Compare the2026 Nissan ArmadaVS 2026 GMC Yukon

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Armada have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The GMC Yukon doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Nissan Armada has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Armada and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Nissan Armada has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Yukon has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Armada’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Yukon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Armada for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Yukon.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Armada have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Armada has a 760-amp battery. The Yukon only offers a standard 730-amp battery.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Armada’s reliability 14 points higher than the Yukon.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 8 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The Armada’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 70 more horsepower (425 vs. 355) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 383) than the Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8. The Armada’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 5 more horsepower (425 vs. 420) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 460) than the Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8. The Armada NISMO’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 40 more horsepower (460 vs. 420) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 460) than the Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Armada (base engine) is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

On the EPA test cycle the Armada gets better mileage than the Yukon:

For better stopping power the Armada’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Yukon:

The Armada stops much shorter than the Yukon:

The Armada has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Armada flat and controlled during cornering. The Yukon’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Armada has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Yukon doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Armada PRO-4X handles at .77 G’s, while the Yukon Denali 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Armada PRO-4X executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.5 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 (28.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Armada SV has a 2.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon Denali Ultimate (9.6 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Armada to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Armada PRO-4X’s minimum ground clearance is 1.6 inches higher than on the Yukon AT4 Ultimate Air Ride (11.6 vs. 10 inches).

The Armada has 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more third row hip room and .4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Yukon.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Armada’s middle and third row seats recline. The Yukon’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Armada’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Yukon’s (8500 vs. 7700 pounds).

The Armada’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Yukon’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.