The 2026 Nissan Armada feels galactically large from behind the wheel, but from the middle row, not so much. I recently loaded seven adults and an overnight’s worth of luggage into this thing for a seven-hour round trip to gauge how livable this large SUV is when packed. Furthermore, the new Nismo trim gave us the chance to evaluate the vehicle’s performance, both unladen and with about 1,000 pounds of stuff on board.
Ever since I got my driver’s license, I’ve loved being the friend-group wheelman. Is that weird? I have many fond memories of high school and college road trips in GMT800 Chevys, station wagons with rear-facing back seats, and my seven-seat Land Rover, with each seat occupied. Even when I had my second-gen RX-7, I put a pair of back seats in it so it could be more social.
I love sharing adventures with people, which is probably why I’ve owned multiple six- or more-passenger vehicles despite not having any children. All this to say, my sister-in-law getting her college degree made the perfect excuse to road-test a large car at its full passenger capacity.
What Makes It a Nismo?
Nismo (shorthand for Nissan Motorsports) is the brand’s performance trim level. The GT-R, several Zs, the last-gen Frontier, Juke, and even a previous-gen Sentra have had Nismo variants. The objective of Nismo road cars is to deliver a little enhanced sharpness and sport-luxury design elements to Nissan’s lineup. The upgrades are mild, but significant.
As for the Armada Nismo—it’s the most expensive Armada variant, but the Platinum Reserve trim is actually more plush. The Nismo is more like the street version of the Pro-4X off-roader: Lots of tech options, but also tweaks and decorative touches that make it look and feel more novel.
All 2026 Armadas run a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 (VR35DDTT), but the Nismo gets unique engine mapping, valving adjustments, and a less restrictive exhaust to bump output from 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to 460 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. (Yes, it does ask for high-octane fuel because of this.) Active Sound Enhancement is piped into the cabin to make the engine sound cooler to the driver and passengers. Fuel economy is 17 mpg combined (ouch), but I managed over 20 on the highway while driving gingerly.
Nismo engines, including ones in the Armada, get a final inspection from a Nismo “master craftsman,” for an extra blessing of good luck.
Underneath, the Armada Nismo uses Adaptive Electronic Air Suspension (like the Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve), but in this case, it’s slightly biased towards on-road handling rather than comfort or off-road performance. Some bracing and reinforcements are in place to sharpen turn-in response. Air springs and shocks are tuned with stiffer compression and rebound rates to compensate for a body-on-frame truck’s inherent clumsiness, while the electronic power steering is calibrated with a quicker ratio and higher effort level than the Platinum Reserve model.
One of the Armada Nismo’s most practical sport features is its 22-inch Rays forged-alloy wheels, which are lighter than those on the Platinum Reserve, improving pretty much all aspects of handling and performance. The enormous brakes also have dedicated cooling vents on the front bumper.
Cosmetically, the Nismo gets a pretty intense (for a Nissan SUV) body kit, and a frankly surprisingly excellent interior. I already know there are going to be “who would spend $80,000 on a Nissan,” comments, which is fair, but the cockpit of this thing really does look and feel special. The colors, layout, and material choices are all excellent—it’s a high-tier sports luxury experience.
Slideshow: Nissan Armada Nismo Details
Driving Performance
The Armada Nismo feels competent, but it does not feel… fast. I mean, it’s got more than enough juice to get out of its own way, make a noisy highway merge, or even a sketchy two-lane backroad pass. But it does not deliver the acceleration you have in a Grand Cherokee Trackhawk or Durango Hellcat.
Handling is appreciably responsive, and braking is excellent, but the vehicle still feels cumbersome in aggressive driving. Hard corners induce a lot of sway. The wheels and tires feel up for sharp darting, but it still takes the cabin a beat to catch up. The seats are like four feet off the ground, and the vehicle doesn’t let you forget it.
I genuinely love the Nismo interior appointments—the seats and controls feel great, and the suede-looking panel wraps are beautiful. But I enjoyed the Armada most when I was driving it at highway speed rather than trying to link turns on twisty roads. My passengers were happiest when we were close to the speed limit.
You can expect better driving dynamics in a Mercedes-Benz GLS or BMW X7. You have more raw power in a Durango Hellcat. But the Armada Nismo still has enough sporting pretenses to be worth your attention, especially since it costs much less than those other performance-oriented seven-seaters I just mentioned. My tester rang up at about $80,000, which looks downright cheap compared to, say, a Cadillac Escalade (V or otherwise) at well into the six-figure range.
