The verdict: The redesigned 2025 Nissan Armada recaptures a lot of the space, power and utility that made the original so popular, making it fully competitive with the rest of the full-size SUV class.
Versus the competition: Less expensive than many of its competitors, the new Armada feels more nimble, usable and capable than many of them, too.
When Toyota reintroduced the Land Cruiser to the U.S. as a 2024 model, it gave us a slimmed-down, hybrid-powered, significantly less luxurious version that was based on the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, leaving many of its fans lamenting the loss of their favored big, luxurious and powerful go-anywhere SUV. Well, fret not, Cruiserphiles, because it would appear that Nissan has picked up what Toyota put down with the new 2025 Armada SUV.
Related: 2025 Nissan Armada Loses V-8, Finally Gets an Off-Road Version
It ticks off every one of the characteristics of the old Land Cruiser: It’s big like the old Land Cruiser was and is able to seat seven or eight people in three rows of seats. It’s powerful, with a new twin-turbo V-6 engine that puts the previous V-8-powered Armada to shame. It’s luxurious, with a truly lovely leather-lined interior on upper trim levels that’s incredibly comfortable, quiet and loaded with usable tech. And it can go anywhere now thanks to the introduction of a new Pro-4X trim level that brings a taste of the international Nissan Patrol’s off-road prowess to the U.S. market for the first time.
Nissan has made some big changes to the Armada for ‘25, and we recently spent some time in one in Nashville, Tenn., to see how well it all works on-road and off. (Per our ethics policy, Cars.com pays for its own travel and lodging when attending manufacturer-sponsored events.)
That’s a Whole Lot of Styling
The new ‘25 Armada doesn’t look terribly different from the outgoing one from the front, but the styling all around is subtly different, with a more chiseled look that makes it seem a little bit more substantial. The bold front end is a departure from Nissan’s old V-Motion grille, with a new horizontal look. More dramatic are the changes down the side, including the odd kick-up on the rear roof pillars and the new rear end that has a light bar connecting the two taillights to further enhance the SUV’s horizontal look. It’s successful overall, as well as distinctive, giving the Armada a kind of long, tall look that differentiates it from competitors like the Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia. But it does have some awkward elements that might not appeal to all buyers.
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The New Guts
Regardless of what you think of the new Armada’s looks, how it works is heavily influenced by its all-new powertrain. Toss one more V-8 engine into the dustbin of history, as the Armada now comes with a fully modern, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that’s loosely related to the one in the wild GT-R sports car (but adapted for truck use through myriad modifications). It’s pumping out a hefty 425 horsepower and whopping 516 pounds-feet of torque, and the engine works with a nine-speed automatic transmission. That 25-hp increase over the old V-8 isn’t all that crazy, but the new V-6 is also making 103 pounds-feet of torque more than before, and you definitely feel that.
On pavement, the new Armada is downright quick, launching forward with an immediacy that it never had before. That speed is accompanied by a bit more vibration through the seats and steering wheel than there should be, however, although the sound is never intrusive. In fact, if not for that engine note, the interior would be vaultlike silent. There’s very little road noise in the Armada, even with the all-terrain tires on the new Pro-4X trim, and no wind noise at all. It’s impressively hushed inside in nearly all conditions except full throttle, making for a relaxing, premium experience.
It also tows with astonishing skill. The max tow rating for the new Armada is a hefty 8,500 pounds, and my experience dragging a 6,500-pound Airstream trailer around proved just how adept at towing the Armada is. It had absolutely no problem accelerating up grades with the trailer in tow, and I do mean accelerating: Instead of just maintaining speed or slowly increasing it, I could actually increase the Armada’s rate of acceleration. The hefty trailer (featuring a load distribution hitch) didn’t push the smaller SUV around in the slightest, and the suspension wasn’t perturbed in the slightest, either. An integrated trailer brake controller on top trims makes towing even easier thanks to its smart location high on the dash for easy access in a sticky situation. My only request would be for Nissan to offer optional towing mirrors on the Armada, something the first generation had but fell off the options list due to customer feedback, according to Nissan engineers. They would be useful for towing wide boys like an Airstream.
