What is it?
Perhaps one of the best-named SUVs on the market, the Armada is a full-size SUV that’s been part of the Nissan lineup for more than 20 years. It may have gone quite a while without a makeover, but that changed in 2025 when an all-new Armada arrived, boasting better performance, bold new styling, and a range of new features and technologies. With a powerful V6 engine and impressive capability, the Armada sits in its rightful place at the top of the Nissan SUV lineup.

Going Camping
The full-size Armada brings impressive capabilities to the SUV market. It can seat up to seven, haul plenty of cargo, and can tackle extreme terrain with the new Pro 4X. However, for this review, I was more concerned with its strong towing chops. With its powerful engine, the Armada can tow up to 8,500 pounds – more than enough to tow my travel trailer for a weekend camping trip.

What I Drove
For this review, Nissan provided me with a 2026 Armada Platinum Reserve 4WD. While the top-level Platinum Reserve has an extensive standard equipment list, my test vehicle also had illuminated kick plates, floor mats, ProPilot Assist 2.1, and the premium Everest White TriCoat/Super Black two-tone paint. The total manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) was $89,045, including the $2,190 destination charge.

Comfortable Space
The Armada is a large vehicle, which translates into a rather spacious cabin. The front seats are both stylish and comfortable, with excellent support for a long road trip. Second-row captain’s chairs have plenty of room, and even the third row is relatively easy to access and has enough space for adults to sit in relative comfort.

Cargo Area
One of the reasons for getting a full-size SUV is its cargo-hauling ability, and the Armada doesn’t disappoint. Just over 20 cubic feet behind the third row is enough for a trip to the grocery store or a few smaller bags, but folding down the third row expands the space to a plentiful 56.3 cubic feet.

Space for Stuff
Unfortunately, in the cabin, there’s not much room for storing small items within easy reach. While I like having the open space below the center console, the wireless phone charger takes up most of the real estate, leaving little room for snacks, charging cords, or other items that are nice to have close on a road trip.

Under the Hood
Powering the 2026 Nissan Armada is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine putting out 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. A smooth-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission pairs well with the turbo V6. According to the EPA, the Armada gets 16 mpg city / 19 mpg hwy / 17 mpg combined – not exactly stellar numbers, but still an improvement over the less-powerful V8 in the previous generation. However, with my trailer in tow, the trip computer indicated just 8.8 mpg.

About the Trailer
To showcase the Armada’s towing abilities, I hooked it up to my Grand Design Imagine 22 MLE travel trailer. The dual-axle trailer is 26 feet long, 8 feet wide, and almost 11 feet tall. When fully loaded, the trailer weighs about 7,000 pounds with a hitch tongue weight of 664 pounds.

Hooking up
The Armada may not have all the towing features of a full-size pickup like the Ford F-150, but it does have the most important asset for hooking up the trailer – the rear camera. Grid lines in the camera view move with the steering wheel direction with a line down the center. All I had to do was put the center line on the hitch and reverse until I could see the ball under it, perfectly lining up the trailer and Armada without any assistance.

On the Road
As we headed out of town with the camper in tow, the Armada felt strong and confident with smooth acceleration and braking. With Tow Mode engaged, the transmission holds gears longer for steady power and uses engine braking to help slow the rig, reducing brake wear. Tow mode also locks out some features, like hands-free driving, but the adaptive cruise control was still available and worked quite well, with easy operation on the freeway. The Armada also features adaptive air suspension, which kept the ride comfortable even on rough roads.

Impressive Power
At one point in our trip, I needed to pull over on the freeway to check something on the camper, and I really appreciated the powerful V6 when it came time to get back into traffic. Full throttle launched the Armada surprisingly quickly considering the 7,000-pound weight behind it, and it didn’t take long to reach highway speed.

Comfortable Ride
With or without a trailer attached, the Armada is quite comfortable for a road trip. The adaptive air suspension helps smooth out bumps in the road, even with the added weight of the trailer. With the excellent front seats and quality audio system, our road trip in the Armada was quite pleasant.

Bottom Line
With its dramatic improvements last year, the Nissan Armada has been elevated to be a proper competitor to popular models like the Chevrolet Tahoe or Ford Expedition. While it may not have all the towing tech of these other models, I found the Armada quite capable with a trailer in tow. At the same time, the big SUV delivers a comfortable, confident ride, making it an ideal choice for the family road trip.