2022 Buick Enclave vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Nissan Armada, a close relative of the Nissan Patrol, received a significant facelift, aligning it with Nissan's new signature exterior design. The SUV retained its robust and athletic body styling, featuring a new grille, front fenders, bumpers, and LED headlights and taillights. The Armada was available in S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims, with the Midnight Edition Package exclusive to the SL. The Platinum trim, which we tested, showcased body-color over fenders, dark-painted roof rails, and an acoustic windshield and front side windows. Depending on the trim, the Armada rode on 18-, 20-, or 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels, with upper trims offering a full-size spare tire. The new Nissan logo was prominently displayed on the grille, rear, steering wheel, and wheel caps. Despite the updates, the Armada's underbite remained, aging the model compared to its redesigned competitors like the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, part of Buick's shift from sedans to SUVs, received a mid-cycle refresh with several exterior enhancements. The updates included a new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The top-tier Avenir trim featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave's center console was restyled with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim offered standard climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching. The Enclave's spacious cabin comfortably accommodated passengers in all three rows, with the third row suitable even for six-footers. The second-row captain's chairs provided easy access to the third row and added versatility. The Enclave's cargo space was ample, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows down.

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, with automatic four-wheel drive available. Despite its weight of over 6,000 pounds, the Armada was a capable off-roader, featuring a skid plate, double-wishbone suspension, Hitachi twin-tube shock absorbers, and up to 9.2 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 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined, and 4WD models getting 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. The Armada's handling had improved over the years, but its turning radius and maneuverability in parking lots remained challenging.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct injection, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds. The Enclave provided a smooth and quiet ride, enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The AWD-equipped test vehicle handled well on various terrains, offering a comfortable and serene cabin experience. The Enclave's powertrain was responsive, with good off-the-line acceleration and a nine-speed automatic transmission that performed seamlessly. The SUV's 7.5 inches of ground clearance and AWD made it capable of handling light off-road trails and wintry conditions.

The 2021 Nissan Armada offered practicality and functionality for families, with standard running boards and in-cabin handles for easy ingress and egress. The new 12.3-inch touchscreen was the largest in its class, but its placement made some controls difficult to reach. The front seats were power-adjustable, with the driver’s seat offering 10-way adjustments and the passenger’s seat six-way adjustments. The mid-grade SL and top-tier Platinum trims offered second-row captain's chairs, reducing seating capacity from eight to seven. The third row was less comfortable for adults due to limited legroom. 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 down. However, the high load floor made loading and unloading challenging. Small-item storage was limited, with the center console storage bin being the exception.

The 2022 Buick Enclave made ingress and egress easy, with excellent visibility thanks to its large windshield and windows. The Enclave's cabin was spacious, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The third row was comfortable for six-footers, and the standard second-row captain's chairs provided easy access to the third row. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with two cupholders. The Enclave offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows down. The power-folding third-row seats made accessing the cargo space easier.

The 2021 Nissan Armada featured a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, the largest in its class, with navigation, a six-speaker stereo system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB Type-A and Type-C ports, a WiFi hotspot, NissanConnect Services, keyless entry with push-button start, Android Auto, and wireless Apple CarPlay as standard. Available features included a wireless device charging pad, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, a rearview camera mirror, and a second-row entertainment system. The analog tachometer and speedometer, along with a functional but unattractive steering wheel, provided limited control of the driver information screen and some infotainment functions.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously, and a built-in WiFi hotspot could handle up to four devices up to 50 feet away. The Premium and Avenir trims featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system, while the standard six-speaker system was adequate. The Enclave also included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2021 Nissan Armada came equipped with Nissan Safety Shield 360, which included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking. Additional standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear door alert. Optional features included a rear camera mirror and surround-view camera system. The NHTSA gave the Armada a three-star rollover rating due to its 23.7-percent rollover risk.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package as standard, which included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, a rear-seat reminder system, and an HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The NHTSA gave the Enclave four out of five stars for rollover resistance, and the IIHS rated it "Good" in all but one crash test, where it received an "Acceptable" score.