I’ve been asked not to make any comparisons whatsoever between the fully revised 2025 Nissan Armada and the 2025 Infiniti QX80, and pretend they are not mechanically related in any way whatsoever.

Ignoring that entirely, the new Armada is at last a fun and nearly equal, at times less expensive, alternative to QX80. Nissan’s more-than-full-sized SUV also adds a new, additionally rugged Pro-4X edition, which I drove for a not-inexpensive $80,000; a basic version of the Armada is priced at about $57,000. 

While the burly Pro-4X gains winter-ready Geolandar all-season tires and a package of niceties that mimics those on QX80 (heated second-row seats, a biometric second-row cooling system and a built-in dash cam), it and the other Armada builds are left with one minor shortfall.

That is, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 included here is only good for 425 horsepower, versus the 450 hp found on the Infiniti build. That may seem marginal (and is still 25-hp more than the old Armada’s V8 engine), but during my highway drives, the shortcomings were quite tangible, especially given this burlier Armada’s 6,054-pound curb weight.

These are some pretty high-powered times in SUV land, and many users likely won’t feel the difference, especially as even the off-road-oriented Pro-4X model is also capable of pulling 8,500 pounds of trailer.

Other trims of the Armada can be outfitted with QX80’s increasingly functional ProPilot Assist 2.1 system, which provides credible hands-free driving, and the Armada’s Platinum Reserve model gets the QX80’s massaging seats, 22-inch wheels and the adaptive air suspension system found on the Pro-4X.

Looks are definitely a different kind of imposing than QX80, with a modified floating-style roofline (more body paint and color here, however), gigantic wheel arches, fixed running boards and loads of blacked-out trim. A massive, open grille, oversized headlamp clusters and tons of LED running lights make for an impressive presence. The running boards, by the way, are absolutely necessary if you need to sweep snow off the Armada’s roof.  

The Pro-4X trim also seems like it will make for some oversized summertime trail fun, with standard four-wheel drive, those slightly more manageable 20-inch off-road tires and skid plates. Crank that suspension to the max and it gets 9.6 inches of ground clearance; you can also dial up three dedicated off-road driving modes, hill-descent control and various off-road monitors and info display systems.

Those are contained in another of Armada’s changes from QX80, a center console that is so obnoxiously busy with so many knobs, rotary dials and buttons you’ll feel like you’re on a B-52. Happily you can switch into low range easily and learn to ignore the rest except when needed, including another slightly awkward horizontal line of push-button transmission controls.

Like QX80, the higher trims of Armada get a pair of 14.3-inch instrument and infotainment displays with built-in Google, two 12.3-inchers on more basic models. An exceptionally padded leather interior, with plenty of Pro-4X badging, covers virtually every surface. A slightly less deafening but still 600-watt Klipsch audio system is also available.

While the numbers are up, there’s still relatively little behind-the-third-row cargo room if you are indeed carrying a full load of passengers (20.4 cubic feet), and the odd shelf system found in QX80 is not present here. Flatten everything, however, and there’s more than 97.1 cubic feet.   

Andy Stonehouse’s column “Mountain Wheels” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Stonehouse has worked as an editor and writer in Colorado since 1998, focusing on automotive coverage since 2004. He lives in Golden. Contact him at summitmountainwheels@gmail.com.