2021 Nissan Armada Review

Name: 2021 Nissan Armada
Brand: Nissan

Price Range: $20,934 - $40,990

Nissan Armada Platinum 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

The 2021 Armada certainly looks the part of a modern full-size SUV. But its recent updates can't fully mask that this is still a trucky, body-on-frame SUV. The sonorous V8 and its associated capability are nice, but overall the Armada lacks the refinement we've come to expect in this class. Other large SUVs have a broader range of talents.

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2021 Nissan Armada Review

Pros

High-quality, appealing interior
Smooth V8 engine delivers ample power
Quiet interior at highway speeds
Many standard safety features

Cons

No getting around the V8's poor fuel economy
Third-row seating isn't particularly spacious
Hard to lift items into the cargo area
New infotainment interface still feels dated

What's new

Refreshed front and rear styling
Redesigned dashboard with new 12.3-inch touchscreen
Advanced driver aids now come standard
Part of the second Armada generation introduced for 2017

Overview

Written by automotive expert Travis Langness

4/21/2021

The Armada is the biggest and baddest SUV in Nissan's lineup. Based on the same mechanical bits that underpin the Infiniti QX80, the Armada is a large three-row SUV that employs classic body-on-frame construction. These bones don't make for the most comfortable or exciting-driving SUV, but if you have to tow or venture off-road, the Armada gets the job done.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

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2021 Nissan Armada
Platinum 4dr SUV
$27,450
great price
$1,689 below market
- 104,553 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, corporate fleet vehicle
- 8 Seats, 13 City / 18 Hwy MPG
- Prime Motors (24 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Arlington, VA
???FREE 90 DAY WARRANTY????? ASK ABOUT OUR MD INSPECTION PROGRAM ??? Video walk-arounds & virtual test drives? Easy online credit application at Prime...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
15 Combined MPG (13 City/18 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JN8AY2DB5M9791541
Stock: 791541
Certified Pre-Owned: No
New Listing
2021 Nissan Armada
SL 4dr SUV
$29,998
- 70,166 miles
- 1 accident, 2 owners, personal use only
- 8 Seats, 13 City / 18 Hwy MPG
- CarMax Frederick (18 mi away)
- Free delivery available*
- AWD/4WD
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Gaithersburg, MD
Wanna drive? CarMax puts you in the driver's seat-and that includes transparency. Certain cars may have unrepaired safety recalls, so check nhtsa.gov/...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
15 Combined MPG (13 City/18 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JN8AY2BB7M9794573
Stock: 27842712
Certified Pre-Owned: No

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For 2021, the Nissan Armada receives a few key updates that Nissan hopes will keep the Armada competitive against the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition. On the outside, a new grille, redesigned bumpers, and reworked headlights and taillights. Inside, there's a restyled center stack that is less monolithic than before. A 12.3-inch touchscreen is perched on top, with a slim but clearly labeled row of climate controls underneath.

Overall, we like the updated Armada but find rival SUVs have broader appeal. Want to know more? Read our in-depth Expert Rating evaluation below for more detail.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Below Average

7.1

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Nissan Armada on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7.5/10

How does the Armada drive? The Armada's 5.6-liter V8 engine is stout. At the Edmunds test track, our test Armada sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, which is a second quicker than a similarly priced Chevrolet Tahoe with the 5.3-liter V8. The Armada also possesses impressive passing power at higher speeds. Just as impressive are the Armada's brakes, which stopped the big SUV from 60 mph in just 123 feet — that's nearly 10 feet shorter than the closest competitor. Around town, the brakes were dependable and consistent.

No one's expecting a large SUV to handle particularly well, and even though the Armada is one of the easiest to drive, its handling limits are modest at best. The steering is slow (you need to turn the wheel more than you expect) and there's not much in the way of feel.

Comfort

7/10

How comfortable is the Armada? The Armada offers up a fairly quiet and well-isolated driving experience. The broad front seats are comfortable but offer little bolstering to hold you in place around turns. The optional second-row captain's chairs are well padded but can't slide forward and backward to enhance legroom. The third-row seats are rudimentary by today's standards.

The climate controls are very straightforward, and while we'd like larger vents for such a big interior, we were more disappointed at the way the climate system can't hold a consistent temperature when set to its auto mode. Our test Armada's ventilated seats were also fairly noisy without providing noticeable cooling.

The ride quality is definitely on the soft side. That pays dividends when driving over small and moderate bumps. But it's a liability on bigger undulations where you'll feel some shuddering and jostling. Other SUVs feel tighter and more in control. Our test vehicle's 22-inch wheels with the short tire sidewalls didn't exactly do the ride any favors either.

Interior

7/10

How’s the interior? The front seats have enough space, but the farther back you go, the worse it gets. The second-row captain's chairs are fixed in place (they won't slide like those in some rival SUVs), and the third-row seat is mounted low on the floor and hard to get in and out of. The Armada has a tall ride height too, and the side assist steps are pretty much a necessity, even for average-size adults.

The Armada newest dash design has a large infotainment screen and new climate controls. They're easy to use, but the controls and graphics look dated. Outward visibility in the Armada is OK, though the thick front roof pillars and big mirrors can block your view around sharp left turns. The available surround-view camera system goes a long way to alleviating parking stress.

