Pros

• A beautiful, well-made room.
• A torque-filled V8 engine is powerful.
• At highway speeds, everything is still.
• Many safety measures are identical.

Cons

• V8 engines need to use gas better.
• There need to be more seats in the third row.
• Because the cargo floor is so high, it is hard to load.
• The way information is shown is out of date.

What moves the Armada? The 5.6-liter V8 engine in the Armada is strong. Our test Armada went from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds on the Invoice Pricing test track, a second faster than the 5.3-liter V8 Chevrolet Tahoe. At higher speeds, the Armada can pass other ships very well. The Armada’s brakes are just as impressive. They brought the big SUV to a complete stop from 60 mph in 123 feet, about 10 feet faster than the closest competitor. In town, the brakes worked the same way every time.

Even though the Armada is one of the most accessible SUVs to drive, no one expects a big SUV to handle well, and it only has a moderate amount of handling ability. You don’t feel much, and turning is slow (you have to turn the wheel more than you think).

What kind of comfort does the Armada have? The Armada is a quiet and private place to drive. Even though the front seats are big and comfy, they don’t have much support to hold you in place when you turn. Even though the captain’s chairs in the second row are well-padded, they can’t be moved forward or back to make more space. Modern third-row seats must be better.

We would have liked bigger vents for such a big cabin, but we were more upset that the climate system couldn’t keep a steady temperature when it was set to auto mode. The heated seats in the Armada we tested were also loud and didn’t do much to cool us down.

There’s no doubt that the ride is easy. This helps when going over small to medium bumps. But when the waves are more significant, and there is a lot of jostling and shaking, it becomes a problem. Other SUVs feel more tight and in charge. Our test car’s 22-inch wheels and thin tire sidewalls did little to improve the ride.

How does the inside look? There is enough space in the front seats, but it gets worse as you move back. The third-row heart is low to the ground and hard to get into and out of, and the second-row captain’s chairs don’t move like those in some other SUVs. The Armada has a high seat, so even average-sized people will need to use the side help stairs.

The dashboard of the Armada has new climate settings and a big screen for entertainment. Even though the controls and images are easy to use, they must be updated. The Armada has good vision from the outside, but when turning sharply to the left, the big mirrors and thick front roof pillars can block your view. The available system of cameras that let you see everything around you makes parking a lot less stressful.

How good is the tech? Even though it has a prominent touchscreen, the pictures could be more up-to-date. The machine also takes some time to start up. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come with every car. Any screen is worse than Nissan’s clunky infotainment system. The placement of the USB and power ports isn’t great, especially for people sitting in the second row, and there aren’t as many of them as we’d expect in a big SUV.

Luckily, some simple safety precautions have been made better. They all did very well on the tests we gave them. Even though both adaptive cruise control features are a little slow to respond, they brake and speed up quickly.

What about putting things away? Below the third row, there is little room for goods. The high cargo floor and long reach over the extensive rear bumper make it hard to load. The arms of the optional captain’s chairs in the second row stick up above the cargo floor, making it harder to load longer items. Storage is limited in the front seats. The middle desk in the front is big, but that’s about it. Most likely, you will put other things in the front cupholders.

The Armada is good at pulling things behind it. It can pull up to 8,500 pounds when fully loaded, which is about the same as the Chevy Tahoe. A trailer brake device comes with most trims as standard equipment.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says the Armada gets 15 mpg four-wheel drive and 1 mpg more with rear-wheel purpose. That is less than what similar full-size SUVs get. On our 115-mile test drive, most of which was on the highway, we got 16.5 mpg, so the EPA numbers are good. You need premium fuel to get the most power, but 87 gas is acceptable for the Armada.

Does the Armada have any value? The price of the Armada is about the same as that of other big SUVs, but the interior materials and old technologies are not current standards. The Armada should be fascinating if you need a strong V8 engine and a lot of pulling power. Those who want more normal things will be let down. The Nissan guarantee is just about right.

The Armada looks good, and the inside is as close to luxury as Nissan can make it. The Armada is great at making the Infiniti QX80, its business twin, look expensive. The Armada doesn’t have any problems, but other than its solid and loud V8 engine, it doesn’t stand out in any way.

We suggest the SL trim because it’s the best deal and has the most features. With that model, you get leather seating, heated seats, remote engine start, a 360-degree video system, and a 13-speaker Bose surround-sound system, in addition to the more excellent 20-inch wheels and other niceties with the SV Appearance package.

Nissan Armada models

The Nissan Armada is a big SUV that can fit up to eight people. You can choose from the S, SV, SL, and Platinum trim options. Unless you choose four-wheel drive with low-range gearing, each has a 5.6-liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed automatic gearbox drives the rear wheels.