2021 Nissan Armada vs. 2021 GMC Yukon

2021 Nissan Armada Platinum ・ 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 recently tested one example of each type. First we have the 2021 GMC Yukon, which is fully redesigned this year. Then we have the 2021 Nissan Armada, which dates back to 2010 but just received new styling, an overhauled interior, more features, and a revised engine this year. To learn which SUV is likely the best for you, keep reading as we go over how the Armada and Yukon 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 $48,600, compared with $50,700 for the 2021 GMC Yukon. The difference is even greater when you consider that the Armada has more standard safety equipment and a bigger standard touchscreen infotainment system.

If you’re looking for upgraded upholstery, the difference is even bigger, since the Armada SV trim level provides respectable leatherette for just $52,600 versus the $57,800 you’d spend for a leather-trimmed Yukon SLT. And at $56,000, even the Armada SL with genuine leather undercuts the GMC. There are a few features that GMC makes available at lower price points than Nissan, such as a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, and ventilated front seats. But the Armada has its own feature advantages, too, especially when it comes to safety and driver-assistance technology. Overall, the Armada is the more affordable choice.

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 Yukon wears a big, upright grille; angular C-shaped headlights; and a boxy body with a few curves worked in around the rear windows and the taillights. Some buyers will gravitate toward this aggressive design, while others will find it busy.

The updated Armada is simpler. It 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 GMC, especially in comparison with our tested extra-chrome Yukon Denali edition. And the 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 choose 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.

Still, the Yukon’s new interior is nicer. Especially on the Denali model, most cabin materials are spectacular rather than merely good. A mix of carefully selected textures keeps things interesting without becoming a distracting mishmash. And even if the Yukon’s 10.1-inch touchscreen isn’t as big as the Armada’s, it looks good and works well. Some shoppers will also appreciate the way GMC incorporated it into the dash rather than perching it on the top; while that approach has advantages, it’s many folks’ pet peeve for car interiors. Nissan kept the competition close despite the Yukon’s newer design and higher price, but the GMC comes up on top in this category nonetheless.

GMC Yukon

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Comfort

For years, the GMC Yukon and its Chevrolet Tahoe twin struggled to provide a comfortable third-row seat. It’s something you should be able to take for granted in such a behemoth, but their solid rear axle suspension robbed passenger space. The latest 2021 Yukon and 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 Yukon. The front and second rows are comfortable, though the driver’s position and second-row height don’t feel as natural as in the GMC. Most significantly, the third row is smaller; it’s low and lumpy, with limited legroom. We prefer it over the old GMC Yukon’s, but it doesn’t come close to the new model’s.

GMC Yukon

Photo by Brady Holt

Cargo and Towing

The Yukon’s roomier interior also shows itself when it’s time to carry cargo. The Armada has a modest 16.5 cubic feet of cargo room 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 Yukon, but the new Yukon 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 GMC’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 Yukon offers one-tap action and a speedier motor, plus remote second-row releases. The power liftgate is faster, too, and GMC 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 GMC’s 8,400 lbs.

GMC Yukon

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 Yukon’s standard 5.3-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, and while our Denali test vehicle upgrades to a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, the Denali’s base price is more than even a fully loaded Armada.

Despite its horsepower, though, the Armada doesn’t feel especially eager. And its engine needs expensive premium fuel to make the advertised output. That’s bad news, because 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. The 5.3-liter Yukon gets up to 16 mpg city and 20 mpg highway on regular fuel, while the 6.2-liter Denali has similar mileage but on premium. There’s also a six-cylinder turbodiesel with 270 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, which manages an outstanding 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway. All Yukons use a 10-speed automatic transmission versus the Armada’s seven-speed.

GMC Yukon

Photo by Brady Holt

Ride and Handling

Despite its age, the Armada rides smoothly for a large truck-based SUV. Our tested Yukon Denali felt a little stiffer. However, the GMC drives better overall.

The difference is that the Yukon handles with substantially more agility. Although these two vehicles are the same size, only the Armada feels unwieldy at speed. The Yukon inspires more confidence whether you’re going straight, negotiating a turn, or braking to a stop. We’re happy to accept a slightly bumpier ride in exchange for the GMC’s superior composure. We also appreciate the Yukon’s 39-foot turning circle versus the Armada’s 41.2-foot diameter.

GMC Yukon

Photo by Brady Holt

Safety

After being infamously stingy with its advanced safety technology in the past, the 2021 GMC Yukon at last added automatic emergency braking with pedestrian-detection capability. Plus, you can also upgrade even the base model with blind-spot monitoring with 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 Yukon, too, but much of it continues to cost extra. The Armada hasn’t been crash-tested, while the Yukon earned a decent four out of five stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluations.

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 GMC Yukon is a fantastic full-size SUV at a fair price. It’s roomy, well-finished, and amenity-laden. It drives pretty well, gets decent gas mileage, and isn’t overpriced for its class.

If you prefer the 2021 Nissan Armada’s design or prefer to save a few thousand dollars, it wouldn’t 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. It comes up short pretty much across the board — sometimes not by a lot, but sometimes by a significant margin. The Armada is a viable value option, but the Yukon is also worth its higher price.

GMC Yukon

Photo by Brady Holt