2025 Nissan Armada First Drive Review: Finally a Full-Size SUV Contender

• The Nissan Armada is fully redesigned for 2025.
• It's packed with nifty tech features and big, new screens.
• The V8 is gone and replaced with a V6.

Pro-4X joins the party

The Pro-4X trim adds additional capability to Nissan's trucky SUV. It's positioned in the middle of the Armada's lineup, carrying some features you'd find on the higher-spec Platinum but with more of an off-road bent. If you'd like the best of both worlds, there's a Pro-4X Premium package that gives you things like a panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, a hands-free liftgate and more. 

Of course, you're buying the off-roady trim because, presumably, you want to do stuff with it (or at least give the appearance that you do). The Pro-4X comes with 20-inch wheels, unique bumpers that improve the Armada's approach and departure angles, tow hooks, and a skid plate at the front of the vehicle. The Pro-4X also comes with its own look, adding distinct fender flares and Armada badging. 

I drove the Armada Pro-4X along a narrow, muddy trail in Tennessee, and while not a proper off-road test, I'm still impressed by how easily this SUV handles such a situation. There are several cameras that come in handy when squeezing between trees, including one that shows your front tires, making it much easier to place your wheels exactly where you want them to be. 

The Armada Pro-4X and top-tier Platinum Reserve come with an adaptive air suspension, which can be adjusted both manually or automatically. The extra couple inches of ground clearance can be quite handy, but the Armada already sits 9.6 inches off the ground. That's impressive given a Chevrolet Tahoe's ground clearance is a mere 8 inches. 

Maximum towing capacity is an impressive 8,500 pounds. And that's achieved without requiring premium fuel — though Nissan still recommends at least 91 octane gas. 

The third row still stinks for adults

Kids won't mind — and might even enjoy — scrambling into the Armada's cramped third row. Adults will hate it, though, no matter how short or limber. There's also not much storage capacity behind the third row (20.4 cubic feet), though it expands to an impressive 56.3 cubic feet when it's folded down. If you're more interested in hauling gear than people, you can fold down the second and third rows to get 97.1 cubic feet. 

The third-row problem is far from unique to the Armada; most of its competitors suffer from the same ailment. But it does limit the utility of what's meant to be an ultra-utilitarian vehicle. If you don't need to tow or use proper four-wheel drive, you may be better off looking at a car-based SUV like the Kia Telluride or Toyota Grand Highlander with a more easily accessible third row of seats.

New tech, infotainment and screens

Every Nissan Armada comes with a pair of screens that spread across the dashboard. The base SV trim and next-rung up SL come with 12.3-inch screens, one of which serves as the gauge cluster. The higher three trims (Platinum, Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve) get a pair of 14.3-inch screens that give the appearance of one long display. That's especially nifty when using the Armada's onboard cameras; some of the provided views stretch across the two screens for a full panoramic effect. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every Armada, as are driver aids like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind-spot warning and lane departure warning. But many desirable creature comforts, like heated seats or the new 12-speaker Klipsch audio system, are not available on the base Armada SV. 

Nissan's hands-free highway driving technology, called ProPilot Assist 2.1, worked well in my limited testing. It's an optional feature on every trim except the base SV and off-road-focused Pro-4X. ProPilot Assist 1.1, an older version of the same technology, is standard on every trim except, you guessed it, the base SV trim. That gets regular old ProPilot Assist, which is effectively a fancy adaptive cruise control.  

If that wasn't reason enough to avoid the SV trim, consider the Klipsch system. This stereo is impressive, whether you're blasting showtunes, rock or your favorite automotive podcast. It, along with the interior design, gives the Armada a bit of a premium feel. 

But is the Armada a premium vehicle?

Well … kind of. In addition to the Pro-4X, I drove an Armada Platinum Reserve, which is the fanciest — and most expensive — version of this SUV. It starts at a whopping $79,000 (including $2,010 for destination), or a full $82,000 if you want four-wheel drive. Actually, adding four-wheel drive to any Armada trim is a $3,000 upcharge. 

That puts the Armada Platinum Reserve squarely in GMC Yukon Denali country, which is essentially a premium-ish version of the Chevy Tahoe. It's also currently our top-rated large SUV, though its 7.6 rating isn't exactly earning it a prized spot on its parents' fridge. 

But while the Armada is clearly aiming for a more refined interior, it's hampered by a few poor design choices. You'll find gobs of glossy, black plastic trim underneath the infotainment screen, which glares terribly in direct sunlight and is extremely susceptible to smudging. And while there are many (quite welcome!) physical buttons, they feel cheap and unimpressive. That would matter less at a lower price point, but a fully loaded Armada doesn't feel like a vehicle that should be pushing $80,000. 

And it still drives like a big ol' truck

Listen, no one is buying a three-row truck-based SUV because of its incredible cornering capabilities. But you feel every bit of the Armada's weight while making sharp turns, and the steering feels imprecise — not ideal given the sheer size of this SUV. 

This is offset slightly by the very impressive air suspension, which comes standard on the Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve trims. Driving in a straight line down a highway, or bounding over a railroad crossing, is something the Armada can easily handle.  

Where does that leave us?

The 2025 Nissan Armada is better than the outgoing version, that much is certain. It's also good enough that I'd recommend taking a look if you're in the market for a three-row SUV with towing and off-road capabilities. Is it better than the GMC Yukon or Ford Expedition? Maybe. And would I have one over a easier-to-use three-row SUV like the Telluride or Grand Highlander? Probably not. But there's enough here to at least elevate the Armada from also-ran status, and that has to count for something.