Compare the2024 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Nissan Armada

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Ascent have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Nissan Armada doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Subaru Ascent has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Armada doesn’t offer knee airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Ascent. But it costs extra on the Armada.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Ascent’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Armada doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Ascent 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 Ascent and the Armada have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Ascent	Armada
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars
HIC	190	258
Neck Injury Risk	21%	43%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	377 lbs.
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	159/292 lbs.	877/369 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	210	255
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33%	38%
Neck Stress	197 lbs.	251 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 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 Subaru Ascent is safer than the Nissan Armada:

	Ascent	Armada
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	81 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	437
Hip Force	637 lbs.	684 lbs.

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 Ascent, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 4.9% to 6.7% less likely to roll over than the Armada, which received a three-star rating.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ascent its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Armada has not been tested, yet.

Reliability

The Armada’s redline is at 60050 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Ascent has a 6000 RPM redline.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Ascent has a standard 190-amp alternator. The Armada’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Ascent’s reliability 14 points higher than the Armada.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Ascent lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Armada doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Ascent
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	20 city/26 hwy
		Limited/Touring/Onyx 2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy
Armada
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/18 hwy

The Ascent has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Armada. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Ascent has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Armada doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ascent stops much shorter than the Armada:

	Ascent	Armada
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Ascent’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 S/SV’s standard 70 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Ascent Touring 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 Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Armada Platinum 4x4 (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Ascent’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Armada’s (38 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Ascent may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1250 to 1450 pounds less than the Nissan Armada.

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

Unibody construction lowers the Ascent’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 doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Passenger Space

The Ascent has .3 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom and 3.3 inches more third row legroom than the Armada.

The front step up height for the Ascent is 4.6 inches lower than the Armada (17.7” vs. 22.3”). The Ascent’s rear step up height is 4.6 inches lower than the Armada’s (18.1” vs. 22.7”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Ascent	Armada
Behind Third Seat	17.8 cubic feet	16.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Ascent easier. The Ascent’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32 inches, while the Armada’s liftover is 33.7 inches.

Towing

A Trailer Stability Assist is standard on all models of the Ascent, using the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. Only the Armada SV/SL/Platinum offers a trailer sway program.

Servicing Ease

The Ascent 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 Ascent’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Armada’s parking brake has to be released manually.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Ascent’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Ascent Base). The Armada doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Ascent has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Armada doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Ascent with a number “5” insurance rate while the Armada is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ascent is less expensive to operate than the Armada because it costs $18 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Ascent than the Armada, including $313 less for a muffler, $78 less for fuel injection, $54 less for a fuel pump, $829 less for a timing belt/chain and $476 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Ascent outsold the Nissan Armada by over five to one during 2022.