the SV doesn't have.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Nissan Armada A Good SUV?

The Nissan Armada is now too old to be considered a good SUV against more modern competitors, which are more efficient, safer, and handle better. But if you're looking for a simple, old-school naturally aspirated SUV with a hearty V8 engine and big towing capacity, the Armada might be just up your alley. Just be warned that you'll pay the price at the gas pumps. The Armada is a dying breed, and the next one will almost certainly be more high-tech and efficient, so if that kind of thing is important to you, you'd be better off with something else until such time as a next-generation Armada arrives.