2025 Nissan Armada First Drive Review: Don’t Get That Tahoe Just Yet

The Nissan Armada has never been bad. Overlooked, sure, but never bad. It’s just that when most people go searching for three-row SUVs, they shop the American brands first: Chevy and GMC, Dodge and Jeep, Ford and Lincoln. OK, maybe not Lincoln, but all the others for sure. If none of those work then perhaps they’ll look at a Toyota, all while Nissan stands there waiting for folks to give the Armada the time of day. It’s always been solid, but with its total redesign for 2025, it’s better than before—and not just by a little bit.

It took some major changes to get here, like ditching the V8. And while I don’t think the twin-turbo V6 is the single biggest difference maker with this new generation, it plays an undeniable role. What really took me by surprise was the refinement and sturdiness, and yes, we’re still talking about Nissan. Turns out, just because a company sells most of its cars to rental fleets and college freshmen doesn’t mean its flagship has to be cheap, too.

Of course, it isn’t perfect. What new car is? Very few, especially in the large body-on-frame SUV segment, which plays to the Armada’s advantage. For maybe the first time, I wouldn’t blame somebody for buying one instead of a new Tahoe, even on the high trims.

The Basics

The 2025 Armada gets a great start by finally receiving the same treatment as the global market Nissan Patrol. They’ve been fundamentally similar all along, though now, the automaker is treating them as equals and doesn’t hold anything back from the American model. That means the Armada is no less tough or capable than the Patrol, which has a stellar reputation in other parts of the world as a peer to the Land Cruiser.

You can tell that by looking at the Armada and Patrol side-by-side. It’s like that scene from The Office when “corporate” wanted Creed to find the differences between two pictures, but they’re actually the same. You couldn’t say the same if you put the 2025 Armada next to the outgoing one, though. The entire design is new, from the bold headlights to the rear LED bar that stretches the width of the tailgate. Oh, and I really like that kink around the back window on the side. It’s pretty sharp in person.

Thankfully, the interior is also good. That’s where Nissan has lagged historically, somehow managing to build a car that looks fresh on the outside but five to seven years behind on the inside. That isn’t the case with the new Armada, which boasts screens for the gauge cluster and infotainment. SL and SV models get dual 12.3-inch displays while the Platinum, Pro-4X, and Platinum Reserve get 14.3-inch monitors. That sounds like a lot, and maybe it’s a bit much, but they’re short and wide rather than tall, so they don’t protrude into your field of vision. Plus, there are real buttons for most controls underneath the screens, right where they should be.

What anyone who looks at the Armada’s spec sheet will notice is the new powertrain. It’s a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, which Nissan will tell you is an evolved GT-R engine built for truck duty rather than track duty. Believe that or don’t, it doesn’t matter—it still makes big power at 425 horses and 516 lb-ft of torque. That’s 25 hp and 103 lb-ft more than the old 5.6-liter V8, respectively, and although stepping away from big displacement and natural aspiration raises questions about long-term reliability, Nissan has been building the VR series of engines for more than a decade. I certainly don’t see the switch going as poorly as Toyota’s with its V6. A nine-speed automatic is standard in all Armadas, though you can choose between rear-wheel drive and 4×4 on every trim except Pro-4X, where four-wheel drive is standard and kind of the whole point.

Driving Experience

As is so typically the case with these press events, I only had access to the top two Armada trims: Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve. The former was my steed for the off-road and towing portions of the drive, while the latter was my road tripper around central Tennessee. I wish I could tell you what the absolute base trim is like and whether or not you get your money’s worth for the $58,530 entry price, but alas, that will have to wait for another day.

What I will say is that if any Nissan comes close to feeling like an $80,000 car, it’s the Armada Platinum Reserve. That feels crazy to say about any Nissan not named GT-R, but it’s true. The sucker just coasts with four-corner adaptive air suspension and lets in almost zero road noise, which is hugely important if you’re going to sink so much money in a car you drive every day. Better yet, you can fill that silence with killer Klipsch audio. From what I can find, this is the first time Klipsch has made an automotive audio system—well, aside from the Armada’s upmarket twin, the Infiniti QX80. The sound quality is better than any factory car I’ve heard, including the Bentley Bentayga’s outrageous Naim sound system, a $9,150 option.

