Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2021 Nissan Armada

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Armada’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Pilot uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Armada uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Pilot and the Armada have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Nissan Armada:

	Pilot	Armada
OVERALL STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars
HIC	149	258
Neck Injury Risk	28%	43%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	377 lbs.
Neck Compression	46 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	877/369 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	216	255
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	38%
Neck Stress	116 lbs.	251 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	478/436 lbs.	509/594 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Nissan Armada:

	Pilot	Armada
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	16 inches
HIC	406	437

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pilot, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 4.4% to 7.3% less likely to roll over than the Armada, which received a three-star rating.

Reliability

The engine in the Pilot has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Armada has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Pilot’s reliability 17 points higher than the Armada.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Nissan Armada:

	Pilot	Armada
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	14.9 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the Armada:

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
Armada
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/18 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Armada doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Pilot’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Armada doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Pilot has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Armada doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Armada.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Armada:

	Pilot	Armada
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Pilot EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Armada SV’s standard 70 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Pilot (except LX)’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Armada doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .80 G’s, while the Armada Platinum 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Armada Platinum 4x4 (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Armada’s (39.4 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1650 to 1700 pounds less than the Nissan Armada.

The Pilot is 1 foot shorter than the Armada, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Pilot’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Armada uses body-on-frame design instead.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Pilot has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Armada uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Armada doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Pilot has 2.5 inches more third row headroom and 3.5 inches more third row legroom than the Armada.

Cargo Capacity

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the Armada.

	Pilot	Armada
Behind Third Seat	18.5 cubic feet	16.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	55.9 cubic feet	49.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	109.2 cubic feet	95.4 cubic feet

The Pilot has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Armada doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Armada doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Pilot has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Armada doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Pilot has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Armada doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Armada doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Pilot’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Armada SV/SL.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $930 to $2550 less than the Armada over a five-year period.

The Pilot will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Pilot will retain 51.32% to 53.62% of its original price after five years, while the Armada only retains 42.79% to 45.25%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the Armada because it costs $564 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pilot than the Armada, including $5 less for front brake pads, $21 less for fuel injection, $160 less for front struts, $691 less for a timing belt/chain and $82 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $20211 to $22191 less than for the Nissan Armada.

Recommendations

The Honda Pilot has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Pilot	Armada
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE