Nissan Armada

clpurnell

the expy has curtains too.

bmwdoug

I believe the Armada is the only SUV that offers both side airbags and Side curtain airbags. I am not sure if the side airbags make a huge difference, my guess is they do contribute to better safety scores. Anyone know the correct answer?

rshe

I eliminated the Expy as a choice, after I rented one for a week to go to the Outer Banks. Just wasn't up to par on quality, in my opinion. The vehicle had about 1500 miles on it; the airbag light flashed throughout the trip and there was a wind leak somewhere that was so bad you could barely talk in the cabin. The other thing is their NAV system is CD based, outdated and slow.

rshe

They protect the ribs and lower torso, as opposed to the side curtain which protect only the head...Have to think they would be an extra margin for the driver and front passenger.

berisimus

Am I mistaken or has the base price been changing on the Infinit web site? I could swear that I have seen the price change from the 46+ to 49+ and back over the last several days. Can anyone explain?

berisimus

Further to my previous post. I assume the error was not that I mistakenly pulled up the prompt for the 4WD. Also, the 46+ K does not include destination charge. If this price is correct, a loaded Armada LE 4X2 with Technology does not look quite as appealing when compared to a base 4x2 QX56.

bowke28

the expedition's nav system is DVD based. the one you had in the rental was the rental company's.

rshe

Unless this recently changed, within the past year.. The Expedition (NAV only available in the Eddie Bauer) was CD based.. When I was thinking about buying one, that was one of the negatives in my book.. Did they upgrade to DVD in 04?

rshe

Went onto Edmunds build section for the Expe. EB and it is still listed as a CD based system...The CD based systems are slower and you have more than one CD since they hold less than a third the amount of data of a DVD. They are significantly cheaper than the DVD based systems as well.

One question I had, since I have never even got to play with the NAV on an Armada.. Is it a touch screen as well as the joystick control on the dash?

bowke28

touch screen? i actually have never tried touching the screen...lol.

clpurnell

I have the same nav system in my FX it is joystick only. I think it is the best functioning nav on the market but wish it had the dvd movie and voice activation of the acura and lexus.

ronshan

I just jumped on the Infiniti web site and priced a QX56 2WD (base, no options) at $51,155, including destination. Still comparing the Nissan equipment list against the Infiniti's.

rshe

Thanks for the info.. Based on it's position from the driver, I didn't think it would be.

berisimus

I also just went to the Infiniti site and, lo and behold, this time it reveals a base price (no options, with destination included) of $49,255.00! I am not sure it makes a difference but I did include my zip code when I first navigated the "build your vehicle" site. Anyone know what gives with this constantly changing price? I also noticed that in one day's time they increased the XM option from $380 to $400. Is it common to see such constant price changing on a manufacturer's website?

ronshan

I also included my zip code - - I guess I will have to travel to get the best price.

peter_in_atl

† Various price points, which periodically will change upon re-entry to the site, are included only to simulate the actual selection process and thereby provide greater predictability to the research tool. Please note that final model and options as well as vehicle pricing will only become available at time of launch. Dealer sets actual price.

bowke28

they are doing the same thing that they did with Titan a few months ago. if an option doesnt get clicked much, they drop the price a bit to see if it will get chosen more. if an option is highly popular, they raise it a little.

crazyeyes

After test driving an Armada and then waiting for a local dealer to find one (without luck) with the exact options I wanted, I went to Nissan's website and found the exact one I wanted at a dealer 500 miles away.

 Actually the vehicle wasn't even there yet. They called me when it did arrive - worked a quick deal (paid less than sticker) and they delivered it to my door.

Talk about convenience. The wife was elated that she didn't have to spend half a day in a dealership getting everything ironed out.

