She may not have been flaunting her wealth, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy her earnings. Sometime ago, Henshaw bought herself a big Nissan Armada. The car costs about N7m in the auto market.
For anyone looking for a workhorse that can take the whole family to the mountainside, the eight-passenger Nissan Armada is more than adequate.
Overall, the 2014 Nissan Armada has good handling and continues to get the job done for shoppers in need of a large capacity SUV as it remains a very capable vehicle for off-road venture or towing.
Performance
The 2014 Nissan Armada is powered by a 5.6-litre V8 engine that produces 317 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic is the only available transmission, but buyers have a choice of rear-wheel or four-wheel drive (with dual-range gearing).
With either rear-wheel or four-wheel drive type, the Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel economy estimates are 13 miles per gallon in the city, 19mpg on the highway and 15mpg in combined driving for the two-wheel-drive model and 12mpg/city, 18mpg/highway and 14mpg combined for the four-wheel-drive version. The Armada can tow up to 9,100 pounds (4,100kg) when properly equipped.
Features
Armada is a full-size SUV offered in three trim levels: Base SV, midrange SL and top-of-the-line Platinum. The gauges and interior controls in the base Armada are easy to read and operate.
The Base SV trim comes well equipped with features including 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery and power-adjustable pedals. Also standard are Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, USB, an eight-speaker audio system with an in-dash six-CD changer and auxiliary audio input jacks.
The Armada SL adds 20-inch alloy wheels, an auto-levelling rear air suspension, a roof rack, keyless ignition/entry, leather upholstery, heated front seats and a power-folding third-row seat. While the Platinum model, with 20-inch chrome wheels, adds a sunroof, dual power-folding mirrors, driver seat memory functions, a 7-inch touchscreen display, a navigation system among other features.
On this trim, second-row captain’s chairs are available on the Platinum model as a replacement for the standard bench seat; choosing them drops passenger capacity to seven.
Safety
The 2014 Nissan Armada comes standard with antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control. It also has child safety locks, driver and passengers airbags, side head, rear head and full-length side curtain airbags. Rear parking sensors are standard on all 2014 Armadas, while front parking sensors is available on the top Platinum trim level. A rear-view camera is optional on the base SV with two-wheel drive and comes standard on others.
Driving impressions
Auto reviewers commended Nissan for the gauges and controls that are logically arranged and intuitive, though Platinum models equipped with the navigation system have an overload of buttons. They added that seat comfort for both front and second-row passengers is quite good and that there is plenty of head- and legroom. Folding down the rear seats gives the Armada an impressive 97 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Armada’s ride quality is generally good on pristine roads and not as good on broken pavement. Its handling is hefty with its supersize dimensions, and its heavily weighted steering makes it a handful in tight spaces even though all full-size SUVs suffer from these same ills with varying degrees though.
The good: Some users and reviewers applauded its strong V8 performance, substantial towing capacity and attractive and comfortable interior.
The bad: They also complained about its stiff, harsh ride on broken or imperfect roads; dismal fuel economy, noting that some of its competitors offer overall ride quality, third-row legroom and maximum cargo capacity.
Sources: www.edmunds.com and usnews.rankingsandreviews.com.
