2025 Nissan Armada: Revitalized Jumbo SUV Reclaims Ground
The 2025 Nissan Armada emerges from a long period of stagnation with a significant redesign, aiming to reclaim its position among formidable body-on-frame SUVs. While not achieving finalist status in our annual SUV of the Year competition, this revitalized Armada presents a much more competitive offering, even surpassing some rivals in specific areas. Notably, it continues to hold the title of the most affordable jumbo-size SUV, albeit with a narrowing price gap.
A pivotal upgrade for the 2025 model is the transition from a V-8 to a twin-turbo V-6 engine. Nissan has clearly emphasized this change, as the new V-6 boasts an increase of 25 horsepower and a substantial 103 lb-ft of torque compared to its predecessor. Testers found no shortage of acceleration, with ample forward thrust readily available. Despite the power boost, the 2025 Armada doesn't show a dramatic increase in acceleration over the outgoing model; perhaps the upcoming NISMO variant will address this. Fuel economy sees only modest improvements, and while on-road handling can feel a bit unwieldy, the ride quality suffers on rougher surfaces, even on the air-sprung Pro-4X trim. However, these same road imperfections highlighted the Armada's exceptionally solid construction, giving the impression of a unibody design rather than the traditional body-on-frame.
Nissan provided the off-road-focused Pro-4X model for review, though a glimpse at the opulent Platinum Reserve trim, which arguably eclipses its premium sibling, the Infiniti QX80, would have been insightful. Even in its more rugged Pro-4X configuration, the Armada offers a commendably refined interior experience for front and second-row passengers. The dashboard embraces contemporary design with a broad screen integrating both the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system. Beyond this, the interior layout remains largely conventional, featuring a button-heavy control scheme that feels a generation behind the absolute latest. However, given the frustrations experienced with some overly screen-dependent modern interfaces, Nissan's conservative approach is understandable.
In the realm of jumbo SUVs, interior space is paramount, and the Armada generally excels in this regard, up to a certain point. The second row offers generous legroom and folds with ease to grant access to the third row. Unfortunately, the rearmost seats are rather confined for adult passengers on longer journeys, and the less premium materials surrounding them suggest Nissan anticipates limited usage.
Given our focus on the Pro-4X's off-road capabilities, we subjected it to a rigorous test on our dedicated course. This trim level features distinctive styling enhancements, all-terrain tires, an adjustable air suspension, a locking rear differential, protective underbody skid plates, and a selection of off-road drive modes accessible via a conveniently located rotary dial. Our experience confirmed that the Pro-4X is far more than just a cosmetic package; the Armada navigated the challenging terrain with remarkable ease and without incident.
The Armada's omission from our finalist list stems primarily from a perceived lack of groundbreaking innovation. However, this critique might be overly harsh. Competitors, such as Ford with its innovative Expedition, have sometimes found their novel features to hinder usability. The new Armada, while perhaps not pushing the boundaries of automotive technology, stands as a robustly built, highly capable SUV that remains an attractive value proposition.
This evaluation was conducted as part of our comprehensive 2026 SUV of the Year testing, where vehicles are meticulously assessed across six core criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligibility for this assessment requires vehicles to be either entirely new or significantly revised.
