2020 Nissan Armada Review

Name: 2020 Nissan Armada Review
Brand: Nissan

Price Range: $14,000 - $36,998

Nissan Armada Platinum 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

+256

You won't pay a ton for an 2020 Armada, and the Platinum is well equipped and appears nicely built. But the interior looks more comfortable than it is, and the controls and infotainment system are woefully outdated. The V8 engine sounds great and feels strong, but the Armada otherwise comes across as clumsy and unsatisfying while on the move. In the end, it feels about a decade behind the times because it essentially is.

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Price & Payment

24 cars

$25,477 avg. price

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2020 Nissan Armada Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

Small changes to trim levels and feature availability
Part of the second Armada generation introduced for 2017

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Nissan Armada SV 4dr SUV (5.6L 8cyl 7A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.01 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$232/mo

$222/mo

Avg. Large SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

3.5/5Above Average

#3 out of 16 among Fullsize SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Nissan Armada from 2008-2022.}

$522/yr

vs. $614/yr
for Average Fullsize SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

1.44x/yr

vs. 1.59x/yr
for Average Fullsize SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

13.9%

vs. 16.7%
for Average Fullsize SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Nissan Armada Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.5

32 reviews

5(40%)

4(12%)

3(15%)

2(15%)

1(18%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Armada save 10K OVER the others

Big Ed, 07/20/2019

2019 Nissan Armada SL 4dr SUV 4WD (5.6L 8cyl 7A)

My first impression when looking to buy a new large SUV was that the Nissan gave me more for less. Have experience in R&D for a key supplier for the automotive manufacturers, I also know there is no free lunch. GM interiors stink in part on the quality of the plastics they specify. The gaps, finishes wearing off items, it is all related. Ford is better/tighter in its specs and the …

Continues to be a Great SUV!

Matt B, 07/28/2019

2019 Nissan Armada Platinum 4dr SUV 4WD (5.6L 8cyl 7A)

We now have over 100k on our Armada and we still like it, but we finally had several repair issues between 30-100k. First, we had battery/electric system issues. We are now on our 3rd battery and the dealership says this was from our aftermarket trailer brake attachment, but who knows? That's annoying, but nothing that can't be overcome and we don't really tow that frequently anyways, … so we just leave it disconnected now and maybe they were right because we haven't had any issues in over a year now. The major issue that we had regarded the safety sensors. Please Google Nissan Armada BCI malfunction because it's unfortunately common in both the Armada and Q80 platforms. Basically, the BCI malfunction results in your safety sensors not working as intended, which initially disables most, if not all, of the auto safe features of the vehicle. Driver's assists, such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance, lane departure/collision, etc, are either degraded or disabled. However, there are reports of the vehicle's faulty sensors deciding to spontaneously turn on resulting in a near-instantaneous restoring of driver assist functions and results in an unwelcomed, if not dangerous, safety correction - which did happen to my wife while driving down I-10 resulting in her being pulled off into the shoulder due to inappropriate breaking and a "lane departure assist" that she did not require or desire. Thankfully, this was the only instance that we had with our Armada and we never experienced the advanced issues that others have reported, but it did result in the replacement of 2 x faulty sensors. Side note, the dealership initially told us that "all of the sensors required replacement." Our Armada has never been in an accident and has received all of the scheduled maintenance items, so it has been abused by our family of 6 on road trips, but it has been maintained. Aside from this, we still enjoy the comfortable ride and it does very well for 5 people with luggage/gear, but you will still need a trailer tow-hitch or back pack/small bags if you are traveling with 6+ with luggage/gear (think sporting event weekends, beach trips, etc). After 100k, mileage continues to remain unchanged. We are still happy with our purchase and so long as you don't have a BCI warning, we still recommend the Armada to anybody looking for a family SUV that can handle just about anything. Original Review Below: The 2019 Platinum Armada comes equipped with just about every bell and whistle that you could want. While the tech and layout are somewhat outdated compared to newer competitor models, the Armada continues to provide a comfortable ride with tons of safety features and it's actually fun to drive. While it may be somewhat outdated, the tech that the Armada offers is decent. The driver display and cabin layout are efficient and easy to learn. The maps and Navigation system are accurate and work well, but the system is cumbersome to input an address into. You can import locations/addresses via your smartphone, but this is still a chore and I never fully got the hang of it (or honestly cared to). That being said, it still is functional and works well. There is no Android Auto or Apple Car Play in the Armada, which as I previously said is weird because other Nissan models have it, but oh well. Our family has both Android and Apple and everybody can connect their phones to the system via Bluetooth or USB. There are 4 x accessible and usable USB ports: 2 x in the front and 2 x in the middle row, which work great. As I said in my previous review, we are coming from a Honda Odyssey minivan, which has the central TV screen. The Armada has the dual, built in TV screens in the back of the front seat headrests. The middle row USB can control their respective side TV screen to independently play/stream media, if desired. Or you can play DVD from the front console (only DVD, not BluRay). Additionally, we haven't had any issues or complaints with our kids viewing the TV screens from the back seats. Finally, the sound system is awesome. I'm not sure if this is from the Bose sound system, the sound dampening interior, or combination of both, but whether it's music, podcasts, or movies playing, the sound is great. The seats are very comfortable and there is more than enough passenger comfort space in the front and middle row captain chairs. The front seats are ventilated/heated and can be multipositioned. The middle seats are heated, can be reclined/inclined, and are still very plush, roomy, and comfortable. The 3rd row in the back is definitely not the same. I'm 6'2" and can fit back there, but I wouldn't want to go more than an hour riding in the back. Our family of 6 with 2 x dogs can still take road trips (see luggage/cargo concern below). I still like all of the safety/driver aids. The adaptive cruise control holds speed and standoff distance like a champ. The collision warning/self breaking can be harsh, so check your settings, but it works well. The lane keeping assist can be overbearing at times, but it's easy to disable if you don't like it. I only enable it on long road trips and it's nice once you learn the nuances. The blind spot warning and intervention works well and the cameras offer true dimensions and great lines of sight. We have found the Armada to be very responsive and it handles much better than you would expect from a big SUV. It turns sharply, handles well and thanks to the V8, you most certainly can get up and go if needed. City and highway driving are nice thanks to the high ride with excellent lines of sight. The only blind spots I have issues with are the right front and rear bumper regions - and thanks to the bird's eye view, safety cameras, large mirrors, and warning systems, this really isn't an issue. It offers a smooth, level ride despite any turns or potholes encountered. We haven't really needed the 4WD, but on the 2 x occasions we used it, it performed well and we didn't get stuck in mud. We haven't really been in icy/snowy conditions much, but so far, the Armada has handled well in all environments. My only concerns continue to be the relative poor fuel economy and lack of luggage space with all 3 rows in use. With respect to the fuel economy, it's a 3 ton SUV with a large V8, so expect it to be bad. We're still averaging 14 mpg mixed with city and highway driving. We have found that true city stop and go driving gets in the 10-12 mpg range and highway driving gets in the 16-20 mpg range. With the middle row Captain's Chairs installed, there is actually a fair amount of internal storage space in the cabin, so the personal space is awesome, but the back luggage area will barely fit 2 full size suit cases unless the 3rd row seats are straight 90 degrees. We ended up getting a trailer tow hitch with a cargo bag to overcome this. It's a hassle, but well worth it (side note - minimal, if any, effect on gas mileage). Final note, we towed a small travel trailer (~4000 lbs) and the Armada handled it as though it wasn't there, with the exception of the trash fuel economy (we averaged 8-9 mpg while towing).