I'm still getting used to everything on it. Drove 50 miles before I realized how to get it in O/D instead of 4th. LOL

Can't think of anything negative yet. But will post more after I've put a few more miles on it.

bowke28

its very likely that the dealer found plenty of them, but the dealer network isnt trading quite yet. a few weeks of patience, and you may have saved lots of money AND the trip.

clpurnell

he didn't make a trip he had it delivered

ronshan

Congratulations on your purchase. I look forward to reading about your expierence.

popinjay

Just purchased a blue (more like metallic green) SE 4wd, with DVD, tow and leather packages. Paid $1500 over invoice, which seems to be fairly easy to get in this area. Don't know about going much lower at this time, as I was working with a broker that could only get $1000 over invoice, but then his fee was over $800. I just got tired of talking to all these guys and took the plunge. Dealer threw in pinstriping and window tint. They drove it over to my house, dropped it off, and told me to just come back in a couple of days to do the paperwork. That was saturday. I'm still driving it and haven't paid for it yet.
So far...I love it. I'm hoping the dealer has locking gas caps, though, because the local auto parts store certainly didn't have it in the catalog yet.

penske_fan

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2003_sema/armada/pages/1.htm

Also, Motorweek is doing the test today on Speedchannel http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2309.shtml

edloeser

Closed the deal on a black LE 4X4 w/2nd row bench & premium pkg last night after nearly getting thrown off of multiple dealers' lots for so many test drives Finding an LE spec'd as we wanted it was nearly impossible. Finally the dealer's Nissan rep got involved, found another dealer's unit leaving the factory in December and helped set up the inventory trade. Turns out that the great majority of initial dealer LE inventory are specd with 2nd row captains chairs and to a lesser degree sunroofs. Paid $850 over invoice. I called up the other dealer I was working with who tried to beat that deal with $500 over invoice, but I didnt feel $350 was enough of a savings to walk out on a dealer that had treated me so well. Looking forward to picking it up in December!!

woodyr1

Check out www.nissan.ca for pricing on all Nissan products, including the Armada.

popinjay

Now I know why I only buy a car every 10 years or so. I'm in the finance department yesterday to complete the red tape on the armada that I'd been driving since saturday. After suffering through the extended warranty/lojack diatribe (a tip for those of you considering the extended warranty: For an 84 month/100,000 mile/0 deductible warranty, the initial price was $2800. It quickly dropped to $1500 after I showed no interest. I was able to get this 'special' rate because I'm ex-military (haha..unbelievable!)), I was reading over the contract and noticed a $300 charge for some theft related option where the dealer will pay you $3000 if the vehicle is stolen and not recovered within 30 days. First I'd ever heard of that. They just tried to slip it in there. No way, I said. They also tried to hit me up for $297 for the 'automate' paint protection deal, after I'd already agreed with fleet guy that I wouldn't be charged. The GM said he'd take it off, but at the expense of fleet guy's commission. Sounds ok by me, I said.
Bottom line...make 'em account for every expense that goes into the final price. I heard so many numbers and so much double talk that I wouldn't have been surprised to see donald rumsfeld come out and convince me to bomb canada.
I wanna report these guys to some agency, I'm just not sure who.

edloeser

Wow- that's too bad. Its amazing how some dealers still do their best to push add-ons and hustle people during the financing process. I was lucky, the dealer Im working with has been great. Once the sales manager knew I was serious and would not pay anywhere near MSRP I offered $500 over invoice. He counter offered $1200 over invoice, I countered with $850 and he accepted. Took about 13 seconds. He had also agreed that we were negotiating on whichever Armada we ended up finding that fit my needs, not a specific vehicle on the lot. No extra transfer fees, freight fees, no talk of undercoating or fabric protection or extended warranties- nothing. A lot of dealers will also tack on "advertizing", "prep", or a number of other things before arriving at their "invoice" calculation- these guys did none of that. We agreed on $850 over invoice, found the vehicle I wanted in their computer system (after considerable time and effort), saw what their invoice cost was, and closed the deal. It was great.

