From the flared fenders to the huge chrome grille, the Armada is only a few notches down the butch ladder from the Hummer H2.
The Armada puts its size to good use. A third row seats three, and the middle row is available with either a pair of buckets and a removable center console or a three-body bench, so the big ute can haul at least seven people and possibly eight.
It's extremely roomy inside. The second row can comfortably fit an NBA forward, and the third row, which can accommodate adults, is raised about three inches so those in the back of the bus can see ahead.
Entry to that third row is via the fold-and-tumble second row, and the large rear doors make it easy to get in and out. When it's not needed, the third row folds flat, as does the second row. A nice touch is that there's no need to remove the headrests before folding, but the resultant floor is not like a continuous piece of plywood-rather, there's a small valley between the two rows. With all the seats folded, there are 97 cubic feet of space, eight fewer than in the Tahoe (with the third seat removed) and 14 fewer than in the Expedition.
If that's not enough space, you could always tow the rest of your stuff. The maximum towing capacity is 9100 pounds, with an optional towing package that includes a shorter final-drive ratio (3.36:1 versus 2.94:1) and load-leveling rear air shocks. We didn't get a chance to tug that kind of weight, but the new V-8 engine certainly feels up to it.
The V-8 shares the double-overhead-cam and four-valves-per-cylinder layout of other Nissan engines, but it was specifically designed for use in the Armada and Titan. Displacing 5.6 liters, the engine has an aluminum block and large coolant passages that reduce engine temperatures when towing. It produces 305 horsepower at 4900 rpm and 385 pound-feet of torque at 3600 rpm. (The Expedition's 5.4-liter V-8 makes 260 horsepower and 350 pound-feet, and Chevy's 5.3-liter V-8 produces 295 horsepower and 330 pound-feet.) Nissan says 90 percent of the V-8's torque potential is available below 2500 rpm.
A five-speed automatic transmission-the first in this big class-is the only transmission available; the Armada is available in rear- or four-wheel drive. Those latter models have a full-time system with a center differential that uses an electrohydraulic clutch to automatically route up to 50 percent of engine torque to the front wheels when rear-wheel slip is detected. There's also a two-speed transfer case that features a low-range gear for off-road crawling.