When I was asked what car I was currently reviewing, I replied it was the Nissan Armada. The question that followed was Oh, what do you think of it? As someone who talks about cars in paragraphs, not short sentences, I paused, and replied Well, its like a Chevy Tahoe, except made by Nissan. That may upset fans of the Bowtie, or perhaps maybe even Nissan. But the reality is the Armada and Tahoe compete head to head in a shrinking market for full-size, truck-based SUVs, so the comparison is inevitable. After living with a Tahoe for a week last December and an Armada this past July, the similarities and differences became clear.

The Nissan Armada as we know it is no spring chicken. Introduced as a 2004 model, in todays automotive arena the Armada is ancient. In its favor, the styling of full-size SUVs moves at a glacial pace, so in spite of its eight year old design, it still manages to look current. In spite of its size, the Armada is quite understated compared to the stern, serious face of the Tahoe. Chunky 20 alloys and enough, but not excessive use of chrome trim lent just enough elegance to justify the price of admission. Our test car, finished in Galaxy Black did an excellent job of masking the Armadas most glaring design flaw. From the side profile, the roof of the passenger cabin rises and swoops downward, where it is met by the cargo area, where the roof is flat. In brighter colors, it looks like two different design committees designed the Armada, and never met to compare notes for a cohesive design.

Inside, the Armada offers the level of quality and ease of use weve come to expect from Nissan. All controls are simple to use and easy to understand. Seats front and rear offered plenty of room and were quite comfortable. Our Armada was capable of seating up to eight, although the top-spec model with second row captains chairs drops that number to seven. What I appreciated about the Armada was the amount of interior storage and cubbies available, whereas the Tahoe seemed lacking. While some complain the Armada offers less cargo room, Ill counter with this. If you to want access that extra cargo space in the Tahoe, youll have to physically remove the third row seat to get to all of it. The Armada? Press a button, and the third row seat simply folds flat. Ill take the latter option, thank you. To sum, the cabin of the Armada seems far more family friendly.

Just as the Tahoe is based on the Silverado pick-up truck, the Armada is based upon Nissans top-dog truck, the Titan. All Armadas are powered by a 5.6L V-8 pumping out 317hp, mated to a five-speed automatic. Buyers have the choice between rear wheel and all-wheel drive. Our test car was a 4×2, with EPA fuel economy estimated at 13/19 MPG city/highway. In mixed driving, our Armadas trip computer was showing an average of 14 MPG, so she is one thirsty girl. In a 4×4 Armada, expect about a 1 MPG drop. Towing capacity in our Armada is an impressive 8,200 lbs, while a 4×4 can tow up to 9,100 lbs. Acceleration from the V-8 is strong, and makes the right sounds, and is without doubt more refined than the Tahoes mill. Despite its size and weight, the Armada is very easy to drive and wiggle your way through town or highway traffic. Yes, it handles like a truck, because, well, it is, but that is not to say it lacks refinement or is at all crude. If you expect the creaminess of a Nissan Murano, youre missing the point.

The Armada is available in three trim levels: SV, SL, and Platinum. Our test car was the mid-level SL. While I was thankful for being spared the bling of the chrome 20s on the Platinum, I was incredulous that if you want navigation on your Armada, you must choose the top-spec car. Standard on our SL was a leather interior, power, heated front seats, 11 speaker Bose audio, XM Radio, Bluetooth, rear sonar, rear view monitor, dual zone and rear auto climate controls, and power rear liftgate. Options on our Armada included a rear DVD entertainment system, replete with wireless headphones, remote control and 8 screen, and power moonroof. Including destination, our Armada carried an MSRP of $48,965USD. Hardly cheap, but the price is on par for full-size, well equipped SUVs. Still, the lack of navigation, even at this price just seemed wrong.

So when asked about the Armada, equating it to the Tahoe was the simple answer, but as youve seen, it is far more complex. Appearance is subjective, but Id have the say the Tahoe is by far more handsome. It epitomizes the look you want from an SUV of this size. On the other hand, the interior of the Armada was much more family friendly. Comparing how they drive, the Armada felt more nimble. But as always is the case in the car business, its the sales that matter. By the end of July,  2012, for every Armada Nissan sold, Chevy sold nearly four Tahoes. In spite of this, I would say these two trucks are evenly matched enough they merit comparison shopping. So before you drop that check off at your Chevy dealer, you may want to make a detour to Nissan first.

If you do, to quote the Rolling Stones, just Paint It Black.

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For years, it would have been unthinkable for Nissan to produce an SUV of this size. Not only manufacturer in a financial crisis quite difficult, but the company did not have the Frontier, a compact pickup truck that never made weight. After the arrival of the great Titan, engineers were given a new challenge: cook a vehicle can be compared to the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition, both derived from large trucks. Thus the Nissan Armada 2012 is born.

 One thing is certain, this Nissan has nothing to envy the big American in regard to its size. It is longer than the Ford Expedition or Escalade and it is the same in terms of wheelbase. It is interesting to note that if this Nissan as a Japanese, many of its models, however, are designed, developed and manufactured in America. This is particularly the case of Titan, Nissan Armada 2012 and at the same time. This probably explains the delusions of grandeur in terms of dimensions both outside and inside.

 

From the square, it is! Nissan Armada 2012

Generally, U.S. buyers still love that is bigger. For example, they choose a TV larger than a lower quality smaller model, but the image is much higher. It is the same in terms of restoration. We not only serve you food, is filled with very large plates. The same applies when it comes to all-terrain vehicles. They were originally developed for people who went into the forest for several days and needed all their camping equipment and victuals necessary for their survival. Quite often, these same people were towing a boat.

 All this is true with regard to the Nissan Armada 2012. Moreover, an authorized dealer, noting the vastness of the vehicle, said in a quip: “They should offer a ping-pong option in the boot. Children could play while driving. “In short, the space there as well as the front and rear center seats. By cons, as usual, access to the third row requires a bit of flexibility.

 

Giant skilful Nissan Armada 2012

When one takes place on board the Nissan Armada 2012, he must lift the leg high and you feel small once onboard. It was like driving a large semi-trailer. However, despite its imposing dimensions, the Nissan Armada 2012 is very agile in city driving. Indeed, it seems to turn on a dime, parking maneuvers are relatively easy, at least for a vehicle of this size. And the 5.6-liter V8 engine is good work in collaboration with the five-speed automatic transmission. In addition, the response time of the engine is very good, which can sometimes sneak easily in traffic. But not without taking the time to check if we had the necessary clearance to perform the maneuver.

 Overall, the Nissan Armada 2012 is a vehicle relatively balanced and it is unfortunate that its fuel consumption is higher than the category average. For example, a Chevrolet Suburban driven by a motor power almost equal, shows an average consumption of about 3.0 l/100 km less. I think the figures speak for themselves …

Nissan Armada 2012