Huge size, powerful engine, excellent SUV

MY OPINIONS ON THE 2006 NISSAN ARMADA SE...

Interior/Exterior Appearance:
The exterior appearance and interior looks are what sold me on this vehicle. The interior is very comfortable, even without leather seats. The SE (base) model comes with cloth seats, but not your typical fuzzy cloth, it is a very clean and smooth cloth around the edges and the center sections of each seat have a very attractive 3-D grid design. It comes with very large (18 inch), sporty & stylish wheels and a lot of extra features, even on the SE base model. I have already taken it on 2 long trips, and enjoy it more each time. It has 3 rows of seats and will hold 8 passengers very comfortably. The third and second rows fold flat for a massive cargo area. I keep the 3rd row down all the time and have more than enough room to haul anything I have needed thus far.

Power and Hauling:
This truck has some of the largest cargo and passenger capacities in it's class and it has absolutely has the most towing capacity (9100 lbs). I haven't had the opportunity to pull anything with it yet, but the interior cargo room is massive. I have hauled tons of baby gear, toys, luggage etc that would overflow most mid-size SUV's, and it has at least twice as much space as my old Jeep Grand Cherokee, without even folding the 2nd row seats.

Comfort:
The seats are huge, and the seating for 8 is the most comfortable I have found with all 8 in the vehicle. I have sat in all three rows, with various numbers of people on-board and it has always been comfortable. I am a larger than average 6 foot 2, +250lbs, and if it's comfortable to me, it should be comfortable to most anyone.

Features & Options:
The base mode (SE) comes with a lot of extras that you wouldn't normally expect. The drivers seat has 8 way power, the heating and a/c is a Dual-Front Automatic Temp control system. It comes standard with rear heat/air that is controllable from both front and rear. I opted for the Bose 10 speaker stereo upgrade which greatly improves the stock audio sound. The radio/cd player includes a 6 cd in-dash changer that supports MP3 play on disc. The audio is quite good for a stock system, especially the Bose package which included a much needed powered sub-woofer.

Quality:
If you do any research on this vehicle, you will find a lot of issues on the 2004 year model, and even a few on the 2005, but it appears that all of those issues have been resolved in the 2006 model. 2004 was the first year this vehicle was produced, and new model vehicle often have multiple random issues in their first year of release. The most major of these issues was brakes, but that problem was quickly realized and resolved by Nissan. I have not yet seen any issues with my Armada. I do monitor the Nissan service bulletins online, and will gladly take it in for those items, but so far I have not had any issues at all, after 30 days and 1600 miles of driving.

Disappointments
The Armada has a full size regular wheel (rim and tire) for a spare (which I LOVE). However, removing the spare tire from underneath the rear of the vehicle is difficult at best. After lowering the tire using the built-in wench, you will need a pair of pliers to remove the clip from the retainer (all the while, lifting the tire off the ground with the other hand). If I had not been at home with the flat, I likely would not have been able to remove it. Nissan should include a toolkit with the vehicle, or re-design the retaining device to make it easier to use. Other than that, I haven't found anything that I don't like about this car.

Overall:
I am thoroughly pleased with the '06 Armada. I would gladly purchase this vehicle again, and will likely trade this one in on a new one on my next vehicle purchase. The 2006 Nissan Armada is an excellent vehicle that can be had for a decent price, if you are willing to haggle with the dealer.