Legit Off-Road Chops With the New Pro-4X
Enthusiasts have long lamented that Nissan never sold the modern Patrol here in the U.S., and when the last-generation Armada switched to that international platform, they were doubly disappointed that the off-road SUV’s abilities didn’t carry over with it. Nissan remedies that oversight with the new Armada Pro-4X trim, which has a host of the Patrol’s off-road bits — items like skid plates protecting the radiator, transfer case and fuel tank; tow hooks under the raised front bumper; an electronic locking rear differential; all-terrain tires on 20-inch wheels; a height-adjustable air suspension; and a bunch of electronic terrain programs to help you through various conditions. All of it adds up to a highly capable off-road truck for those looking to do some overlanding or camping a bit further afield than a Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek can go.
It all works very well, too, with ride quality off-road just as impressive as it is on-road. Nissan has tuned the new suspension beautifully, and the new frame — with its dramatic improvements to both stiffness and torsional rigidity — allows for improved ride quality and body response in that regard, as well. Sadly, our off-road jaunt was cut short by deteriorating trail conditions (a month of drought ended the morning of our drive with 4 inches of rain in 36 hours, leading to nothing but deep mud everywhere), but the bits we did get to explore proved how adept the new platform is at crossing not just unpaved terrain, but truly rugged stuff. You won’t be going over the Rubicon Trail in an Armada Pro-4X, but you could certainly get to some remote two-track trails in one (although I would recommend swapping the all-terrain tires for proper mud-terrains despite likely worse pavement road noise).
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Where the Armada Truly Shines: Inside
But as good as the Armada drives on- or off-road, its cabin construction is where it truly shines. Despite not being terribly different dimensionally than the outgoing model (they both ride on the same 121.1-inch wheelbase), Nissan engineers focused on improving interior packaging, making for a much roomier interior and more legroom in the first and third rows. The front “Zero Gravity” (still a silly name) seats really are exceptionally comfy and feature heating, cooling and massage functions in the top Platinum Reserve trim I tested. The materials quality and color choices are also fantastic; the Pro-4X’s dark upholstery and Lava Orange stitching are real standouts, but the Platinum Reserve’s three different color palettes also are truly lovely.
But the big advantage that the 2025 Armada may have over some competitors comes down to Nissan’s decision not to make everything a touch-based control. Below the twin 12.3- or 14.3-inch screens atop the dash are physical controls for frequently used items like the climate system, four-wheel-drive switches and push-button transmission. Of these, only the push-button transmission gives us pause, as we’ve never found them to be as intuitive to use as a simple shifter lever. I also wish Nissan had used a squared-off steering wheel (like the new 2025 Ford Expedition’s) so the driver could see more of the dashboard screens. Round wheels tend to block a lot of the big screens just due to their shape. But the rest of it works perfectly and makes the Armada even more appealing than its cousin, the touch-control-heavy Infiniti QX80.
This Is the Spiritual Successor to the Land Cruiser
That’s what makes me say that the new 2025 Armada is quite likely just the thing for those who miss the old Land Cruiser. It’s genuinely luxurious, spacious, powerful and capable, and while it doesn’t have quite the same level of off-road prowess as the old LC, it’s still plenty capable for as much as people are likely to be using it in the dirt. With a starting price of $58,530 (all prices include destination) for a basic rear-wheel-drive SV trim to nearly $82,000 for a 4WD Platinum Reserve, it’s also competitively priced. It’s more nimble and easier to fit into spaces than the massive Chevrolets, has better cargo utility than the flawed Sequoia and doesn’t come with the premium pricing of the Expedition. The new Armada is a triumph of product planning and execution, and gives Nissan a great entry in the highly competitive, highly profitable full-size SUV class.
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