2022 Nissan Armada Interior and Cargo

The base S model comes with Charcoal cloth and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. On SV models, leatherette is standard, available in Almond or Charcoal. SL trim upgrades to genuine leather, available in the same colors. The Midnight Edition is only available with Black leather trim, while the top-spec Platinum gets quilted leather available in Almond, Black, or Espresso Brown. Wood-tone interior trim is standard on the SL, while the Platinum gets Birdseye Maple wood-tone trim. These faux wood options are tacky, and we much prefer the standard Silky Carbon trim on the base models.

With all three rows up, the 7- or 8-seater Armada has 16.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity. It's an acceptable amount of space for a large family's daily needs. The Armada also has additional underfloor storage. With the third row dropped down, the luggage capacity increases to 49.9 cubes. With all the seats folded down, you get 95.4 cubes to work with. The top-spec Platinum has a power-folding third row, but it takes so long your toddler will be finished with college by the time it folds down. At least on the 2022 Platinum trim, the power third-row is now one-touch. The manual system on lesser models works much better, though the straps to pull the seats up are far too short.

Interior storage is impressive. You get more cupholders than seats, and there's a large storage space between the front seats. The door pockets are also large, and there's ample space for things like smartphones and tablets. With the seven-passenger layout, rear occupants have more storage options.

We'd be delighted with a base-spec Armada. Nissan is particularly generous, especially from a safety standpoint. All models get a bunch of features with the word Intelligent in front of them. Cruise control, driver alertness, lane intervention, forward collision warning, and blind-spot warning are all standard. You also get automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, front/rear parking sensors, rear automatic braking, and high-beam assist. Well done, Nissan. This is a family car where there's no need to pay extra for advanced safety systems.

In addition to the above, the S has dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable driver and passenger seats, a seven-inch display for the advanced assistance features in the instrument cluster, and four USB ports. The SV adds heated front seats, a wireless charger, and several style additions. The SL adds some more useful features like a surround-view camera system, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power liftgate. The Midnight Edition is primarily cosmetic, apart from the standard second-row captain's chairs package. The top-spec Platinum trim adds several niceties like ventilated front seats, traffic sign recognition, and heated second-row outboard seats.

Nissan was decades behind the competition with regards to technology, but last year's facelift brought the Armada firmly into the modern era. A 12.3-inch touchscreen comes standard on all model grades, giving the Armada the largest standard screen in the class. Unlike the aging system it replaces, this infotainment system features wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. All models get Bluetooth and SiriusXM satellite radio. It's a huge improvement, but far from perfect. We noted a few glitches during our week-long test, including the screen going completely black. And, although the screen is large, around 40% of the real estate is taken up by a split display, which can show a clock or weather information. Sadly, there's no way to get a full-screen navigation map or phone mirroring.

The base S grade only gets four speakers, while the SV upgrades to six. The SL and higher trims get a Bose audio system with 13-speakers that sounds much better. Finally, the Platinum has an entertainment system with dual eight-inch display screens, two pairs of wireless headphones, and an HDMI input.