Yours truly still hasn’t driven the 2026 Nissan Armada NISMO, but the “regular” Armada, which was thoroughly redesigned for 2025, is one I have some experience with. The non-Nismos more-or-less carryover. Getting a longer look at the Armada gave me a chance to dive deeper into the beast.
“Beast” being an apt descriptor for a SUV this large.
The 2026 Nissan Armada Is Huge - What Do You Get For The Money?
My test unit showed up in PRO-4X trim with an asking price of $74,300. Standard features included tri-zone climate control, leather seats, heated front seats, heated steering wheel with power tilt/telescope, second-row bench seat with one-touch release, remote power-fold third-row seats, ProPILOT assist semi-autonomous driving, 360-degree camera, wireless device charging, six USB-C ports, keyless entry and starting, remote start, rear-door alert, trailer-brake control, trailer-sway control, trailer-light function check, integrated trailer-brake controller, front and rear sonar sensors, power liftgate, 14.3-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, satellite radio, Klipsch premium audio, 20-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, LED lighting all around, LED front fog legs, a Pro-4X grille, and tow hooks.
Advanced driver-assist systems included Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 system, intelligent forward-collision warning, intelligent blind-spot intervention, intelligent lane intervention, and trailer blind-spot warning.
Options included a Pro-4X Premium Package that added or replaced some features. It included heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, panoramic sunroof, motion-activated liftgate, dashcam, and an intelligent rear-view mirror. Other options, whether part of a package or standalone, included a cargo-area protector, first-aid kit, illuminated kick plates, second-row captain’s chairs with one-touch release, two more rear USB-C ports, and an illuminated headliner.
Total price as tested, including delivery and destination fees, came to $81,765. The Premium Package added $2,780.
On The Road With The 2026 Nissan Armada PRO-4X
One might expect such a large, heavy SUV to be ponderous, and the previous Armada was. The updated version is, while still no sports car, or even sports SUV, is better. Yes, the steering is still a tad too heavy and numb, but it feels better connected to the road than before.
The ride is stiffened some and there’s less of the odd wandering that the previous Armada exhibited. Body roll is generally well muted but does show up here and there.
Because the Armada is so large, it can be a bit tricky to park in urban areas. That size also leads to fuel-economy ratings of just 15 mpg city/18 mpg highway/16 mpg combined.
Power comes from a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that makes 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque and mates to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
That hefty amount of torque provides pretty decent motivation for around-town driving, but, again, this is no barn-burner. But like so much of the new Armada, it’s an improvement from before.
I really dug the interior layout. The two large screens for gauges and infotainment blended well and were easy to read, and I liked the large drive-mode selector. Nissan does blend in some haptic-touch, but it works well enough.
As you might expect, there’s head- and legroom aplenty up front and in the second row. The third row is accessible and relatively hospitable to adults. Cargo space is generous with the third-row folded and acceptable with the third row up.
It’s hard to balance out these large SUVs - the size leads to interior space for passengers and cargo, but the laws of physics don’t bend, let alone break. The addition of creature comforts and safety features, both government mandated and customer requested, don’t help - that’s added weight. So you sacrifice fuel economy and some performance, and parking becomes a test of your spatial abilities.
That said, Nissan improved the Armada’s driving dynamics greatly, and the re-done interior is a very nice place to be. If you have the need - or, I suppose, the want - for a beast of this size and price, the Armada is a much better choice than it was before.
Images: The Author, Nissan
About The Author
Tim Healey is an experienced automotive writer and editor from Chicago. He has covered automotive news at Consumer Guide Automotive, Web2Carz, AutoGuide, and was the managing editor at The Truth About Cars. Tim is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association. You can find him on Facebook, X/Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
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