We are very pleased with our purchase!

Zac, 08/28/2019

2019 Nissan Armada Platinum 4dr SUV 4WD (5.6L 8cyl 7A)

We bought our 2019 Armada Platinum about a month ago. This is our 2nd Armada. We’ve racked up about 800 miles so far and it’s everything we hoped it would be. Comfortable, quiet ride. Very roomy. Kids love the captains chairs in the back as well as the DVD player. I keep hearing folks talk about the gas mileage, what do you expect when you buy a beast. You can’t have everything. Go buy …

Great riding vehicle

KW, 10/31/2019

2019 Nissan Armada SV 4dr SUV (5.6L 8cyl 7A)

I have rented Armada's many times and always enjoyed driving them. So much so, that i finally bought one. I cannot think of a car that rides better than this vehicle, and my other car is a Lexus, and i will drive this one any day over that vehicle. Smooth, quiet, and powerful.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Nissan Armada, so we've included reviews for other years of the Armada since its last redesign.

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2020 Armada Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$47,500
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	16 MPG
Cost to Drive	$232/month
Seating	8 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Armada models:

Blind-Spot Warning: Warns the driver if there is a vehicle in the Armada's blind spot.
Automatic Emergency Braking: Monitors proximity to the vehicle ahead. In an imminent collision, the Armada can apply the brakes to avoid or mitigate impact.
Intelligent Around View Monitor: Displays a 360-degree top-down image of the car to fine-tune parking maneuvers.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall3 / 5
Driver2 / 5
Passenger3 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover3 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover23.7%

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2020 Nissan Armada Review

Price & Payment

2020 Nissan Armada Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Nissan Armada SV 4dr SUV (5.6L 8cyl 7A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.01 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Nissan Armada Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Armada save 10K OVER the others

Continues to be a Great SUV!

We are very pleased with our purchase!

Great riding vehicle

2020 Armada Highlights

Safety

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2020 Nissan Armada Review

Price & Payment

2020 Nissan Armada Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Nissan Armada SV 4dr SUV (5.6L 8cyl 7A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.01 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Nissan Armada Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Armada save 10K OVER the others

Continues to be a Great SUV!

We are very pleased with our purchase!

Great riding vehicle

2020 Armada Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2020 Nissan Armada info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Nissan

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Nissan Armada SV 4dr SUV (5.6L 8cyl 7A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.01 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}