Road Test
If there's one thing Ford and GM have going for them, it's their full-size pickups and large sport-utility vehicles that share a common platform. Those automakers earn lavish profits on these relatively simple vehicles that sell, in some versions, for upwards of $50,000. Toyota has drawn a bead on that business with its Tundra and Sequoia over the past few years. Now those profits may soon be squeezed further when Nissan's common-platform full-size pickup, the Titan, and big sport-utility, the Pathfinder Armada seen here, hit dealerships this fall.
Armada? Titan? Did we miss the declaration of war? Nissan says it had to establish a strong macho image to convince traditional truck buyers that both vehicles are in fact trucks and not converted cars. The Armada shares its steel ladder frame with the Titan and has the dimensions to fit in with the big guys. Although the 206.9-inch-long Armada is shorter than the 219.3-inch-long Chevy Suburban, it has about an inch on the Ford Expedition and 10 inches on the base Chevy Tahoe, two of its chief competitors. Its 123.2-inch wheelbase is 7.2 inches longer than the Tahoe's and 4.2 inches longer than the Expedition's. And there is nothing subtle on the outside of this thing. From the flared fenders to the huge chrome grille, the Armada is only a few notches down the butch ladder from the Hummer H2.
The Armada puts its size to good use. A third row seats three, and the middle row is available with either a pair of buckets and a removable center console or a three-body bench, so the big ute can haul at least seven people and possibly eight.
It's extremely roomy inside. The second row can comfortably fit an NBA forward, and the third row, which can accommodate adults, is raised about three inches so those in the back of the bus can see ahead.
Entry to that third row is via the fold-and-tumble second row, and the large rear doors make it easy to get in and out. When it's not needed, the third row folds flat, as does the second row. A nice touch is that there's no need to remove the headrests before folding, but the resultant floor is not like a continuous piece of plywood-rather, there's a small valley between the two rows. With all the seats folded, there are 97 cubic feet of space, eight fewer than in the Tahoe (with the third seat removed) and 14 fewer than in the Expedition.
If that's not enough space, you could always tow the rest of your stuff. The maximum towing capacity is 9100 pounds, with an optional towing package that includes a shorter final-drive ratio (3.36:1 versus 2.94:1) and load-leveling rear air shocks. We didn't get a chance to tug that kind of weight, but the new V-8 engine certainly feels up to it.
The V-8 shares the double-overhead-cam and four-valves-per-cylinder layout of other Nissan engines, but it was specifically designed for use in the Armada and Titan. Displacing 5.6 liters, the engine has an aluminum block and large coolant passages that reduce engine temperatures when towing. It produces 305 horsepower at 4900 rpm and 385 pound-feet of torque at 3600 rpm. (The Expedition's 5.4-liter V-8 makes 260 horsepower and 350 pound-feet, and Chevy's 5.3-liter V-8 produces 295 horsepower and 330 pound-feet.) Nissan says 90 percent of the V-8's torque potential is available below 2500 rpm.
A five-speed automatic transmission-the first in this big class-is the only transmission available; the Armada is available in rear- or four-wheel drive. Those latter models have a full-time system with a center differential that uses an electrohydraulic clutch to automatically route up to 50 percent of engine torque to the front wheels when rear-wheel slip is detected. There's also a two-speed transfer case that features a low-range gear for off-road crawling.
