Compare the2022 Nissan ArmadaVS 2022 Volvo XC90

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Armada are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC90 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Armada has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The XC90 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Armada and the XC90 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Nissan Armada weighs 545 to 1707 pounds more than the Volvo XC90. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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, results indicate that the Nissan Armada is safer than the Volvo XC90:

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

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Armada 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Armada’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Armada first among large suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The XC90 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 49 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 21st in reliability. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 5 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 150 more horsepower (400 vs. 250) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 258) than the XC90 T5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 84 more horsepower (400 vs. 316) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 295) than the XC90 T6’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Armada is faster than the XC90 T6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Armada uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC90 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Armada has 7.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC90 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (26 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Armada has 7.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC90’s standard fuel tank (26 vs. 18.8 gallons).

For better stopping power the Armada’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the XC90:

The Armada stops shorter than the XC90:

For better traction, the Armada has larger standard tires than the XC90 (265/70R18 vs. 235/55R19).

The Nissan Armada’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo XC90 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Armada has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The XC90 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Armada has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the XC90; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Armada has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The XC90’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The rear suspension of the Armada uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the XC90, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Armada’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the XC90 (121.1 inches vs. 117.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Armada is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the XC90.

For greater off-road capability the Armada S/SV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC90 (9.1 vs. 8.8 inches), allowing the Armada to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Armada SL/Midnight/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC90 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Armada has standard seating for 8 passengers; the XC90 can only carry 7.

The Armada has 2 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 4 inches more rear legroom, 1.9 inches more rear hip room, 6.9 inches more rear shoulder room, .1 inches more third row headroom, 3.9 inches more third row hip room and 13.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Armada’s middle row seats recline, and the Armada Platinum’s third row seats also recline. The XC90’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Armada’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

The Armada’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC90’s (8500 vs. 4000 pounds).

The engine in the Armada is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XC90. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Armada to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and tire rotation based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Volvo doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the XC90.

The Armada’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The XC90 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Armada’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Armada has standard extendable sun visors. The XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Armada SV/SL/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The XC90 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Armada is less expensive to operate than the XC90 because typical repairs cost much less on the Armada than the XC90, including $701 less for a water pump, $80 less for front brake pads, $132 less for a starter, $121 less for fuel injection, $207 less for a fuel pump and $338 less for a power steering pump.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Armada second among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The XC90 isn’t in the top three.