2021 Chevrolet Tahoe vs. 2021 Nissan Armada

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Is newer always better? Sometimes it’s easy to assume that an all-new vehicle will have a clear advantage over an older model. But other times, a well-executed vehicle just needs a few updates to stay current.

In the full-size SUV segment, we have one example of each type. First we have the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe, which is fully redesigned this year. Then we have the 2021 Nissan Armada, which dates back to 2010 but has just received new styling, an overhauled interior, more features, and a revised engine. We tested both SUVs so we could see how each approach works out in the real world. Keep reading as we go over how the Armada and Tahoe compare across eight categories — and then name an overall winner.

Pricing and Features

Old age has its perks. One is that there aren’t many engineering costs left to pay off. Accordingly, the 2021 Nissan Armada starts at $48,900, compared with $49,600 for the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe. That may not sound significant, but the Armada has more standard safety and driver-assistance technology, a bigger touchscreen infotainment system, and a built-in navigation system.

Still, Chevy keeps things close. You don’t need to spend much to get a nicely equipped model; even the $54,300 Tahoe LT already includes leather upholstery, a hands-free power liftgate, and a nine-speaker Bose stereo. The Nissan’s closest equivalent is the Armada SL, which costs $56,300, though you can upgrade from cloth to leatherette on the SV ($52,900). We’ll give this win to Nissan, but you might find a cheaper price on the Chevrolet depending on which features interest you. We’d also encourage you to get price quotes from dealerships if you’re undecided; we’d expect the newer Tahoe to sell closer to sticker price than the aging Armada.

Nissan Armada

Photo by Brady Holt

Exterior Design

To some eyes, old age will even have its perks when it comes to design. The redesigned Tahoe can be polarizing, with pinched hourglass-like headlights that dive in to meet the upright grille’s horizontal bar. The vehicle is also boxier overall than the Armada, though Chevrolet softened a few corners here and there. Some folks will appreciate the way the new design inches away from blocky utility, though this middle ground between boxy and curvy won’t suit everyone.

The updated Armada has some sharper lines than the 2017-2020 Armada, especially on its crisper new headlights and grille. But it’s less in-your-face than the Chevy, especially in comparison with our tested off-road-themed Tahoe Z71 edition. And the Nissan’s overall shape is more gently rounded, having carried over from its first debut as the 2010 Infiniti QX56 and Nissan Patrol. (Nissan applied the Armada name to its international-market Patrol in 2017, and the QX56 is now called the QX80.) We won’t name an aesthetic winner, but we think each approach will find some fans.

Tie

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

Inside, the Armada avoids showing its age, thanks largely to a well-integrated 12.3-inch touchscreen that Nissan added as part of this year’s update. The largest screen in its class, it’s standard equipment on every Armada, and it supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. The update also simplified the Armada’s instrument panel and dialed back the garish hue of its bright glossy woodgrain. Overall, this is a nice place to be and doesn’t feel like a relic.

The Tahoe’s new interior looks even more modern, though not aggressively so. Clean, straight lines are truck-like yet contemporary and avoid being busy; we think the design will age well. The Chevrolet’s touchscreen measures 10.2 inches instead of 12.3, but Chevrolet uses its screen space well enough that we didn’t feel a deficit. Some interior materials could be better, though; you can find richer ones on the Denali version of the Tahoe’s GMC Yukon twin. We’ll narrowly award this category to the Armada for its bigger screen and a few nicer materials, but it’s close enough that you can also choose your own winner based only on styling preferences. 

Nissan Armada 

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Comfort

For years, the Tahoe struggled to provide a comfortable third-row seat. It’s something you should be able to take for granted in such a behemoth, but its solid rear axle suspension robbed passenger space. The latest 2021 Tahoe switch to a more modern independent rear suspension, and the result is that the third row is finally adult-friendly. The front and second rows remain comfortable, too.

The Armada also has an independent rear suspension, but this older vehicle wasn’t packaged as successfully as the new Tahoe. The front and second rows are comfortable, though the driver’s position and second-row height don’t feel as natural as in the Chevrolet. Most significantly, the third row is smaller; it’s low and lumpy, with limited legroom. We prefer it over the old Tahoe’s, but it doesn’t come close to the new model’s.

Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by Brady Holt

Cargo and Towing

The Tahoe’s advantages extend to cargo room. The Armada has a modest 16.5 cubic feet of space behind its third-row seat, which is less than many mid-size crossovers. Folding down the third row yields 49.9 cubic feet, while also folding the second row opens up 95.4 cubic feet. That’s nearly identical to last year’s Tahoe, but the new Tahoe trounces the Armada by providing 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 72.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and 122.9 cubic feet behind the front seats.

What’s more, it’s easier to fold down the Tahoe’s seats to take advantage of that space. The Armada is available with a power-folding third-row seat, but it moves painfully slowly, and you have to hold a button down the whole time. The Tahoe offers one-tap action and a speedier motor, plus remote second-row releases. (Nissan is promising to catch up for 2022.) The power liftgate is faster, too, and Chevrolet lets you pop open the rear windshield to quickly grab a small item. Reclaiming some bragging rights, Nissan does let you tow 8,500 lbs versus the Tahoe’s 8,400 lbs. 

Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by Brady Holt

Powertrains

Every Armada has a powerful 5.6-liter V8 engine, newly upgraded to make 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, up from last year’s 390 hp and 394 lb-ft. That trumps the Tahoe’s standard 5.3-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. 

However, the Armada doesn’t feel any more eager than the 5.3-liter Tahoe. And the Nissan’s engine needs expensive premium fuel to make the advertised output. That’s bad news, as it needs a lot of that fuel: 14 mpg in the city, 19 mpg on the highway, and 16 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 1 mpg less with four-wheel drive. That’s worse than even the least economical Tahoes. The Chevy’s optional engines include a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque and a six-cylinder turbodiesel with 270 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-liter Tahoe gets up to 16 mpg city and 20 mpg highway on regular fuel, while the 6.2-liter has similar mileage but on premium. There’s diesel manages an outstanding 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway. All Tahoes use a 10-speed automatic transmission versus the Armada’s seven-speed. 

Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by Brady Holt

Ride and Handling

Despite its age, the Armada rides smoothly for a large truck-based SUV. It won’t rival a car-based crossover, but we found it unobjectionable. However, the Tahoe couples similar ride quality with superior agility.

Although these two vehicles are the same size, only the Armada feels unwieldy at speed. The Tahoe inspires more confidence whether you’re going straight, negotiating a turn, or braking to a stop. We also appreciated the Tahoe’s 39-foot turning circle versus the Armada’s 41.2-foot diameter. The Armada was a bit quieter than our off-road-oriented Tahoe Z71, but overall, the Chevy is the nicer of the two SUVs to drive.

Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by Brady Holt

Safety

After being infamously stingy with its advanced safety technology in years past, the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe at last added automatic emergency braking with pedestrian-detection capability. Plus, you can also upgrade even the base model with blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert, and a lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist.

But the Armada has all of the above as standard equipment, and it doesn’t stop there. It also includes adaptive cruise control, driver-attention monitoring, and rear automatic braking on all trim levels. You can get lots of safety and driver-assist tech on the Tahoe, but much of it continues to cost extra. The Armada hasn’t been crash-tested, while the Tahoe earned a decent four out of five stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing.

Nissan Armada

Photo by Brady Holt

Final Thoughts

A newer vehicle isn’t always better. Even an all-new model can have an egregious design flaw or suffer from cost-cutting, or it might be overpriced. But in this case, the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe is a fantastic full-size SUV at a competitive price. It’s roomy, well-finished, and amenity-laden. It drives pretty well and isn’t overpriced for its class. 

If you prefer the 2021 Nissan Armada’s design or found one at a nice discount, it would hardly be a colossal disappointment. The Armada doesn’t look as old as it is, especially in its newly updated cabin. It just can’t match this all-new and greatly improved vehicle in most ways. Except for its additional standard safety features and richer interior materials, the Nissan comes up short pretty much across the board — sometimes not by a lot, but sometimes by a significant margin. The Armada can be a viable budget-minded alternative, but the Tahoe offers more for the money.

Chevrolet Tahoe

Photo by Brady Holt