Circling back to that sturdiness I mentioned earlier: It’s a tank, but not in the negative, lumbering way. The Armada feels solid, and anyone spending so much coin will want that quality thunk when the door shuts. Not only that but they’ll want the car to zoom down interstates and backroads with the same confidence, which the Armada does with a new frame that apparently has 25% greater torsional rigidity than before and lateral stiffness that’s been increased by 57%. I’d be lying if I said it was exhilarating—that’s a lot of power, but then again, it’s plenty heavy at around 6,000 pounds—but it requires zero unnecessary or unwanted input from you, the driver. That’s especially true if you spec the eyes-on, hands-off ProPilot Assist 2.1 package for $2,900 on the Platinum Reserve (it’s available for $3,200 on Platinum and $3,370 on SL).

The turbo engine takes a mighty leap firmly into high output territory, far outperforming the old V8. I appreciated its general smoothness, though it felt like I caught the nine-speed in the wrong gear a time or two while hammering it. Towing with the V6 was good—we had a 5,500-pound Airstream camper behind an Armada Pro-4X and power was never an issue, though I did get some noticeable sway when crossing some bumpy bridge transitions. I’m curious to know how it does closer to the listed max tow rating of 8,500 pounds. I was also impressed by the downhill engine braking while loaded, a huge plus for anybody towing a big trailer for any amount of time.

And off-road, the Pro-4X is totally apt for whatever a real user will ever throw at it. The course we ran it on was a total slosh pit thanks to four inches of rain just a couple of days prior, but traction was still no big issue thanks to a locking rear differential and 33-inch Yokohama Geolandar all-terrains. There was a hill it really didn’t want to climb with all that slick mud filling the gaps between tire treads, but with enough throttle, it managed. It also never bashed its chin thanks to 11.5 inches of ground clearance and a 33-degree approach angle in its highest suspension setting—both notably better than the Ford Expedition Tremor.

Check out these shots of the big girl driving over some articulation humps. There’s a lot of wheel lift, which isn’t ideal for max traction, but it still kept going:

Overall, driving the 2025 Armada is more than just good. It’s nearing great, at least on the upper trims. You’d hope so for that much money, of course, but having done this job for a while I can say that more expensive does not always mean more better.

Nissan Armada Features, Options, and Competition

The entry-level 2025 Armada SV is actually the same price as the previous model year at $58,530 including destination. Make it 4×4 and that price goes up $3,000, which is the case for all trims except for the Pro-4X where it’s standard. Every new Armada gets the twin-turbo V6 and nine-speed automatic, while the premium Klipsch audio is standard on the $64,980 SL trim and above. You could max out a Platinum Reserve for around $85,000 with the hands-free driving goodies and 4×4, and that trim gets massaging front seats. It’s the little things, right?

Importantly, the 2025 Armada has the lowest starting price in the three-row, body-on-frame SUV segment. It’s roughly $2,000 less than a Tahoe, $5,000 less than a Suburban or Expedition, $7,000 less than a Jeep Wagoneer, and $10,000 less than a GMC Yukon. These big kiddie carriers obviously vary in equipment, though I think it’s worth noting that the Armada tops out at a lower price as well. You can spec a Tahoe all the way above $90,000. So, if you want to complain about SUV prices, the Armada is nowhere near the worst offender.

The Early Verdict

I said earlier that I wouldn’t blame somebody for buying one of these over a high-trim Tahoe. I stand by that because the more I write about the Nissan and the more I look at its design, the more I’m encouraged by its freshness. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and it won’t knock the Chevy from the top sales spot, but for those who want something different than the dozens of Bowties they see in the school pickup line, the Armada is arguably it.

I’m anxious to know if I feel the same about the lower trims, but as for my early verdict, I think the Nissan Armada is legitimately worth looking into. Who knows, maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the way it glides. I know I was, and it’s good to see that Nissan is capable of pumping out fresh products that make sense. This is one of ’em and it’s arguably one of the most important cars to get right.

I’d say Nissan did it here.

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