Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada is truly the workhorse of the full-size sport utility class.With its powerful V8 and substantial body-on-frame design, it can easily handle rugged off-road family camping, pull a big boat or horse trailer, or just haul the gymnastics team and gear in comfort.

The Armada is big.It's as big as a Ford Expedition, and it's longer than the Toyota Sequoia and Chevy Tahoe.Armada can easily accommodate seven or eight occupants on any adventure trip.The cabin is comfortable, convenient and nicely appointed.Three rows of seats are provided, with limo-like roominess in the second row.Nissan claims best-in-class rear legroom, and the back seat looks and feels roomier than the Expedition's, which isn't exactly cramped.Both rear rows fold flat giving the Armada enormous cargo capacity.

Armada is based on the Nissan Titan full-size pickup and comes equipped with a powerful V8 that betters its competition in horsepower and torque.Stand on the gas and Nissan's 5.6-liter engine delivers immediate throttle response and quick acceleration.Rated to tow up to 9,100 pounds, Armada boasts the best towing capability in its class.A smooth five-speed automatic transmission adds to the responsiveness of the 32-valve double overhead-cam V8.

Handling is impressive as well.The four-wheel independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering give the Armada a direct and steady feel, whether cruising down the highway, hustling through the hills or parking in a crowded lot.Armada was designed in California and is built at Nissan's recently built $1.4 billion factory in Canton, Mississippi.

Introduced as a 2004 model, the Armada receives minor enhancements for 2005.Among them: availability of a power rear liftgate and an optional RearView Monitor that displays what's behind the vehicle on the navigation screen.New standard equipment includes driver and front-passenger active head restraints, seat belt pretensioners added to the first row; SE and LE models come with a higher level of standard equipment.Introduced as the Pathfinder Armada, it's now known simply as the Armada.