Technology

7/10

How’s the tech? The touchscreen is big, but the graphics still don't look as modern as we'd like. It also takes some time for the system to boot up. Apple CarPlay (with wireless functionality) and Android Auto are standard. Either is preferred to Nissan's native and somewhat clunky infotainment interface. There aren't as many USB and power ports as we expect from a large SUV, and their placement, especially for second-row passengers, isn't ideal.

Fortunately, there are plenty of standard advanced safety features. They all operated well in our testing. The adaptive cruise control brakes and accelerates smoothly, though both functions are a little slow to react.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? Cargo space is tight behind the third row. Loading items is hampered by the tall cargo floor and long reach over the large rear bumper. With the optional captain's chairs, the second-row armrest sticks above the cargo floor, complicating the loading of longer objects. Interior storage for front passengers is a little lacking. The front center console is big, but that's pretty much it. You'll likely end up using the front cupholders a lot to hold your other stuff.

The Armada does score well for towing. It has an 8,500-pound maximum tow rating when properly equipped, which is right around what you get from the Chevy Tahoe. Most trims come standard with a trailer brake controller.

Fuel Economy

6.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the Armada gets 15 mpg combined (13 city/18 highway) with four-wheel drive and 1 mpg better across the board with RWD. That's a few mpg less than other full-size SUVs. We achieved 16.5 mpg on our highway-heavy 115-mile evaluation route, so at least the EPA estimates seem accurate. Premium fuel is required to get the most power, but the Armada drives just fine on 87 octane.

Value

7/10

Is the Armada a good value? Pricing is in line with other large SUVs, but the interior materials quality and last-generation technology fall well below current expectations. If your priorities include a powerful V8 engine and strong towing capabilities, the Armada should have some appeal. For those with more conventional needs, it will be a disappointment. Nissan's warranty is merely average.

Wildcard

7/10

The Armada's styling is attractive, and the interior is about as close as Nissan is going to get to being near-luxury. If the Armada does one thing very well, it's making its corporate sibling, the Infiniti QX80, look overpriced. The Armada has no real vices, but with the exception of its stout and sonorous V8 engine, the Armada doesn't excel at anything either.

2021 Nissan Armada trim level differences

The 2021 Nissan Armada is a full-size SUV that seats up to eight passengers. It comes in four trim levels: S, SV, SL, and Platinum. All Armada trims have a 5.6-liter V8 engine. Maximum output is 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque when using premium fuel. A seven-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive with low-range gearing is optional. Other feature highlights include:

Which Armada trim does Edmunds recommend?

Our choice for the Armada is the midlevel SL trim. The S and SV have a lot of standard safety features, but you'll appreciate having the SL's upgrades such as leather upholstery, a 360-degree surround-view monitor, power liftgate and trailer sway control.

Compare 2021 Nissan Armada trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$224/mo

$221/mo

Avg. Large SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

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Reliability

The 2021 Nissan Armada has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 1 recall. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5, ranks it #3 out of 16 among Fullsize SUVs. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

3.5 out of 5 stars3.5/5Above 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

$522/yr

vs. $614/yr
for Average Fullsize SUV

Frequency

1.44x/yr

vs. 1.59x/yr
for Average Fullsize SUV

Severity

13.9%

vs. 16.7%
for Average Fullsize SUV

Recalls

1 recall found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 21V373000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: R21A2, R21
Number of vehicles affected:: 24140
Defect Description:: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Nissan Armada and 2020-2021 INFINITI QX80 vehicles equipped with V8 engines. The impeller can swell and bind within the fuel pump module, causing it to fail.
Defect Consequence:: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 4, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R21A2. Owners may contact INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200. INFINITI's number for this recall is R21A3.

Warranty

3 years / 36,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Nissan Armada Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.8

40 reviews

5(50%)

4(12%)

3(12%)

2(12%)

1(14%)

See all 40 reviews of the Nissan Armada

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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).

Severely Underrated SUV

Anne Dorothy Richardson-L, 10/15/2023

2020 Nissan Armada SL 4dr SUV 4WD (5.6L 8cyl 7A)

The first time I drove the Nissan Armada was a mistake. I was moving across the country and was given the Armada instead of the Suburban I had requested. Was I upset!!! I attempted to exchange the car for another SUV and was out of luck. I wasn't thrilled about the look and wasn't happy about the lack of cargo space. Well, after putting 2000 miles on the rental, I was sold. It got me …

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 …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Nissan Armada, so we've included reviews for other years of the Armada since its last redesign.

2021 Armada Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$48,900
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	16 MPG
Cost to Drive	$224/month
Seating	8 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

See all features & specs

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
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
Rollover3 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover23.7%

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2021 Nissan Armada Review

Price & Payment

2021 Nissan Armada Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

2021 Nissan ArmadaPlatinum 4dr SUV

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2021 Nissan ArmadaSL 4dr SUV

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2021 Nissan Armada trim level differences

Which Armada trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Recalls

Warranty

Nissan Armada Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Armada save 10K OVER the others

Continues to be a Great SUV!

Severely Underrated SUV

We are very pleased with our purchase!

2021 Armada Highlights

Safety

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2021 Nissan Armada
Platinum 4dr SUV

2021 Nissan Armada
SL 4dr SUV