I never said that they where the best, but you will not find anything close to comparable in that price range.  A comparable 2020 Tahoe with the same mileage will cost you $20k more and are no more reliable. They are good value for someone who can't afford a $55k vehicle

That’s really an important point. I just got done buying a used car (ended up with a 2020 QX60, that’s what the wife wanted after a whole ordeal).  A Lexus GX 460 or RX 350L for that year/miles would have been 11,000-22,000 more, and usually on the higher end of that range. Is a Lexus overall a better vehicle/brand than Infinity?  Absolutely in my opinion. But you have to ask is the juice worth the squeeze. For my wife and hauling 3 kids around, the QX60 has more room and better gas mileage than a GX460 and more room than a 350L. Also she wanted a heated steering wheel which should be way down on the list of priorities but for her it was important. Buying any vehicle is a gamble.  


I know many here said it is foolish to get the QX, but only time will tell.

Another quick point…the QX60 and MDXs were priced comparable to a higher end Pilot, Mazda CX9, and other mass market SUVs.  I think a good case can be made to go luxury brand when price is almost equal.

yeah and that's if the air springs go bad.

Mine had like 110k miles and was 12 years old with zero issues

The Middle East folks love the patrol....They haul ass in the dunes with it.

overpriced

My wife is done with our 2015 Honda Odyssey (Legendary!) and really wants a QX80.  She found a 2021 with 65,000 miles for $37k.

Don't these have electrical issues?  Should I run away or check it out ... anything to look out for?

I would 100% get a 2021/2022 Honda pilot EX-L but she is not having it.

You won’t find a gx470 that cheap anymore unless it has 250k plus on it.

They don't make GX470s anymore.

Sounds like our wives should be friends.  Mine wanted a QX60 after her Odyssey phase because of the color (light blue) and heated steering wheel.  It's actually a pretty nice ride and came with a lifetime powertrain warranty, so hopefully no worries about the CVT.  I do think it's funny that my V8 Silverado gets better gas mileage than her mom-mobile.  Seems like Nissan and Toyota have not figured out gas mileage in their bigger vehicles.

IMO, that's a lot of miles for a 2 year old vehicle.  The price is high IMO.

My experience is limited to one example.  Yes, it had/has significant electrical issues, but it was a 2020 model.  In 2021, Nissan may have addressed these issues.

Toyota sticks with a proven drivetrain in the 4Runner.  It should go 300k miles with regular maintenance.

Gas mileage is fair.  It isn't the fastest unless you put your foot in it.  Throttle response is poor (to make EPA happy with mpg), but can be "fixed" easily. The "tech" is outdated for some folks.

I've bought a couple perfectly knowledgeable about the above.  I place reliability higher on the priority list than big LED screens, mpg, or 0-60 times.

My daily driver is a 2007 Xterra which has been very reliable. I had the radiator replaced so the SMOD won't happen. When it comes time to replace the Xterra I'll be looking hard at a Frontier.

This made me laugh because i lived it.  Mrs. C and I do above average.  We leased an old house to a farm laborer and his student wife while we were having our house built.  the concrete guy was aghast when he saw mrs. tenant arrive in a nearly new acadia and said something similar.  I guess i did something similar when i was young.   Live and learn.

I’m not reading 4 pages about Nissan armadas, so sorry if it’s been stated.

2020 armadas with 60-70k miles on the market right now are VERY likely to have been rental vehicles. This was a really popular rental. So if that’s something that would bother you make sure you check the Carfax.

I own my own home and I have 4 cars right now.

2018 Navigator L
2011 F -150 FX4
2014 QX60
2011 Jeep JK

Yep, all I’m finding are rentals originally titled in Illinois

There are only two within 100 miles of me that weren’t rentals. They are much more than $30k.

With that said. $30k for one of these with 60000 miles is probably a pretty smart buy. That is if you’re willing to roll the dice on whether or not it actually got maintained and not every renter beat the piss out of it. Also can handle an overly worn interior from families just not giving a fuck, since you know, it’s a rental.

I’m seeing 2WD for $22K and 4WD for $24-28K

@rob78

sales guy just got back to me. He said it was a rental

hmm

Its a giant SUV. Why even ask? It's not going to be good.

For some reason in the US, all we have in our mind is some image of old school Land Cruisers and Defenders doing this stuff.
Most don’t know about the Patrol.

Nissan has a few marketing issues.

One has one is they slipped the patrol in as an Infiniti, then when bringing in the Nissan version named it the armada.  The could have introduced it with some commercials with some vintage footage of early Gen Patrols on safari, exploring, from documentaries or something.  And straight up called them patrols.  
This would have helped cement the Infiniti version as a Lexus Land Cruiser LX equivalent in the American market.
It would have solidified the Nissan version as a Toyota Land Cruiser equivalent.  Naming it after a U.S. built truck based large SUV with a less solid reputation was a horrible move.

You are talking about a U.S. built Titan truck based SUV direct competitor to the Sequoia that in many ways was both a better buy and better in many aspects than the Toyota.  But overall did not garner a huge following.  It sold about 250K units over the decade or so it made on this platform.  Which sold maybe 375K units in America during the same time.