popinjay

Congratulations! Sounds like you did your homework, found a good dealer, and got a good price with no hassles.
My experience was insulting, to say the least. The finance guy and some 'mystery' guy were doing the warranty/lojack fandango..where the finance guy kept sitting there telling me how 'he just had the lojack thing installed and how I'd be a fool not to take the warranty...while 'mystery' man kept running to the 'GM' (who just happened to be a former Marine. Gee, just like me.) to see if he could get a better deal on the warranty. 'I even have a coupon you can use' say's the mystery man. It actually would have been entertaining had it not been wasting so much of my time. At one point I even asked the finance guy if he'd be a bit ticked off if someone was trying to slip extra charges in on him. 'Yes', he managed to squeek. I'd advise anyone to read the Edmund's article 'confessions of a car salesman', even if you only intend to deal with the fleet department.
It would not surprise me a bit if the smarmy host from the 'Joe Schmo' show was hired to greet customers at this dealership.

armada2

I took delivery of my Silver LE Armada 10-25 and on 10-31 I lost all power to the wheels but the motor was still running at 1100RPM only, then the charging system went. The dealer has the truck now for 3 days and could not fix it. They are waiting for Nissan tecs to come and look at it.
Are there anyone else out there with a lemon?

stever

Tell your local consumer protection agency if you have one; usually run by the local Attorney General's office.

If they get enough complaints they'll lean on the dealer, in spite of the car dealer's lobby.

Steve, Host

pfarmada

When I bought my Sequoia the Finance Officer at the dealer said that they video tape the financial transactions. I can assure you it was very professional without a dog and poney show and no pressure to buy other things.Some may be against this, but it protects both parties.

Armada2 if you need legal counsel in the future I can recommend the Krohn & Moss Firm. They have taken 8000 cases and lost less than 1%.

lennoxbeals

Purchased my Armada, Deep Water Blue 4x2 LE with all the options except the DVD navigation system (use my pocketpc and gps card for navigation) and the video entertainment system (no kids). Time from walking in to out was just under 3 hours. Paid under MSRP, got a good trade on my 02 XTerra, paid a significant down payment and 3.69% financing for the rest. Chase Manhattan had just faxed a special offer for the Armada to the dealership that morning. All in all a very satisfactory experience. Dealer was Pocomo in Hampton, VA and sales guy was Jon Wallace. None of the back and forth haggling that I hate. Told them what I wanted for my Xterra and what I was willing to put down in addition and what I expected to finance and told them to work it out if they wanted me to buy. In addition they transferred the plates from my XTerra to the Armada (if you see BLU SUB6 that is me) an important consideration since can't easily get it on military base without permanent plates.

So far about 150 miles in the past two days, only nits so far are 1) the security fob keeps clanking against the dash because of the design of the ignition switch on the dash, 2) the speed sensitive volume for the sound system is annoying when you are trying to carry on a conversation and have music also on but that can be disabled and finally (and the biggest one) the security hierarchy for the doors - personally I don't think the rear hatch should open from the keyfob without first unlocking the doors. Came back to the Armada to find the hatch fully open, apparently I had inadvertently hit the door hatch key on the fob when I stuffed it in my pocket. Still trying to figure out how to disable that feature on the keyfob.

But all in all I am really happy with the purchase, just wish that Nissan had more accessories out, still haven't managed to locate a kayak rack for it.

lawrence

ahoy1202

I have stopped by to test driving Armada for twice. I also bring my SONY portable XM radio to test the auxiliary input in the dashboard. Somehow, the auxiliary input seems not to work at all. I can barely hear the song from XM even when I turn the volume all the way up. I can not receive any answer from the dealer. Just wonder if anyone uses this feature in his Amadar successfully.

stever

They have taken 8000 cases and lost less than 1%

That means they settled 7,999 of them :-)

Lennoxbeals, congrats on the new ride. You mentioned buying in Hampton - does that mean you're trying to get a sea kayak up there instead of a little short river yak? Foam blocks would work ok for a river kayak until you could get a real rack.

Check with Yakima and Thule for racks too. At the least they should be able to give you some idea of when their tower clips, etc. will hit the market.

Steve, Host

armada2

Thanks for your help listing the law firm, I will contact them if the local BBB has no luck.

