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2021 Toyota Sequoia vs. 2021 Nissan Armada
2020 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro ・ Photo by Toyota
When it comes to all-around vehicles that can tow a boat as easily as they can haul a family, large SUVs are hard to beat. The truck-based vehicles offer excellent interior space, large engines with great towing capabilities, available four-wheel drive, and the latest tech gadgets.
Toyota and Nissan have been players in the segment for years, and both offer solid full-size SUVs with plenty to like. However, neither is at the top of their segment, as Ford, General Motors, and even Jeep are all selling excellent SUVs at the moment. That said, the Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada both have their charms. Which one is best? Let’s take a look at a few key categories to determine which one comes out on top.
Pricing
Both of these big-boy SUVs feature an equally hefty price tag, but the Armada undercuts the base price of the Toyota by $1,500.
The Nissan Armada ranges in price from around $49,000 to just over $68,000. And while that price may seem steep, the SUV comes well-equipped for the money. The Armada’s price tag buys a standard 5.6-liter V8 that makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission and standard rear-wheel drive.
The Toyota Sequoia’s price tag starts at around $50,400 and climbs to just under $70,000 at the top end. The Toyota is an older design than the Armada and is in dire need of an overhaul, but its features and powertrain help keep it relevant. The Sequoia comes standard with a 5.7-liter V8 that produces 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque.
: Nissan Armada
Features
The Nissan Armada got a substantive update for the 2021 model year that brought more tech and safety features to the full-size SUV. It comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB inputs, six speakers, SiriusXM radio, and more. Standard safety gear includes forward collision warnings, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, a rearview camera, lane departure warnings, and lane keep assist.
The Sequoia is no slouch, though its offerings are a bit more basic. It comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, a Wi-Fi hotspot, HD radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, eight speakers, and Amazon Alexa functionality. Safety equipment includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, and automatic emergency braking.
: Nissan Armada
Photo by Nissan
Exterior Design
The Armada’s 2021 refresh brought sharper styling and a much more modern look. Its lines are clean and sharp, and the large SUV wears its sheet metal like a fine evening gown. Higher trims get larger wheels that give the Armada an even more premium look, and the available Midnight Edition adds sinister blacked out exterior trim. Inside, the Armada features an interior befitting a flagship SUV, with premium design and gorgeous finishes.
The Sequoia can’t be faulted visually, but it’s immediately apparent that its design was penned more than a few years ago. Toyota has massaged the SUV’s exterior over the years, but it’s largely still the same vehicle we saw back in 2008. The Sequoia gets standard LED headlights, DRLs, and fog lights. Its exterior shape is frumpier and less refined than the Nissan’s, though Toyota also offers a Nightshade Edition with blacked out exterior trim that helps sharpen the SUV’s styling considerably.
Photo by Nissan
Interior Design
Part of the challenge for automakers and large suvs is that it’s always tough to make great use of such a vast interior space. The Armada’s interior, even in lower trims, feels premium and special. The large infotainment screen sits atop a clean center stack with fewer buttons than in model years past. It’s a solid focal point in an otherwise uncluttered interior. In higher trims, premium leathers and nice stitching fill the cabin, and Nissan’s color offerings for the SUV help liven things up.
The Sequoia falls short of the Armada’s opulence, even in its plushest forms. There are far too many cheap plastics and too few useful features for such a large space. From the driver’s seat, the infotainment touchscreen feels miles away, and though comfortable, the front cabin area doesn’t use its space efficiently. Passenger and cargo space are both plentiful, but the hard plastics and less-than-premium design flow through the second row and cargo hold.
Photo by Nissan
Interior Comfort
The Nissan Armada offers seating for up to eight people with a standard second-row bench seat. Captain’s chairs are available, which cut seating capacity to seven, but up the comfort level for second-row passengers. The front seats are deep, wide, and supremely comfortable, with great visibility in most directions for the driver. Second-row passengers enjoy great head and legroom, but it’s the captain’s chairs that offer the best comfort for the middle row. Adults can fit in the third row, but it’s a space much better left for kids.
The Sequoia also offers seating for up to eight, and it also can be ordered with second-row captain’s chairs. Fancier trimmings are available and come in the form of leather seats with heating and ventilation. Second-row passengers get a massive amount of space with both the bench and available captain’s chairs, though both types of seating could do with more support and padding. The Sequoia’s third row is good enough for most adults, but it’s not the easiest space to access, even for kids.
: Nissan Armada
Photo by Nissan
Ride and Handling
The Armada drives as big as it looks, and its tall ride height gives passengers the impression of even more mass beneath them than there really is. It’s tough to shuffle the hefty Nissan through town, especially in parking lots, but the SUV makes up some ground with its comfortable ride and off-road capabilities. It’s not as hardcore as the Sequoia TRD Pro, but when optioned with four-wheel drive, the Nissan can hold its own in the dirt.
The Sequoia is large and shows its size at every opportunity. Toyota dialed in light steering to help maneuver the big SUV in parking lots and through city streets. The ride remains supple over most road surfaces, though the body-on-frame design can lead to some harshness over extended rough roads. Though you can buy a Sequoia TRD Pro, the vehicle’s size and heft make it less than ideal for heavy-duty off-roading. Four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, and upgraded Fox shocks make it way more capable than it has any business being. And this big Toyota can tackle more than its fair share of off-road obstacles.
: Tie
Photo by Toyota
Acceleration
Both of these large SUVs can “sprint” from 0-60 mph in around seven seconds, which is just fine. The Armada feels hesitant off the start and doesn’t offer the most responsive experience, but it’s lively and quick enough once underway. The seven-speed automatic transmission does its job to keep the engine working in its most ideal power band, and there’s a throaty V8 growl to accompany the show.
The Sequoia feels plenty powerful, and though its acceleration isn’t all that great, its six-speed transmission functions almost flawlessly. There’s a benefit to the Toyota’s age, which is that its mechanical bits just work and do so smoothly.
: Tie
Photo by Toyota
Fuel Economy
The Armada returns EPA-estimated fuel economy of 14 mpg in the city, 19 mpg on the highway and 16 mpg combined when equipped with two-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive shifts those numbers slightly to 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. Those numbers are poor among large SUVs.
The Sequoia is rated at 13 mpg in the city, 17 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined with two-wheel drive and 13 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 14 mpg highway with four-wheel drive. Those numbers aren’t great, even for a large SUV, and four-wheel drive doesn’t help the cause.
: Nissan Armada
Photo by Nissan
Final Thoughts
The Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Armada are both decent choices in the large SUV segment, but there are so many newer, more comfortable, and more compelling options in the space. That said, the Armada is more tech-forward and more comfortable than the Sequoia and will likely make a better family companion for most, with the exception being those that need to go off road.
Other SUVs in the segment that offer a better experience include the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Suburban, and GMC Yukon.
: Nissan Armada
Photo by Nissan