In the past, we used horses to get us around, and you could put hundreds and thousands of miles on a good horse with a good saddle. People rode their horses to battle and back, used their horses for plowing, and even competed in sporting competitions with them. Now, we can avoid saddle sores and calloused bottoms by utilizing the soft plushy seats of our favorite vehicles. However, not all vehicles are made equally, and we often have champions of the vehicle arena that are better than others. So when we’re comparing vehicles of quality, it seems only fitting to equate them to the knights of old and their trusty steeds to see who is the most capable of handling the demands of the now. To adequately compare the knights in shining armor of the SUV world, who have saved us from having to rough it on the open prairie, we must have a joust! In this medieval times face-off between the 2022 Chevy Suburban vs 2022 Nissan Armada, we will discover which knight wins the fair maiden’s affection and which one gets knocked off his horse and into the dust!
First Encounter: Safety and Price
They always say the first impression is most important, and when it comes to jousting, this is just as relevant. The first encounter is all about the quality of a knight’s armor and lance. In the vehicle world, this equates to safety features and price. After all, we can only be as good as our equipment allows us to be. The SUV knights are lining up their horses and are getting their gear ready to go. We see the 2022 Chevy Suburban sporting a four-star NHTSA overall safety rating and a plethora of safety features. Standard for all 2022 models, the Chevy Suburban has forward collision monitoring, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, and lane-keep assistance, which helps keep these SUVs on the straight and narrow. Available starting at $54,700, the Chevy Suburban costs a good amount, so we will see if it is worth the money.
Across the tilt-yard, the 2022 Nissan Armada is also ready for the first encounter with its Safety Shield 360. This safety package includes automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, so no poor bystanders will be harmed in this joust! It also has rear automatic braking, blindspot warnings, cross-traffic alerts, and lane departure warnings for those who struggle to stay in their lane. High beam assist allows the Armada to joust after dark. The Armada can be purchased for $49,500, costing a little less than the Suburbans, so we will have to see if all Nissan cut was the cost and not the quality.
With their steeds ready for the encounter, the knights spur off and ready their lances. The Chevy knight uses his safety features and armor to avoid impact and is able to land a blow. Despite all the Armada’s safety package and lower price, it doesn’t offer the Nissan knight enough coverage, and he is left open to the Suburban’s blow. We head into the second encounter with our Chevy knight seated sure and safe and our Nissan knight a little worse for wear.
Second Encounter: Towing and Cargo Capacity
The second encounter is based on what each knight can bring with them. After all, most knights need their squires, their equipment, and of course, a trailer to pull their horse. The 2022 Suburban can seat up to nine and is easily able to tow a horse and trailer with its max tow rating of 8,300 lbs. If our knight has a full team with him, he can still accommodate his own gear and all his passengers, able to store up to 41.5 cu.ft. of equipment. If our knight is flying solo, then he can fit 144.7 cu.ft. of equipment by utilizing the back seating areas. This puts our Chevy knight in prime position because he doesn’t have to leave anything or any of his team members behind.
Our Nissan knight makes sure he can bring his horse and trailer with him, as the Armada is able to tow an incredible 8,500 lbs of weight! The eight seats mean he also can bring his full team of squires and pages with him, ensuring he has everyone he needs to be successful. However, they may have to leave some of their gear behind because the Armada can only fit 16.5 cu.ft. of cargo in the trunk. If our Nissan knight decides he would rather have his stuff than his squires, he can utilize the seating area and get 92.6 cu.ft. of storage capacity, but that still puts him behind the Suburban.
Despite being able to tow slightly more than the Chevy Suburban, the Armada meant our Nissan knight left a lot of his armor behind to ensure his ability to have his team at the tournament. The Chevy knight takes off down the tilt-yard, fully armored and with his best lance, and rams into his opponent. The Nissan knight is not quite unseated but certainly less sure in the saddle! We go into the next encounter with the Chevy Suburban lining itself up in the leading position, but the Armada isn’t willing to admit defeat yet.
Third Encounter: Power and Handling
This third and final encounter is all about how strong and capable our knights are. The 2022 Chevy Suburban is capable of up to 420 hp! Pairing that power with 460 lb-ft of torque makes the Chevy fast on the take-off down the tilt-yard. The 2022 Nissan Armada is slightly slower on the take-off and at a slight disadvantage with only 400 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. While it is still quick, it will need some responsive handling to overcome this disadvantage!
However, raw power is not the Chevy’s only advantage. With a 3.0-liter diesel in addition to its 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s, the Suburban has plenty of options and variability to select the best engine for this match. Regardless of what engine is chosen, a 10-speed automatic transmission gives it smooth transitions through gears and allows our Chevy knight more flexibility in the saddle to adjust himself into the optimum position. We know the tilt-yard isn’t always in the best condition, but the Suburban also has four-wheel drive to give it better traction. Full of fuel that has yet to be decreased because the Suburban is rated for up to 23 MPG combined, Chevy is in prime position to take its opponent head-on!
The Nissan Armada is struggling to recover from its late start and is not making much ground despite having four-wheel drive capabilities to handle the rough take-off. With a 7-speed automatic transmission, it is just not as agile on the tilt-yard and is not recovering as well as would be hoped for. In fact, it may have to stop to refuel because the 5.6-liter V8 only gets up to 16 MPG. The Nissan knight is too busy watching his fuel gauge to pay full attention to the encounter, and the Chevy Suburban takes him by surprise, unseating him completely!
Our 2022 SUV Champion Is…
This joust was a good match, and both knights fought valiantly for the title of champion. Alas, the Nissan knight just was not able to keep his seat. He graced the arena floor with his behind, and the fair maiden’s favor has been tossed to another, better vehicle. It appears as though Chevy has stuck true to its nature and delivered a vehicle worthy of even the highest of kings. When we want the knights of the new age, the chivalrous and the bold, we want the 2022 Chevrolet Suburban.
