New Cars 2010/2011: Nissan Armada

A prospective buyer wants a full-size luxury SUV, but the buyer doesn't want a run of the mill Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon; and Ford's Expedition is way too long. What company does that buyer turn to? The answer is Nissan. Before the prospect steps up to the $56,000 Platinum trimlevel, consider this. The bottom-rung SE still has the navigation system, the backup warnings, and the copious amounts of interior room one could ask for in a truck this size. Gone are the leather, the alcantara headliner, the 18" chrome-plated wheels, and the vast cubbies filling the entire interior.
While fullsize SUVs as a whole get pretty terrible gas mileage, I wasn't expecting 8.7 MPG. Granted we had 5 people, and 2 dogs inside, but still. Mileage that bad is enough to render a Ford Excursion a useful alternative-- hey, it'd probably get better gas mileage.
Buyer beware though. A luxury vehicle the SE is not; it competes at the lower end of the fullsize SUV segment with such cheapies as the (discontinued) Dodge Durango SXT and the Chevy Tahoe LT. While it does have 4WD (if so equipped), the SE lacks all the conveniences of the more expensive version. From the inside, its hard to believe the Armada SE retails for a hair over $38 grand; it honestly has an interior no better than a 1998-era Nissan Altima fit-and-finish-wise; the third row is cramped, the ride is obnoxiously bouncy, even for an SUV of this size. For the money it costs to buy a new SE, a one-to-two year old Platinum grade Armada would be a better buy. Or if you can swing the repair bills, try a Range Rover.
Would I turn down a base-grade Armada? Probably not; it was fine for what it was. Would I want to own one? Absolutely not. Given the vast array of behemoth SUVs out there, I'd probably stick to my loyals and choose the unstoppable Toyota Land Cruiser or Mercedes G-class. While those two trucks costs a bit more upfront, both yield a much smoother ride, and have an astounding level of creature comforts even the Platinum Armada can't touch. At least you'll get your money back if you get tired of the awful fuel economy.