How Does the 2024 Ford Expedition Size Up Against the 2024 Nissan Armada?

SUVs are cool vehicles, particularly full-size models like the Ford Expedition and Nissan Armada.. They’re capable of much more than a lot of drivers understand, but you don’t have to be looking for an off-roader to qualify for an SUV. Perhaps what attracts you to the vehicle is its size, space, and flexibility for your family. Now, if you’ve talked to friends who have SUVs, you may hear different opinions from different people. One person might say “I love my Ford Expedition; I originally wanted this other vehicle, but I had a really bad experience with it.” Another person who owns that very vehicle might say, “I love my SUV; I looked at a bunch of options, and this was the best one by far.” All this to say, experience is subjective.

While getting word-of-mouth opinions is certainly helpful, it’s important to look at the objective offerings of a vehicle to properly compare two models. Compared to other vehicle types, SUVs have an abundance of offerings, hence the name Sport Utility Vehicle–the point is to offer utility, and with that comes a lot of features! Regardless of whether or not you’re in the market for an SUV, comparing vehicles side-by-side is a skill of its own that is useful to have when you’re looking to purchase a vehicle of any kind. So, to give you some insight into this process, let’s do a side by side comparison: 2024 Ford Expedition vs 2024 Nissan Armada. How would one begin to compare these two vehicles? Let’s take a look.

Which Model Offers the Best Fuel Efficiency?

The predominant market to which full-size SUVs caters to is families. With seating for up to eight, flexible cargo space, and great safety features, both the 2024 Expedition and 2024 Armada are well-suited to families. Thinking from the perspective of the head of a family, a key need is going to be keeping the budget under control. As such, it’s important to look not only at the vehicle price but also at the fuel efficiency; this will make a significant difference in terms of the money spent over time, even after the vehicle itself is paid off.

The 2024 Armada offers an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency of 14 MPG in the city and 19 MPG on the highway. While it’s not the worst on the market, if we’re being honest, that’s not a fuel-efficiency to write home about, especially if your family is on the go most of the time. The 2024 Expedition offers an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency of 17 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway. While it’s not the highest fuel efficiency in the automotive industry as a whole, those numbers are quite good for a full-size SUV, and are objectively higher than the Armada. With this higher fuel-efficiency rating, the Expedition provides families with the opportunity to save more money over time in terms of fuel.

And let’s be honest, in addition to the money saved, having fewer stops for gas is an efficiency rating in and of itself. This is not to say that the Armada doesn’t have great features of its own, but if fuel efficiency is important to the driver, it’s clear that there’s a winner in this category, and it’s the Expedition.

The Expedition Provides Drivers With Larger Cargo Space Options

Anyone with kids knows that driving with a family involves a lot more than passengers; sometimes it can feel like every time you’re leaving the house you’re leaving for a two-week vacation with all of the bags and items you need to bring. Seeing as this is a common experience for most families, understanding the cargo management capacity and flexibility is a key component to discerning the difference between the two vehicles.

Let’s assume that all of the seats are filled; your family needs every seat in the house, so you’re working only with the rear storage space behind the third row of seating. In this case, the Armada offers a maximum cargo volume of 16.5 cu.ft. That’s not bad; you’ll certainly be able to store a good amount of cargo with that volume. However, the Expedition does offer 20.9 cu.ft. with the third-row seats fully upright. Reading those numbers, the difference may seem subtle, but think about adding 4.4 cu.ft. of space—that’s a significant increase in capacity. Now, that’s just for the regular Expedition.

If you go with the Expedition MAX, you’ll be able to achieve up to 36 cu.ft. of cargo capacity behind the third row alone, more than doubling the Armada’s offering. Of course, if you have a specific mission that involves just cargo with no passengers necessary, you can maximize the cargo volume by taking advantage of the foldable rear seats. Behind the first row (driver and passenger seats), the Expedition can offer up to 121.5 cu.ft. of cargo capacity with the MAX. For families on the go, there’s no arguing that the Expedition has a significant leg up in the capacity category; we don’t think there’s ever been a family complaining about their vehicle having “too much space,” so there’s no downside to the Expedition in this regard.

Looking for Some Light Off-Roading Fun? The Expedition Has You Covered

What good is a family vehicle if it doesn’t allow families to have fun? Families need to have more fun; it’s important to get away from work and school and just enjoy being together. While the vehicle isn’t always the source of family fun, it can certainly be a tool to help facilitate it. So, how do the Armada and Expedition achieve that, respectively?

Let’s say you want to spend some time in the great outdoors, maybe for a camping trip. In this case, you’ll need to make sure your vehicle is durable for the elements. The Armada offers available four-wheel drive with selectable drive modes. This way, if you’re changing from an on-road terrain to an off-road terrain, the vehicle can kick it into gear to handle the changing turf. Once you’re off the road, the Armada has some features to help you better achieve the drive. With off-roading tech like Hill Start Assist and Active Brake Limited Slip, you’ll have the assistance you need to make sure your ride remains stable and safe.

In addition to offering all-wheel-drive with 10-speed transmission, the Expedition also offers a Terrain Management System, allowing you to change the vehicle’s driving strategy for different terrains. With seven selectable drive modes, there’s almost nothing the Expedition can’t handle. Additionally, the 2024 Expedition offers the Timberline off-road trim, which offers more than just tech to help you navigate adventurous terrain. With 10.6 inches of ground clearance and skid plates, the Expedition Timberline is designed specifically for off-roading. Additional features like Trail 1-Pedal Drive for trail-crawling and Ford Trail Control, serving as a cruise control option for off-roading, make the Expedition much better equipped to handle fun-filled nature experiences. While the Armada is certainly not a boring vehicle, the Expedition has fun specifically in mind. If you want to have great adventures with your family, the Expedition is ready to make that happen.

The Versatile and Adventurous Ford Expedition

Facts don’t lie. While there is more than one way to compare two vehicles, and the categories we’ve examined today are not exhaustive, there is a clear difference in offerings between the 2024 Armada and the 2024 Expedition. While the Armada is a capable full-size SUV, it does not offer the same amount of versatility that the Expedition provides. Whether it’s fuel efficiency or ample space at the top of your must-have list, the Expedition is a fantastic model for everyone from adventure-seekers to large families. At DePaula Ford, we have the Expedition selection you’re looking for, along with a dedicated team that’s ready to take you on a few test drives and help you narrow down a trim that’s tailored to your unique needs. Come in today and see how the Expedition can take your time on the road to the next level.