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The 2020 Nissan Armada Is Reliable, Safe and a Road Commander

Nissan offers several SUVs, but Armada is the largest and somewhat most spectacular. Last week I test-drove the 2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto and was impressed by its old, non-renewed mechanism that remains reliable. Yet, the V8 engine of Armada consumes a lot of gas.

The 2020 Nissan Armada is a well-built vehicle. Some people think of Armada as tough truck without a bed. It's reliable in extreme roads and can command plains. With major specs of 8,500 LBS maximum towing capacity, 390 horsepower, V8 engine and 394 lb-ft your large family will be in reliable vehicle. Armada can seat up to 8 people.

The 2020 Nissan Armada does offer space and comfort. The interior design is decently beautiful. The infotainment system has everything you need, but the look can certainly be modernized. Yet, this SUV can certainly appeal to large families if they want reliability, convenience and have extra dollars to pay 71,000 dollars.

2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto front view grille and headlightsIs The 2020 Nissan Armada Safe and Good Car?

Armada owners say the safety of this full-size SUV is amazing. "I have been rear ended twice now while I was stopped at a red light. The first one totaled the car that hit me a Chrysler 300 and I only had sensors damaged on the back, then the 2nd I was the lead care of 3 when the 3rd didn’t see us stopped (he was going about 40). The only damage was my star hitch. That was it. So Armada's safety is amazing," wrote an Armada owner named Melissa.

There are four things that stand out about the Armada: towing power, safety, comfort and the third row. If you have kids it's easy to get in and out of 3rd row. This SUV is a safety powerhouse.

2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto rear view and lights2020 Armada's Fuel Economy

Other Armada owner say if you have the money and barely drive then its worth it. The V8 engine consumes a lot of fuel and the MPG of the 2020 Platinum 4WD Armada that I was test-driving was 13 MPG in the city and only 18/highway. The average fuel economy was 15 miles per gallon city and highway combined. That is 6.7 gallons per 100 miles. According to EPA your annual fuel cost is going to be about $2,700 dollars.

To tell the truth, city fuel economy in the new Aramada isn’t great, but on highway it doesn’t do bad at all for a vehicle of this size and engine. Some people say they would rather buy Infinity. But the 2020 Nissan Armada is an Infinity QX80 minus the badges and $30K cheaper.

The 2020 Armada, despite is size is surprisingly easy to drive in the city. It's a tank with lazy boy seating. The visibility is great. The seating is comfortable. You will love the power of the V8 engine and its towing ability.

Buy a smaller car for daily driving and use Armada for family trips with many kids. Put the seats down and fill full of stuff. Load a trailer, pile stuff on the roof, drive across a mountain. All with no problem.

The Interior of the New Armada

In the interior the 1st row and 2nd row passengers have an equal amount of legroom, which is about 41 inches. This means the smaller children can get in the 3rd row and the grown adults can comfortably seat in the 2nd row, while father and mother are leading from the 1st row. The first thing in the top is the nice infotainment system. What I liked about it is that the car also has the button-version shortcuts below the infotainment system. It is very easy to navigate and has some nice presets.

Driving the 2020 Nissan Armada may feel like flying a plane. It has a cockpit like fill with all the buttons. But those buttons are very straightforward and easy to use.

2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto front interior2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto infotainment system2020 Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD Auto 2nd and 3rd rows2020 Nissan Armada Trims

The 2020 Nissan Armada is offered in four trims: SV, SL, Platinum and Platinum Reserve. They range from $47,100 to $71,335 if fully loaded with options included by the manufacturer. Some of those options are like dark chrome front grill or special door handles, as well as carpeted floor mats and captain's seat welcome lighting.

Benefits of The 2020 Nissan Armada

  • Seating capacity up to 8 full size adult passengers. And seat anchors for even your smallest passengers.
  • Full size SUV with a great 4 wheel drive system.
  • Plenty of cargo space.
  • Towing capacity up to 8500 lbs - so plenty of room to haul mostly anything.
  • A very strong V8 engine. It's similar to what has been used in previous generation Armada/QX56 or QX80/Titan.
  • So plenty of parts at a reasonable price for future maintenance.
  • A very solid Unibody frame for more rigidity. Front and curtain airbags do make the 2020 Armada a very safe vehicle if a mishap accident were to happen. Always a piece of mind knowing you stand a better chance of walking away in an extreme accident then some of the other options out there.
  • Nissan Armada is a vehicle that will hold its value years down the road.
  • They have great longevity. I still see many older Armadas on the road with 200-250k miles on them.

Let us know what you specifically like about the 2020 Nissan Armada in the comments section below. Share your thoughts in case I have missed something. Also, check out Torque News reporter Denis Flierl's review of the 2018 Nissan Armada, titled New Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve Suggests Premium-Level Luxury.

See you in my next story where I test-drive and review the 2020 Hyundai Sonata, which has some very cool features and comes with lots of exterior and interior changes.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube. Check out all of our Nissan stories at Torque News Nissan where you will find expert reporting on latest Nissan news and happenings.

Comments

Digitaldoc (not verified)    January 21, 2020 - 6:42PM

About the best I can say about the Armada is that it does not have a CVT. Otherwise, simply too overgrown, and ridiculously large for most folks.

Derick (not verified)    February 24, 2020 - 11:11PM

I have owners a 2008 and currently 2011 Armada and I have no complaints. I plan on trading my current for the 2021 model Armada and I don’t mind trading fuel economy for all that power!!!!

James Card (not verified)    March 28, 2020 - 9:58AM

I’m a retired automotive engineer. My 2 previous SUV’s were a Yukon and Honda Pilot. I need a big SUV for towing and long trips with a full load. The Armada blows the other two away for, comfort, and performance. With a loaded vehicle at 75 plus mph the Armada gets almost the same mileage as the Honda Pilot. This most likely the best vehicle I’ve ever had.

Jan (not verified)    September 2, 2020 - 7:32PM

We have a 2017 Armada. The comfort of the ride is the best. But while towing our travel trailer. We found that it doesn’t have leaf springs which causes sagging in the rear of Armada. So you have to be careful of trailer tongue weight. I do love my Armada. It’s great in the snow. I call her the Beast!!

JQuinn (not verified)    October 15, 2020 - 8:38AM

I recently traded my 2014 Nissan Armada for a 2019 Armada SL. The difference in luxury, looks, and power is awesome. It does use a little gas but it drives smooth, is loaded with options, has a lot of space, and is a head turner! Wouldn't downsize for anything!!