The 2017 up Armada (and QX80) are made in Japan.  And are based on the Nissan Patrol.  Basically their Land Cruiser, Defender type vehicle they have been making since the early 1950s.  Basically a couple of years after the Land Rover Series I, and about the same year Toyota came out with the LandCruiser BJ.  (Which was the culmination of Japan’s type 95 combined with studying and reverse engineering captured Willys MBs or Bantams.). I suspect Nissan based initial design of the Patrols off of studying civilian CJs. In 1950 the models borrowed heavily from Dodge M37s.   They stopped selling them in the US in the 60s.  Then full on 2nd Gen Patrols from about a decade later to 1980.  Third Gen came aout around 80.  Fourth Gen around 90. There were a lot of these around the world.  Some had Patrol, some had Safari, and some even had “Ford Maverick” badges.  The fifth Gen came out at the end of the 90s.  Great vechicle. 6th Gen in 2010.

These were the first new direct sold Patrol vehicles in America since around 1970.  It was called the QX56 which makes no sense as it replaced the Titan/Armada based QX56.  It got a face life and name change to QX80 a few years later.  And a few years after that in 2017 also became available as the Armada.

A marketing campaign re-searing the Patrol into the American consciousness as the QX Patrol Luxury and the Nissan Patrol Safari would have made way more sense in my mind.  Only a minority of younger, buying Americans with overseas time would know the rep.

There are very few movies and virtually none of big cultural significance with them to have put/kept them in American consciousness  in the 70s, 80s. 90s, 00s.
They ended up so below the radar that when you see an old documentary or something from Africa, Asia, Middle East, etc. that if one is in it, people just automatically assume it’s a Land Rover or Land Cruiser.

It’s sort of like how EVERYONE knows about the really cool Rolex watches and Seiko watches of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and they have continued to do strong, but virtually forgot about the awesome Citizen ones of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, - and kind of sort of knows some of them since as sort of an also ran.

Nissan just not get the love it should. It was looking good for them into the 90s.
Off the top of my head, not counting vintage vehicles or older used vehicles, my wife and I have had
Two Chevy, one Oldsmobile, two Nissan, one Eagle, three Toyota, three Ford, three Acura, three Jeep, one Ram, two Dodge,
With mostly SUVs/CUVs/trucks or performance type cars.

Both Dodge and especially Nissan have really screwed their demographics/reputation.

Haven't kept up on the Pilot - did they ever resolve the engine oil-consumption issues....?

We had a 2016 NV3500. Only problem it ever had was a blown trans at maybe 90k, still under warranty. Got rid of it at around 100k.

He's trying to sell it as a 2 year old car.  It's got about 5 years of miles on it.  

If you really like it, I'd beat him up on the mileage and be prepared to walk.  

Otherwise, keep looking.  You can't throw a rock without hitting a used Armada/QX80 around here.

I am taking a hard look at a 4WD 2020+ Armada, used. I don't care about luxury features, cameras, lane departure etc. Really looking for reliability, minimizing electronic gizmos, and the power to tow an open car hauler weighing in at 6 to 7k.

Q1: Has anyone removed the 3rd row seats? How much more room does that get you?

Q2: Anybody done much towing with one? I have trucks for real towing jobs at 8k+.

Other options: I checked out late model 4Runners, and just was not that impressed with them. I had a 2004, and maybe I am looking back with rose colored glasses but it just seemed to be a better vehicle in every way. I want to like it due to resale, but it was just pretty meh. Maybe I should go test drive a GX460? would take a hit on towing capacity with those two.
Used Sequoias?  I want to get away from Ford and don't mess with GM or Dodge.

Interesting story I heard; during or after the first Gulf War KBZ (ruler of UAE) looked for a way to quickly expand the military. He reached out to a number of car companies to obtain a lot of vehicles on credit and only Nissan offered credit. UAE bought thousands of Super Safaris which is why the model is so popular in the region to this day.

In general, if you are concerned with towing, that is Toyota kryptonite,  they just can’t compete.
I have had three and still have a Toyota ranging from models in 1989, 1994, and 2011.

The previous generation Patrol is still made in about three countries.
It is a solid choice.

Nissan had a very capable no frills vehicle in the Xterra and they killed it just in time to miss the overlanding fad craze.

I have a 19 plat 4x4 for the wife. Bought it new and only has 20k miles. Solid Suv with plenty of comfort but only gets like 12mpg city. I drove it from Houston to Shitcago last summer (19hr) driveand it was very comfortable.

Look up Cylinder #7 issues

And electrical issues are common

The 2019 Sequoia rental we had when the wife's GX was wrecked got better gas mileage than the smaller GX did.

The Sequoia had the 5.7 in it.  Got about 18 on the interstate going to the coast, fully loaded, driving 80ish.

Got 20ish driving 55-60 on smaller highways.

I like wood grain trim.

Wife has a friend who gets new cars every couple of years.  Her friend's favorite SUV out of all of them has been an Armada.

Wife mentioned getting one, but I'm leery of Nissan products.  I've always viewed them as the Dodge/Chrysler of Japanese brands.  Cheaper and lots of options, but the build quality isn't up there with Honda and Toyota.

That said, if the Armadas are made in Japan maybe I should look at one.  I much prefer vehicles made over there than ones built here.

Been driving Hondas mostly, with a few Yotas mixed in, since the late 80's.  Japan made > domestically made Japanese brands