The Long Haul: Review From Each Seat
Finally, the real reason I wanted to borrow an Armada: To put a full-size adult in every seat for a long trip from New York to New Hampshire and back. My in-laws and I made a big loop, running east across I-90 in Massachusetts for some highway road testing, then back west on much smaller, more serpentine roads through Vermont to see a sister’s graduation ceremony. Everybody occupied the same Armada seats for the duration of the journey. That was Hudson, New York, to Manchester, New Hampshire, with two stops, then on to Brattleboro, Vermont, to bed down for the night and on back to Hudson the next day for a total of about seven hours underway.
Here are everyone’s reviews from their respective perspectives:
Driver Seat
“Commanding view, comfortable seat, it was perfectly pleasant shuttling a full boat of passengers across state lines in this thing. The camera-fed rear-view mirror proved particularly invaluable when visibility through the rear window was lost. I felt confident mushing over Vermont’s crusty backroads in this thing, had enough horsepower to get around traffic in tight passing zones. Passengers got nervous long before the vehicle did. I wouldn’t bother taking one of these to a track; you’d use up your brakes and tires in just a few laps anyway, but for casual country-road slightly sporty driving, it’s got the hardware to put a smile on your face.” —Andrew
Front Passenger Seat
The passenger seat had plenty of room and was very comfortable. I could see, speak, and yell at all the children [our siblings and spouses] if they were causing a ruckus. The armrest was also wide enough to avoid hand-holding or elbow-bumping. Kids kept complaining about the temperature; my heated seat made it great for temperature control. I was impressed at the sport function, that acceleration felt pretty good with seven grown adults and some luggage.” —Ricky
Slideshow: Nissan Armada Nismo Interior
Second-Row Left Seat
“[Second-row] seat was comfy and very spacious with lots of legroom. The little cup holder setup in the middle was actually great. The overhead light is a touch light, which I only realized after wondering why it kept turning on every time I grabbed the oh-shit handle when Chewy punched [making the jump to hyperspace] it in the cockpit. While the back seat was busy complaining about being roasted alive, the middle seat stayed weirdly cold. My feet never warmed up, and I was very glad I brought a jacket. The middle seat had a great roadtrip. 😆” —Morgan
Second-Row Right Seat
“Comfortable seat, even for long car rides. Thoroughly enjoyed the bumping sound system, but unfortunately, the heat distribution wasn’t great. So much so that my feet were cold and uncomfortable while the back row roasted. Driver was fantastic.” —Margo
Third-Row Left Seat
“Flashbacks to fighting with my brother in a back row bench seat of a 1995 minivan. Surprised at how much space there was, though it was still a back seat with an adult in it. The heating vent on the top left of the ceiling was eye level, not ideal for a grown-up. The feet were very cold with some uneven heating. Definitely reasonable for short hauls, four+ hours got challenging on butt comfort.” —Sydney
Third-Row Right Seat
“It was the opposite on my side in the back. I had a turbo heater at my feet. Everyone was cold, so the heat was on full blast the whole trip. There was enough room, but it would have been better if there were only two seats back there.” —Dillon
Third-Row Middle Seat
“Felt like… sitting in the oft-ignored middle seat sibling that didn’t get a lot of attention, more of a bridge between seats rather than a dedicated derriere dwelling.” —Ben
Verdict
The Armada Nismo is a pretty expensive car, but when you look at other true seven-seat vehicles with sporting pretenses and cool styling, it’s actually a pretty solid value. The vehicle’s performance isn’t particularly stirring, but the ride and interior treatments provide enough sense of speediness that driving in the thing feels novel. Which is all you really need in a car like this, anyway. Let’s be real, is anyone actually taking their Hellcat Durango or AMG GLS to the track?
I would definitely not recommend buying a car this large unless you really need to use most of the seats and cargo space. It really does feel monolithic, even in comparison to other modern full-size SUVs. But if you’re looking for a seven-seater with a touch of Japanese sports-car aesthetic, this is pretty appealing.
Nissan provided The Drive with a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
| 2026 Nissan Armada Nismo | |
|---|---|
| Base Price (As Tested) | $79,530 ($83,735) |
| Powertrain | 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 | 4WD | 9-Speed Auto |
| Horsepower | 460 |
| Torque | 516 lb ft |
| Curb Weight | 6,102 pounds |
| Max Towing | 8,500 pounds |
| Ground Clearance | 10.9 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 20.4 cu ft (behind third row); 167.6 cu ft (max) |
| Fuel Economy | 16 city | 19 highway | 17 combined |
| Score | 8/10 |
Quick Take
Suprisingly cool and fun for a car the size of an aircraft carrier.
Got any great or terrible road trip stories from times when every car seat was full? Tell me about it at andrew.collins@thedrive.com