Compare the2024 Mercedes GLSVS 2024 Nissan Armada

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLS 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 GLS’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Armada doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes GLS 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.

The GLS offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Armada doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GLS’ standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Armada doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLS has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Armada doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GLS has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with Active Brake Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Armada Platinum offers Intelligent Back-Up Intervention.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the GLS 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 GLS 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Warranty

The GLS comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Armada’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

The Armada’s redline is at 60050 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The GLS has a 6250 to 7000 RPM redline.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GLS second among large premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Armada isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Nissan With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Nissan.

Engine

The GLS 580’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 110 more horsepower (510 vs. 400) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (538 vs. 413) than the Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8. The Maybach GLS 600’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 150 more horsepower (550 vs. 400) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (538 vs. 413) than the Armada’s 5.6 DOHC V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLS 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Nissan Armada:

	GLS	Armada
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	14.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	94 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
GLS
	AWD	580 4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	14 city/20 hwy
		600 4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	14 city/19 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/24 hwy
Armada
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/18 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the GLS’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Armada doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the GLS’ 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 GLS 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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes GLS higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Nissan Armada (3 to 5). This means the GLS produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Armada every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GLS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Armada:

	GLS	Armada
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.8 inches

The GLS stops much shorter than the Armada:

	GLS	Armada
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLS has larger standard tires than the Armada (F:275/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 265/70R18). The GLS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Armada (F:285/40R23 & R:325/35R23 vs. 275/60R20).

The GLS’ standard 275/45R21 front and 315/40R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Armada SV’s standard 70 series tires. The GLS’ optional 285/40R23 front and 325/35R23 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Armada Platinum’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLS has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Armada SV. The GLS’ optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels on the Armada Platinum.

Suspension and Handling

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

The GLS offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Nissan doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Armada.

The GLS has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Armada’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GLS’ 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLS’ wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Armada (123.4 inches vs. 121.1 inches).

The GLS 450 handles at .92 G’s, while the Armada Platinum 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLS 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Armada Platinum 4x4 (26.4 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GLS has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Armada SV (10.1 vs. 9.1 inches), allowing the GLS to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The GLS Off-Road Package’s minimum ground clearance is 2.1 inches higher than on the Armada SL/Platinum (11.3 vs. 9.2 inches).

Chassis

The GLS 450 is 4 inches shorter than the Armada, making the GLS easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the GLS’ 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.

Cargo Capacity

The GLS’ cargo area provides more volume than the Armada.

	GLS	Armada
Behind Third Seat	17.4 cubic feet	16.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GLS easier. The GLS’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.8 inches, while the Armada’s liftover is 33.7 inches.

The GLS 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.

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLS’ 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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Armada SL/Platinum, the GLS has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLS offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Armada doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The GLS’ 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 Armada’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The GLS’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Armada SV/SL’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLS to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Armada doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLS has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Armada doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLS also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the GLS has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Armada doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

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

The GLS has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Nissan doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Armada.

The GLS has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Armada doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The GLS offers an optional center folding armrest for the third row rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and can provide a barrier between children. The Armada doesn’t offer a third row rear seat center armrest.

The GLS offers optional massaging front and second row seats, which keep the driver and middle row passengers. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Armada.

The GLS’ Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Armada doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GLS 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 GLS than the Armada, including $737 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

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

The Mercedes GLS outsold the Nissan Armada by 14% during 2023.