jeff kushner
Full Access Members
I got a 15,000 miles Armada as a rental while my '17 is in the truck hospital so of course, I've got to compare the two. Now that I've driving it 150 miles or so, I'll post my impressions.
Hat's off to Enterprise for not sticking me with a pos Santa Fe again! The armada is nicely optioned and at 68K, it's a dead match for my own trucks list price.
The interior is very nice w/ high quality leather throughout. The dash is filled with two large analog gauges, Speed/Tach which are surrounded by 4 additional smaller analog coolant(H-L), Fuel, Oil(temp or pressure?) and battery voltage. Between the two large gauges sits a 2x3"ish LCD display, rather cheap & similar to that found on a stopwatch which you can cycle through range, mileage etc using a button on the "ear" of the dash....and there are buttons, a ton of them in the center section under the 5x7(WAG) display. Yet some are useless such as the heated/cooled seats. You can't see them in the dark.
For a 68K truck the tech is decidedly OLD appearing yet it apparently(I haven't read the manual) is has some type of lane sensors and adaptive CC?
One very nice feature is the blind spot indicator...it's inside the cab at the mirror location but in use, it's SO much easier to use because the left side falls into your natural peripheral vision!
OK, on to driving. First, I did not nor will I google to see the specs on the truck or engine....I know it's a v8 and I'm guessing by the 6K redline and very low 1st gear, that it's a bit oversquare and likes to rev. The engine is lively for a V8 expressingly it's willingness to rev when as JE puts it, I stomp on it. LOL It's pickup is impressive and it does so with the same amount of "drama" as my expy does. The engine is not a silent partner but it does loaf along at 60 at a hair over 1200rpm so it's torque is impressive as well. Nissan apparently wanted a very reactive engine so the kickdown is very close to the throttle setting....nearly any requests made to the engine while cruising result in a downshift, sometimes a bit harsh but I'm nitpicking there.
The steering is light, VERY light. It's like I'm driving a B210, not a 3 ton truck...speaking of weight. I don't know the actual weight of the Armada but I guess it to be 1000-1400lbs lighter than my Expy. It's just how it feels on the road. The suspension is very different and while it rode very nicely on smoother highways, it def feels as if there is much more "action" going on under the truck while you drive it, as if the wheels are moving much more so than in my expy.
The brakes are excellent but they also feel "remote", which is the general feeling I get while driving it...."remote"......the suspension and brakes both feel "remote". I don't know else to describe it.
I'll wrap up with this; Some of you guys know I used to road race bikes. Like all riders, I've "got a corner" that I've spent years right/driving and I can generally wring out a car or bike or even my expy on that corner. It's a 270 degree exit from one highway to another, meaning I can drive it as fast as I can wrangle it through if I choose. My SLK with ultra-high performance tires will "do" that exit at 80mph without a sound from the tires and it feels like a Hot Wheels car. My Expy will break loose right around 50-52 and will slide through but it's a easily controlled slide because there is so much connection between road/driver.
This is where the Armada failed badly. It's super sensitive, light steering is also setup to greatly oversteer. The suspension does not connect well with the driver....pushing barely 42mph upset the Armada to the point where pushing it would have been foolish. On straight smooth roads, it's tough to beat the ride if you don't mind being a spectator but if it's gets rough or twisty, I think you'll be happier in your expy.
jeff
Hat's off to Enterprise for not sticking me with a pos Santa Fe again! The armada is nicely optioned and at 68K, it's a dead match for my own trucks list price.
The interior is very nice w/ high quality leather throughout. The dash is filled with two large analog gauges, Speed/Tach which are surrounded by 4 additional smaller analog coolant(H-L), Fuel, Oil(temp or pressure?) and battery voltage. Between the two large gauges sits a 2x3"ish LCD display, rather cheap & similar to that found on a stopwatch which you can cycle through range, mileage etc using a button on the "ear" of the dash....and there are buttons, a ton of them in the center section under the 5x7(WAG) display. Yet some are useless such as the heated/cooled seats. You can't see them in the dark.
For a 68K truck the tech is decidedly OLD appearing yet it apparently(I haven't read the manual) is has some type of lane sensors and adaptive CC?
One very nice feature is the blind spot indicator...it's inside the cab at the mirror location but in use, it's SO much easier to use because the left side falls into your natural peripheral vision!
OK, on to driving. First, I did not nor will I google to see the specs on the truck or engine....I know it's a v8 and I'm guessing by the 6K redline and very low 1st gear, that it's a bit oversquare and likes to rev. The engine is lively for a V8 expressingly it's willingness to rev when as JE puts it, I stomp on it. LOL It's pickup is impressive and it does so with the same amount of "drama" as my expy does. The engine is not a silent partner but it does loaf along at 60 at a hair over 1200rpm so it's torque is impressive as well. Nissan apparently wanted a very reactive engine so the kickdown is very close to the throttle setting....nearly any requests made to the engine while cruising result in a downshift, sometimes a bit harsh but I'm nitpicking there.
The steering is light, VERY light. It's like I'm driving a B210, not a 3 ton truck...speaking of weight. I don't know the actual weight of the Armada but I guess it to be 1000-1400lbs lighter than my Expy. It's just how it feels on the road. The suspension is very different and while it rode very nicely on smoother highways, it def feels as if there is much more "action" going on under the truck while you drive it, as if the wheels are moving much more so than in my expy.
The brakes are excellent but they also feel "remote", which is the general feeling I get while driving it...."remote"......the suspension and brakes both feel "remote". I don't know else to describe it.
I'll wrap up with this; Some of you guys know I used to road race bikes. Like all riders, I've "got a corner" that I've spent years right/driving and I can generally wring out a car or bike or even my expy on that corner. It's a 270 degree exit from one highway to another, meaning I can drive it as fast as I can wrangle it through if I choose. My SLK with ultra-high performance tires will "do" that exit at 80mph without a sound from the tires and it feels like a Hot Wheels car. My Expy will break loose right around 50-52 and will slide through but it's a easily controlled slide because there is so much connection between road/driver.
This is where the Armada failed badly. It's super sensitive, light steering is also setup to greatly oversteer. The suspension does not connect well with the driver....pushing barely 42mph upset the Armada to the point where pushing it would have been foolish. On straight smooth roads, it's tough to beat the ride if you don't mind being a spectator but if it's gets rough or twisty, I think you'll be happier in your expy.
jeff
