Nissan's 2025 Pro-4X Armada & Frontier Make Sense Where It Matters Most

Oh Nissan...you're in so much trouble these days. You've had dwindling sales, an ill-fated opportunity to merge with Honda, and it seems like nobody gives you the respect you deserve. It had been a while since I'd been in a Pro-4x trim of a truck or SUV, and honestly had written off the off-road trim as lesser-than. Why look at the Frontier Pro-4X when the Ford Ranger FX4 exists? And the Armada Pro-4X? Oh come on...just buy a Toyota Sequoia, people.

Except, maybe not. I got some seat time in the 2025 Frontier and Armada Pro-4x over a day of dirt at The Rolls OHV park in Scottsdale, Arizona and found both rigs to be capable and comfortable, with a price-point that is much lower than the competition. Sure, there are some sacrifices, especially in the Frontier, but overall I was surprised and dare I say delighted by their performance.

I start the day in the Frontier, painted in the new attention-getting Afterburn Orange paint. There are a few tweaks to the front end here for 2025, but they only add to the rugged good looks of the mid-size pick-up. I'm especially fond of the stock 17-inch wheels and wouldn't waste $990 on the upgraded beadlock-style wheels, shown in the photo above.

The interior has the optional leather heated seats and heated steering wheel. There's a large 12.3-inch infotainment screen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. New this year is a telescoping steering wheel and a four-way power passenger seat, in addition to the power driver seat. Sure, these aren't upgrades to write home about, but sometimes it's the little things that can make a difference.

It's a short pavement drive to the trailhead and the first thing I notice when pulling out of the parking lot is the steering. It's hefty and I definitely feel the connection to the wheels and thus the road. Holy mackinoly, the Frontier still has hydraulic power steering! Every other mid-size truck has switched to an electric set up to enable lane-keeping assist and I've been disappointed every single drive. The hydraulic system lets me know exactly where my wheels are in the steering arc and how much grip I have on both pavement and dirt. It's also harder to knock out of my hands if I hit a bump or rock– the Frontier has already earned one gold star.

The powertrain here is a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet all offer two turbocharged engine options– you can even get a hybrid in the Taco. The Frontier can hold its own in the horsepower number, but the competition goes bigger on torque, especially in the uprated motors.

Still, the Pro-4X can drag 6,680 pounds behind it and haul 1,220 pounds in the bed and can do all the work stuff you'd need a mid-size truck to do. Now, if you want fancy cameras and back-up assist you'll need to look elsewhere, but for those who have experience, the Frontier fits the bill.

Once I get on the Rolls OHV trail I'm pleased to learn that the Bilstein shocks are tuned well enough to eliminate most of the washboard chatter left on the trail by the proliferation of side-by-sides. Often these can feel bone-jarring, but the Frontier soaks them up, even without airing down the Hankook Dynapro AT2 tires.

We twist through washes, clamber over rocks and power up and down hills on our way to lunch, and the Frontier takes it all in stride. There is about 9.5 inches of ground clearance here and, with a breakover angle of just 19 degrees, I scrape bottom a few times, but that's what the skid plates are for. The truck does a good job in four-wheel drive high and traction control, but steeper climbs require low gear and the rear locker. I like that the truck easily shifts from four-wheel drive high to low and back again, unlike the Tacoma that often requires me to rock the truck back and forth before the transfer case will switch.

On downhill slopes the Frontier's descent control means I don't have to ride the brakes and the system is quiet and confidence-inspiring. It's the only off-road driving help you'll get here, really. There are no drive modes: just pure, honest truck.

Of course, it's not all puppy dogs and rainbows. I'd probably swap out the Dynapro tires for a set of BFGoodrich KO3s as soon as they start showing wear. It's true they did everything I asked of them on my adventure, but the strong sidewall on the KO3 would be a welcome addition.

I'm also not a fan of the infotainment system. The screen isn't very responsive so swiping through the menu structure is frustrating. The nav system is dated as well, but at least Apple CarPlay would keep me from having to deal with it. The Pro-4X does have an optional 360-degree camera that can be viewed at speeds up to 12 miles per hour, but the screen resolution is so bad as to render it almost useless.

Still, as I sit down to lunch I look at the pricing sheet. My tester Pro-4x is fully loaded with both the Convenience and the Pro Premium packages, putting it at around $51,500 including $1,510 for destination. However, the truck starts at just under $45,000 in this Pro-4X trim. I'll take that deal.

After lunch it's time for the big boi. I'm in the three-row Armada in newly-minted Pro-4X guise. While the Frontier is pretty basic, the 2025 Armada is gussied up with drive modes, air suspension, electronic power steering, and way better cameras. Under the hood is a twin-turbo, 3.5-liter V6 engine, rated for 425 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque going to all four wheels, all the time.

To prove that the Armada Pro-4X isn't just some kind of namby-pamby off-roader, Nissan lets me and my pal–by chance he's doing the driving–take a very sketchy line up a steep hill full of loose rocks. In four-wheel drive low with the rear locked, the 33-inch Yokahama Geolander A/T tires scrap up the ridge. The invisible hood camera view allows us to see when we're going to hit the unavoidable rock, one of which puts us on a bit of an angle. Still, a steady throttle and the torque does its job.

All this and the Armada Pro-4X has independent suspension all the way around. In theory that means it's not quite as capable as the Toyota Sequoia with its solid rear axle, but I have yet to drive them back-to-back to test that notion.

While I'm not a fan of air suspension off road–I think it can be unreliable–I can't deny that it gives the Armada Pro-4x some impressive specs. Ride height maxes out at 9.6 inches with an approach angle of 33 degrees, a departure angle of 24.5 degrees, and a breakover angle of 25.5 degrees. All figures that best the Sequoia, by the way.

If towing is on the horizon, you can drag up to 8,500 pounds behind the Armada Pro-4x, or haul about 1,750 pounds worth of kids and gear. There's even a trailer brake controller and blind-spot monitoring that covers the length of the trailer.

Inside, the truck looks good, with fine leather seating and plenty of soft touch surfaces. The aforementioned trailer brake controller is a little ugly– a large bank of plastic controls in an otherwise nicely appointed dash. I'm also not a fan of the push-button transmission selector, but it does free up space on the center console for large cup holders. I wish there were a cooled center box for road sodas but alas, some things are not to be.

The 14.3-inch digital gauge cluster is clean and simple, but like the Frontier I find that the infotainment system housed on a twin screen just to the right to be lacking. While I'm glad for the inclusion of Google maps, the menu structure on the whole is confusing and the screen isn't very responsive. However, the resolution is better than what's in the Frontier, so the camera views are crystal clear. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard.

The 2025 Nissan Armada Pro-4X starts at $75,750 including $2,010 for destination. However, I would add the premium package for heated and ventilated front seats as well as a dash cam and a panoramic roof. I'd also add the 18-inch wheels for a bit more sidewall. All told my dream Armada Pro-4X is just under $80,000.

That's a bit of a hard sell, folks. A similarly-equipped Sequoia is a few thousand less and while it doesn't have as much ground clearance, it does have a coil-sprung suspension that would be easy to lift and a bit more power too. Step down the smaller Land Cruiser and save $10,000.

Still, I walk away from my day of off-road with dust on my boots and a grin on my face. While I don't need a zaftig Armada in my life, my current pick-up truck has crossed the 200,000-mile mark and I'll likely need to replace it soon. The Frontier offers up a compelling choice, especially for those who just need a truck to haul and tow–and maybe get just a touch dirty.