2021 Buick Enclave vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Buick Enclave marked a significant recovery for Buick, which had struggled through the Malaise Era of automotive design and marketing. The Enclave, a large, American-made SUV, helped Buick regain its footing by appealing to consumer preferences for SUVs. Available in Preferred, Essence, Premium, and Avenir trims, the Enclave ranged in price from just over $41,000 to just under $55,000. The Avenir trim, in particular, stood out with its unique grille pattern, extra brightwork, and polished 20-inch wheels, giving it a premium look. Inside, the Enclave Avenir featured a minimalist design with organic forms, polished accents, and soft leather, although the wood trim was not genuine. The electronic transmission shifter was a bit fussy, but users quickly adapted.

The 2021 Nissan Armada underwent a significant facelift, aligning its design with the new signature look of the Nissan brand. Available in S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims, the Armada's highest Platinum trim level featured a new grille, front fenders, bumpers, and LED headlights and taillights, giving it a modern yet athletic appearance. The Armada also offered a Midnight Edition Package with dark accents. The SUV's body-on-frame design included a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, and Hitachi twin-tube shock absorbers, making it a capable off-roader. The new Nissan logo was prominently displayed on the grille, rear, steering wheel, and wheel caps. Despite its updates, the Armada's rear design retained an underbite that aged the model compared to its competitors.

Under the hood, the 2021 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). The V6 produced 310 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm, providing strong acceleration. The Enclave's maximum tow rating was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly, and the premium-tuned suspension with continuously variable damping offered a smooth ride. The Enclave achieved an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving, with a range of up to 460 miles on a full tank.

The 2021 Nissan Armada was powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, delivering 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel. The Armada came standard with rear-wheel drive (RWD) and offered automatic four-wheel drive (4WD). Despite its weight of over 6,000 pounds, the Armada was a capable off-roader with a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, and 9.2 or 9.1 inches of ground clearance. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 8,500 pounds. However, its fuel economy was less impressive, with RWD models achieving 16 mpg combined and 4WD models getting 15 mpg combined. The Armada's handling had improved, but its large size made maneuvering in tight spaces challenging.

The 2021 Buick Enclave was one of the largest SUVs in its class, offering ample space for six or seven passengers. The Avenir trim featured 12-way power-adjustable front seats with massage functions, heated and ventilated leather seats, and a heated steering wheel. The Enclave's third-row seat was spacious and easy to access, and the SUV offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 58 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.6 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded.

The 2021 Nissan Armada, as Nissan's flagship SUV, provided practicality and functionality for families. The interior featured a new 12.3-inch touchscreen, but the dashboard's width made some controls hard to reach. The Armada offered comfortable seating for first- and second-row occupants, with power-adjustable front seats and optional second-row captain's chairs. The third-row seat was less comfortable for adults. The Armada provided 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 49.9 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 95.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. However, the high load floor made loading and unloading difficult for shorter individuals.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's infotainment system met basic expectations with quick response times, voice recognition, and a user-friendly interface. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and USB charging ports in all three rows. Upgrades included a premium sound system, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a surround-view camera system. However, the 8-inch touchscreen was smaller than competitors', and the 10-speaker Bose sound system was less impressive. The rear camera mirror was a useful feature.

The 2021 Nissan Armada featured a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, the largest in its class, with navigation, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay. Available upgrades included a wireless charging pad, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, a rearview camera mirror, and a second-row entertainment system. The Armada Platinum trim included these features as standard. The analog tachometer and speedometer were functional but less attractive, and the steering wheel controls were limited.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's safety features were limited to higher trim levels. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were available on the Essence trim and above, while the Driver Confidence Plus Package, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more, was standard on Premium and Avenir trims. Adaptive cruise control was only available on the Avenir trim with the optional Avenir Technology Package. The Enclave received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but had a four-star frontal-impact rating.

The 2021 Nissan Armada came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking. Additional standard features included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and blind-spot monitoring. The Armada was not available with advanced driving assist technologies like Nissan ProPilot Assist. The NHTSA gave the Armada a three-star rollover rating due to its 23.7-percent rollover risk.