2022 Toyota Sienna vs 2021 Nissan Armada

The 2021 Nissan Armada underwent a significant facelift, aligning its exterior with Nissan's new signature design. The SUV featured a new grille, front fenders, bumpers, and LED headlights and taillights, giving it a modern look while retaining its traditional beefy and athletic body styling. The Armada was available in S, SV, SL, and Platinum grades, with the Midnight Edition Package exclusive to the SL trim. The Platinum trim, which was 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, all wrapped in all-season tires. The new Nissan logo was prominently placed on the grille, rear, steering wheel, and wheel caps.

Despite the exterior updates, the interior of the Armada remained somewhat dated. The upper half of the center stack was modern, but other design choices, like rouched material on the door panels and abstract patterned hard plastic inlays, made the SUV appear past its prime. The seating material varied from Prima-Tex to quilted leather, depending on the trim. The Midnight Edition Package added dark accents, including black exterior logos and painted mirrors, roof rails, and skid plates. The new exterior color option, Coulis Red Pearl, joined a palette of other colors, enhancing the SUV's visual appeal.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna, continuing from its 2021 redesign, aimed to blend minivan practicality with SUV styling. The Sienna featured a macho front end and re-engineered door hinges and slides to conceal the slider channel, giving it a more assertive profile. The minivan rode on 17-inch wheels on base models, with 18-inch and 20-inch options on higher trims. The interior was designed to avoid the typical minivan feel, offering an uncluttered front cabin with clever storage solutions, including an under-console open storage area, big door pockets, and numerous cup holders. The second and third rows provided comfortable, roomy seating, with available second-row captain’s chairs and a spacious three-across bench in the third row.

The third-row bench was a 60/40-split that stored away into the floor, and the second-row seats slid up to 25 inches for easy access to the third row. The Sienna's cargo space was impressive, with 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet behind the second row, and 101 cubic feet behind the first row. The minivan also had a 3,500-pound towing capacity. Power-operated sliding doors and a rear tailgate with foot-motion triggers added convenience, making it easier to access the vehicle with hands full.

The 2021 Nissan Armada was equipped with a robust Endurance 5.6-liter V8 engine, paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain delivered 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel, though regular unleaded was recommended, which could result in slightly lower power figures. The Armada came standard with rear-wheel drive, with an optional automatic four-wheel drive. Despite its hefty weight, maxing out 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 an impressive 8,500 pounds.

Fuel economy was a weak point for the Armada, with RWD models achieving an EPA-estimated 14 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined. The 4WD models fared slightly worse, with 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. The Armada's handling had improved over the years, making highway driving more manageable, though its turning radius and parking maneuverability remained challenging. Standard features included a seven-pin trailer harness plug, trailer sway control, and an available trailer brake controller.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna, on the other hand, came exclusively with a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors to produce 243 horsepower. FWD was standard, with an optional AWD system that added a separate electric motor for the rear wheels. The Sienna used an electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), offering smooth and efficient power delivery. Drivers could choose from four selectable drive modes: Normal, EV, Eco, and Sport.

The Sienna's handling was surprisingly good for a minivan, thanks to the Toyota Next Generation Architecture (TNGA) platform's front suspension and independent rear trailing arm suspension. Body roll was minimal, and the minivan provided a comfortable and smooth highway ride. The big news for the Sienna Hybrid was its impressive fuel economy, with FWD models achieving 36 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined, while AWD models achieved 35 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined. The 288-volt nickel metal-hydride battery pack was tucked under the front seats, and it came with a 10-year/150,000-mile warranty.

The 2021 Nissan Armada, as Nissan’s flagship SUV, offered practicality and functionality for families. The full-size SUV required a bit of a hop to get in and out, but standard running boards and in-cabin handles made it easier. The new 12.3-inch touchscreen was a standout feature, though its placement made some controls a bit of a reach for both the driver and front passenger. The front seats were comfortable, with 10-way power adjustments for the driver and six-way for the passenger, including power lumbar support.

The Armada offered second-row captain’s chairs in the SL and Platinum trims, reducing seating capacity from eight to seven but increasing comfort. The third-row seats were less comfortable for adults due to limited legroom but could accommodate passengers in a pinch. Cargo space was 16.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 49.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 95.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. These figures were below average for the segment, and the high load floor made loading and unloading more challenging. Small-item storage was limited, with the exception of a deep center console storage bin. The Armada featured nine cup holders and four bottle holders.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna was designed to be a family workhorse, capable of carrying a full 4x8 sheet of plywood with the tailgate closed. The sliding second row added flexibility for loading luggage and freight. Cargo space was 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet behind the second row, and 101 cubic feet behind the first row. The Sienna also had a 3,500-pound towing capacity. The 60/40-split third-row bench stored away easily, and each row had storage cubbies and cupholders, with bottle holders in all four side doors.

Both side sliding doors and the rear tailgate were power-operated, with foot-motion triggers for added convenience. This feature made it easier to access the vehicle with hands full, enhancing the Sienna's practicality for busy families.

The 2021 Nissan Armada saw significant tech upgrades with its refresh. The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen was the largest in its class and highly responsive. Standard features included 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. Available features included a wireless charging pad, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, a rearview camera mirror, and a second-row entertainment system. The analog tachometer and speedometer were functional but not particularly attractive, and the steering wheel offered limited control over the driver information screen and infotainment system.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna came with a wealth of standard and available technology features. A 9-inch touchscreen was standard across all grades, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM, one USB media port, and six USB charging ports throughout the cabin. However, the Sienna lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was a notable omission. The Sienna included a one-year trial of Safety Connect and Remote Connect telematics services, a 10-year trial of Service Connect, and a three-month trial of AT&T WiFi Connect with up to 2 gigabytes of data.

Higher trim levels offered additional features, such as Qi wireless phone charging, a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt AC outlet, and a 12-speaker JBL audio system. A rear-seat entertainment system was available on XLE and above trims, featuring an 11.6-inch 1080p display, a remote, and two wireless headphones. The instrument panel included a color multi-information display, with a 4.2-inch screen on lower trims and a 7-inch screen on higher trims. Platinum models featured a 10-inch color head-up display, enhancing driving safety and convenience. Limited and Platinum models could also upgrade to a digital rearview mirror, providing a clear view of the road behind even with a full load of passengers.

The 2021 Nissan Armada had not been fully rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, except for a three-star rollover rating from the NHTSA, due to its 23.7-percent rollover risk. The Armada came standard 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. Buyers could also opt for a rear camera mirror and surround-view camera system. However, the Armada lacked advanced driving assist technologies like Nissan ProPilot Assist or Super Cruise.

The 2022 Toyota Sienna received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA. The standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite included adaptive cruise control, Lane Tracing Assist, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and traffic sign recognition. The Sienna also featured the Star Safety System, which included stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and electronic brake-force distribution. The minivan came with 10 airbags and several LATCH child-seat connectors, as well as a rear-seat reminder system. Tire-pressure monitoring and an inflator kit were standard, with an optional spare tire mounted in the cargo space for safety and convenience.