Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada (called the Pathfinder Armada in 2004, became simply "Armada" in 2005) is Nissan's full-size sport utility vehicle. It shares its body-on-frame F-Alpha platform with the Nissan Titan pickup truck, Nissan Xterra SUV, Nissan Frontier pickup truck, and Nissan Pathfinder SUV. An upscale version of the Armada is sold as the Infiniti QX56. All Armadas are currently built in Canton, Mississippi.

The Armada was designed for North America and introduced for the 2004 model year. The switch to the Armada name was made later that year.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Nissan Armada Review.

Recent Changes

 * On mid-May 2009, Nissan's first foray into full-size (by American standards) SUVs receives a long awaited facelift after 6 long years of going relatively unchanged. Exterior-wise, the changes are subtle confined mostly to the grille (which casual observers will be hard-pressed to tell apart from the old one) and the front bumper, which now features a revised (and chromeless) air dam flanked on each side by round, generic foglamp openings. The biggest change is in the interior - which is all new. The dash, especially benefits from what seems like better materials, build quality and switchgear from higher end Infiniti and Nissan models. The new lineup will consist of three trim levels: the Armada SE and two special editions, the Armada Titanium Edition and Armada Platinum Edition. Under the hood, all three Armadas will be powered by a 5.6 litre V8 that produces 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque and attached to a 5-speed automatic transmission. As already mentioned, the updated Armada will go on sale sometime in the middle of May 2009 as a 2010 model with prices starting at $37,210 and $42,810 for the Armada 4x2 SE and 4x4 SE respectively, $42,140 and $44,940 for the Titanium Edition 4x2 and 4x4 respectively and $49,390 and $52,190 for the 4x2 Platinum Edition and 4x4 Platinum Edition models respectively.


 * The Armada was introduced as a brand new model for the 2004 model year. For 2007, it remains largely unchanged, except for a few more standard options, such as climate control and heated power mirrors.

Styles and Major Options
The Armada comes available in two basic trims: the SE and LE. The LE is basically an upgrade from the SE and comes with several of the LE's optional features standard. Both trims are powered by the same 5.6L 317hp V8 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission. Both are also available in either front wheel drive or an "All-Mode" 4WD, as well as in flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) versions. Some of the standout features include:

Armada SE
 * 18" aluminum alloy wheels
 * Roof rack with crossbars
 * Dual power heated outside mirrors
 * Lower body step rails
 * Dual zone automatic temperature control
 * Cruise control
 * Full length overhead console
 * 8-way power driver's seat
 * Leather wrapped steering wheel
 * 8-speaker AM/FM/in-dash 6-CD changer audio system

Armada LE Adds to or replaces SE features with:
 * Standard towing package
 * Fog lights and puddle lights
 * Chrome grille
 * Power liftgate
 * Footwell lights
 * Removable second row center console
 * Heated driver's seat with memory
 * Leather appointed seats
 * 10-speaker Digital Bose audio w/MP3 and wireless headphone capability

Pricing
Today's actual prices for the Nissan Armada can be found at CarsDirect.

Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages for the Nissan Armada are as follows:

Reliability
According to Consumer Reports, the Armada's "reliability has been poor."

Safety
Results from the NHTSA show that the Armada scores just average marks in safety. Front-impact crash tests yielded an impressive 5-Star rating for the passenger side and a slightly lower 4-Star rating for the driver's side. No tests were done for side-impact safety, and tests for rollover earned the Armada a 3-Star rating in both 2WD and AWD models.

Some of the standard safety features found on all models of the Armada include:
 * 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS)
 * Electronic brake-force distribution (EBD)
 * Front and rear stabilizer bars
 * Front and roof curtain mounted airbags
 * Occupancy sensors
 * Active head restraints
 * Child safety locks

Colors
Colors for the Armada will vary by trim, and a complete list is available at CarsDirect.com. Possible combinations include:

Exterior
 * Blizzard
 * Deep Water Blue
 * Red Brawn
 * Silver Lightning
 * Smoke

Interior
 * Graphite/Titanium
 * Sand
 * Steel/Titanium

Main Competitors

 * Chevrolet Tahoe
 * GMC Yukon
 * Chevrolet Suburban
 * Ford Expedition
 * Toyota Land Cruiser
 * Chevrolet Avalanche
 * Toyota Sequoia
 * Jeep Commander

Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "over a five-year period, the Armada is projected to retain an average residual value, just below the Chevrolet Suburban and a few percentage points above the Ford Expedition, but well below the value retained by Toyota's Sequoia.

Criticisms

 * "The poor fuel economy may also be a discouraging factor, and there is no diesel engine option." - Kelley Blue Book