Finally the dealer said that they received the parts to fix the Armada and should have me back on the road today? Stand-by for the outcome!

coryms

After wasting two weeks of my time dealing with at least five different dealerships, I took advantage of another manufacturer's rebates and dropped my endless search for an Armada.

In the end I was extremely dissappointed with Nissan's sales service. Many dealers flat-out lied to me and said that no orders could be placed with the factory while others wanted me to pay above MSRP for a demo vehicle.

I really did want this vehicle but had no patience to deal with Nissan sales teams who wouldn't spend more than five minutes looking for a comparable LE model with tech and 2nd row bench. I don't think I was asking for too much but obviously they did not take me for a serious buyer.

bowke28

it only takes 5 minutes to search the ENTIRE COUNTRY!!! i would understand if it were 1 or 2 dealers, but when you start getting the same answers from 5 or more, doesnt that tell you something?????

rshe

I've had 3 dealers in the past 2 days call me.. These are dealerships I talked with in the beginning of Oct.. I told one of them that I already ordered one for $1500 over invoice and he told me he has 15 on his lot and he would match the $1500 over and make sure I got me deposit back from the other dealer.

bowke28

certain colors and trim levels are piling up. the sedona color isnt too popular so far. the off-road package is a flop, and 2WD models will sit for quite awhile, but the others are smokin'!!

pfarmada

Are you saying only the 2WD Off Road is a flop or both Off Road Models?

What is the hottest color so far?

bowke28

is BY FAR smoke. everything nissan puts the smoke color on flies off the lots like they are on fire! (pun intended) ;-)

we have had almost a dozen armadas so far. only 1 has been an off-road. its a 4x4 with leather package in gold. it was the 3rd one we got and is still here. ive only had people on it for demo purposes. no other interest. ive sold 3 personally, all smoke. 1 SE 4x4, 1 LE 4x2, and 1 LE 4x4. i think even if the truck was a kia, people would buy it for the color...lol.

pfarmada

I can understand the logic behind the 2WD Off Road being unpopular, but it makes no sense for the 4x4 Off Road to be unpopular. Can you explain the reasoning?

aggiedog

I've been searching about 10 local (DC Metro) dealers online once a week since mid October. They all seem to have the very same vehicles that they first received. Some have added a few in recent weeks but I'm seeing the same trucks still there. I don't think many people are going to buy for MSRP or above. Carmax Baltimore, which discounted (a little) from the beginning, recently discounted its inventory even more. They began around 752 below MSRP. They are now around 1250 below. Read into this what you will.

rshe

Just for fun I did a search on the one in Greenville, SC. They are already $1200 off of MSRP and when you go into the site they give you a pop up ad(coupon) for another $1000 off any Armada in stock.

bowke28

my reaction on here has NOTHING to do with being a salesperson. on here i can CANDIDLY talk about cars without having to worry about losing a deal. my point is that if you got the same answer from 5 different dealers, that should tell you that something is wrong with what you are asking for. if you ask 5 women out on a date and all tell you "no, you have bad breath", wouldnt you go brush your teeth?

rshe

This subject was brought up earlier in this thread and there was some confusion as to wether it had been rescinded. According to this article it is still in effect and most probably stay that way until "05..

FYI

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10045-2003Nov6.htm- - l#

pfarmada

Can you answer the question from #784 for me please. Thanks, PFA

bowke28

sorry...forgot about that one.

i dont know...the fact that the only VISUAL difference is the words 'OFF ROAD' on the rear quarter could have something to do with it. the ground clearance is plentiful in the SE or LE even without the 'off-road' package.

knockoff

"Plentiful" to some is merely sufficient to others. The extra clearance & more robust tires can be very helpful to some of us.

pfarmada

Heavy Duty Radiator, Rancho Shocks (n/a w/Tow Pkg), 17" Spoke Alum Alloys, P285/70R17 All Terrain Tires, Fog Lights, Bose Stereo, Leather Seats, Skid Plate Pkg?