Compare the2024 Nissan ArmadaVS 2024 Honda Pilot

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Armada are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Honda Pilot doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Armada has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Pilot doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Armada has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Pilot Sport/EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Armada has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Intelligent Back-Up Intervention on the Platinum automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Pilot Sport/EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite offers Cross Traffic Monitor and the Pilot’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the Armada and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Nissan Armada weighs 979 to 2004 pounds more than the Honda Pilot. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Armada’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Pilot’s camshafts. If the Pilot’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 25 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Honda.

The Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8 produces 115 more horsepower (400 vs. 285) and 151 lbs.-ft. more torque (413 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Armada is faster than the Honda Pilot:

The Armada has 7.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (26 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Armada’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pilot are solid, not vented.

The Armada stops shorter than the Pilot:

For better traction, the Armada has larger standard tires than the Pilot (265/70R18 vs. 255/50R20). The Armada SL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (275/60R20 vs. 265/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Armada Platinum has standard 22-inch wheels. The Pilot’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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

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

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

The Armada has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Armada’s wheelbase is 7.3 inches longer than on the Pilot (121.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Armada’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.5% to 49.5%) than the Pilot’s (55.3% to 44.7%). This gives the Armada more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Armada SV has a 1.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (9.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Armada to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Armada SL/Platinum’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Pilot TrailSport (9.2 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Armada has .4 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room, 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.2 inches more third row hip room and 1 inch more third row shoulder room than the Pilot.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Armada Platinum’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Armada’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (8500 vs. 3500 pounds).

The engine in the Armada is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Pilot. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

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 Pilot does not have an oil pressure gauge.

If the windows are left open on the Armada the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Pilot can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Armada SV/SL’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Pilot’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Armada’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Armada has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite offers wireless charging.