2004 4x4 Truck Of The Year Vehicles

Nissan Pathfinder Armada LEHighs *A 10-foot ladder fits inside*Great engine/tranny combo*Power rear tailgateLows *Cheap interior feel*Terrible traction in loose terrain*Odd styling that will have to grow on us

VerdictRoadmobile with room for the extended family

In an unusual and in some ways risky move, Nissan entered both the fullsize pickup truck and SUV markets in the same model year. Evidently it wants to shake the mini-truck builder image that many of us think of when we hear the name Nissan. According to our judges, Nissan has been successful in doing just that.

The first thing you need to know about the Pathfinder Armada is that it borrows its engineering from the Titan and only its name from the smaller SUV. It is built on the boxed-frame architecture (are you noticing a trend this year?) of the Titan pickup and powered by the same 305hp 5.6L Endurance V-8, but the torque is up 6 points to 385 lb-ft. The Armada trades the bed space of the Titan for passenger space, while maintaining a 9,100-pound towing capacity. During our test we found the second row of seats had more legroom than an Excursion and the third row offered as much room as some competitors' second row. We could hold staff meetings in this thing! Compared to the Lexus and the VW, the Nissan's interior feels less than luxurious in some places and downright cheap in others. But something has to offset all the costs in an SUV this size that offers so much for the price.

Even though it's huge, it doesn't drive like a tank. The Armada gets a good grip on the road thanks to its stance and wide tires. Our judges never worried about keeping up with the pack-until we got in tight parking lots where the visibility limitations of this SUV came into play. That's why it's far better suited as a family escape pod to take to the park, the beach, or to the weekend cabin than it is as an urban commuter.

Off-road driving in the Armada was a whole different story. About the best thing the Armada has to offer is ground clearance from the tires. Suspension travel and usable traction are rare commodities in this 4x4. Without the locker (or even solid rear axle) of the Titan it was possible, and all too common, to lift tires in the air and get stuck where no other 4x4 in the test had any problems.