Considering to buy an Armada - Is it a good choice?

[prajupramod]

Hi All,

I am planning to buy an Armada (2012 or 2013 model) as my daily driver + the weekend offroad vehicle with the Carnity family.

Do notice a lot of feedback in various discussions on its sheer size and weight but does it feel much different than a LC200?

Please also advise on the aspects I need to look out for while making the purchase.

Look forward to your valuable inputs.

Thank you.

Praju

[Gaurav]

2 hours ago, prajupramod said:

Do notice a lot of feedback in various discussions on its sheer size and weight but does it feel much different than a LC200?

No it wont feel much different as per size, weight and power they are almost same to each other.

Any specific reason why you are choosing Armada as a second vehicle when you already have LC200?

2 hours ago, prajupramod said:

Please also advise on the aspects I need to look out for while making the purchase.

 

[prajupramod]

7 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

Any specific reason why you are choosing Armada as a second vehicle when you already have LC200?

Thanks for the feedback. The LC200 is primarily a family car and mostly used by my dad during the weekdays.

I was thinking to get something specially for me that have good off-road abilities as well - the prices on secondhand (as I am still learning) Armada is also quite interesting.

 

 

[Gaurav]

Well if its for only 1 or 2 person commute and offroad then you can look for mid-size or smaller 4x4 that will last you longer till higher levels of offroading. Because with these bigger, heavier 4x4 you will limit your off-roading capabilities to great extent very soon.

Armada is good offroader if you already have one in family and take it out for spin, but not as a dedicated off-road toy for weekend dunes. Its roughly 110 hp/ton P/W ratio.

[Chaitanya D]

51 minutes ago, prajupramod said:

I was thinking to get something specially for me that have good off-road abilities as well

Yes , get something which suits your budget and can take you to any level of driving 

Keep in mind the weight of the car, Power (V6/V8), SWB/LWB , Presence of gizmos (Diff lock, Crawl control etc).

There is a dedicated thread on this webpage with respect to prices and off road endurance, you can check on that in the link below

Best 4x4 cars under 10K and 20K dhs in UAE - Offroad General Discussion - Carnity.com

 

[prajupramod]

Thanks @Gaurav and @Chaitanya D - This is helpful.

[prajupramod]

Hi @Gaurav - I note you had listed Armada (off-road version) on the best 4x4 discussion as a good vehicle to buy.

How do I identify this model from the regular model? Is there anything distinctive that can be easily recognized?

[Zed]

Armada is American version of Y62, so as someone who had crashed into Armada (longgggg time back) and owner of Y62, I can say Armada is quite capable and will protect you in the desert (I survived a rollover). However, maneuverability is not that great when going for more technical dunes, due to the size and angles... unless you're ok with losing front & rear bumpers after serious offroading 😂  But great as family car, we once visited all Emirates in 1 day  in our Y62 and loved it.

[Gaurav]

On 3/31/2021 at 7:24 AM, prajupramod said:

Hi @Gaurav - I note you had listed Armada (off-road version) on the best 4x4 discussion as a good vehicle to buy.

How do I identify this model from the regular model? Is there anything distinctive that can be easily recognized?

SE offroad than just SE are super rare here to find.

SE offroad has better ground clearance in front due to no lower air dam, bash plate, off-road shocks and tow package (optional).

[Lawrence_Chehimi]

@Zed i believe that the Armada versions that @prajupramod is referring to are models prior to 2016 which were sold in the UAE and are different than the American Y62. below is the ones i guess he is talking about, they have a V8 engine with 320HP basically the same old V8 engine that was used on the SE Y62, (Y62 LE is 400HP)