Jason on Cars

About two hours after I stepped out of the Mini Cooper, I went back outside to get in the new car for the week, a Nissan Armada. “You could put the Mini into that thing if you wanted…” was the quote of the day coming from the PageOne courier. Big, boxy, high off the ground. It appeared as if would eat the mini, or at least throw it onto its roof and parade around with it like a giant toy on its roof rack. However, once I climbed into the car, settled down and took inventory of the giant expanse of the car, it became quite cozy. The way a small house is cozy.

It completely changes the way you think about driving through a city when you’re in something this big. You don’t merely pull into any parking lot and start looking for a spot, and you don’t merely dive down small, narrow neighborhood streets. You plan your moves and execute with confidence. You ignore even huge gaps in on-street parking while forging ahead to the parking garage and hoping for a straight-in spot. Also, when you’re coordinating going out with friends, you don’t hesitate to invite anyone in earshot, as there is enough legroom for even very tall people regardless of which seat they end up with. It’s just a different type of automobile than most people drive.

First Impressions:

Outside:
A strong-looking truck, but not overcompensating. The bright red looks good, and the NISMO decal stands out with a seriousness of purpose. Up close, however, the sticker itself looks a bit cheap and pasted on as an afterthought.

Inside:
Cloth seats are comfortable and you can slide in and get cozy without a lot of adjustments. All of the dials are simple and easy to reach. It also has several small compartments for glasses, cell phones, etc., although they are all hard plastic and anything set in the slots slides around mercilessly. It’s a nice idea, but poor execution. The back seats look small but fold up out of the way easily. The third door is convenient for quickly tossing bags and laptops behind the driver, and they don’t have a lot of room to slide around.

Driving:
Very quick and nimble for a truck. The 265-hp/284 lb-ft torque V6 is really excited and ready to go. Get a little frisky with the pedal and this truck makes a huge lurch forward. It’s almost a little hard to drive smoothly through neighborhood streets, as tiny adjustments in the foot position make a big difference in the truck’s attitude. Very comfortable at freeway speeds, although changing lanes is slightly hampered by the third door’s double thick pillars.