Compare the2026 Mercedes GLSVS 2026 Nissan Armada

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The GLS’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Armada doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The GLS has a standard Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Armada doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GLS. But it costs extra on the Armada.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLS has Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Armada doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the GLS and Armada have rear cross-traffic warning, but the GLS has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Armada’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the GLS uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Armada uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the GLS and the Armada have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and driver alert monitors.

Warranty

The GLS comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Armada’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GLS third among large premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Armada isn’t in the top three in its category.

Engine

The GLS has more powerful engines than the Armada:

	Horsepower	Torque
GLS 580 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid	510 HP	538 lbs.-ft.
Maybach GLS 600 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid	550 HP	538 lbs.-ft.
Armada 3.5 turbo V6	425 HP	516 lbs.-ft.
Armada NISMO 3.5 turbo V6	460 HP	516 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLS 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Nissan Armada (base engine):

	GLS	Armada
Zero to 60 MPH	5.5 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.8 MPH	95.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
GLS
	AWD	580 4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	14 city/20 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/24 hwy
Armada
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/20 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/19 hwy
		PRO-4X 3.5 turbo V6	15 city/18 hwy
		3.5 turbo V6	16 city/19 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the GLS’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Armada doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The GLS has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Armada. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GLS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Armada:

	GLS	Armada
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.8 inches

The GLS stops much shorter than the Armada:

	GLS	Armada
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	112 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLS has larger standard tires than the Armada (F:275/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 265/70R18). The GLS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Armada (F:285/40R23 & R:325/35R23 vs. 275/60R20).

The GLS’ standard 275/45R21 front and 315/40R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Armada SV’s standard 70 series tires. The GLS’ optional 285/40R23 front and 325/35R23 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Armada Platinum Reserve/NISMO’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLS has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Armada SV. The GLS’ optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels on the Armada Platinum Reserve/NISMO.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the GLS uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Armada, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The GLS offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Nissan doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Armada.

The GLS’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Armada doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLS’ wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the Armada (123.4 inches vs. 121.1 inches).

The GLS 450 handles at .92 G’s, while the Armada PRO-4X pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Maybach GLS 600 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Armada PRO-4X (26.5 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Maybach GLS 600’s turning circle is 5.1 feet tighter than the Armada’s (35.7 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLS has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Armada SV (10.1 vs. 9.6 inches), allowing the GLS to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The GLS 450 is 4.7 inches shorter than the Armada, making the GLS easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the GLS’ center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Armada doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GLS easier. The GLS’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.8 inches, while the Armada’s liftover is 36.2 inches.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Armada SL/NISMO/Platinum/PRO-4X, the GLS has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLS’ power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Armada’s power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLS to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Armada doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLS has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Armada doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLS also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the GLS has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Armada doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Armada doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GLS’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Armada SL/Platinum/PRO-4X/NISMO.

The Mercedes GLS has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Armada SL/Platinum/PRO-4X/NISMO.

The GLS has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Nissan doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Armada.

The GLS has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Armada doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The GLS offers an optional center folding armrest for the third row rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and can provide a barrier between children. The Armada doesn’t offer a third row rear seat center armrest.

Both the GLS and the Armada offer available massaging front seats. The GLS also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Armada.

The Mercedes GLS has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Nissan charges extra for Homelink® on the Armada and isn’t available on the Armada SV/SL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLS has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Armada SL/NISMO/Platinum/PRO-4X offers wireless charging. The GLS also offers Qi charging in the second row seat. The Armada doesn’t offer wireless charging in its second row seat.

The GLS’ Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Armada doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Mercedes GLS outsold the Nissan Armada by almost two to one during 2024.

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