Ouch The Pain

Tmation said:

I have a 2005 LE 4X4, have been in a few now, SE and LE, and the ride is the same. I find it soft and squishy but am starting to get used to it now. I am English and had 20+ years of driving European cars until I bought the Yukon nearly 5 years ago.

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It sounds like you were used to driving Minis, BMW, etc. Different class of vehicle.They don't have any full size SUV in Europe. They are too large. There are plenty of US cars that would exhibit the characteristics you are mentioning, but by definition, they can't be huge hocking SUVs like an Armada.

Tmation said:

It feels like the damping rates are all wrong. It wallows on dips and bumps but crashes and bangs on pot holes and speed bumps etc. The steering also seems to transmit to much when you touch lane markers (cats eyes) and ridges, but some of this maybe down to the tyres (tires).

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This is because it is larger than anything else you have driven.

Tmation said:

I find most American made cars very soft in the handling department, its just at first the Armada seemed a backwards step ride and handling wise. The fit and finish is much better than the Yukon (but still not very good) but like all American made cars it seems built down to a price rather than up to a standard. I suppose its what your market demands and the price you pay for cheap vehicles.

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The Yukon has a solid rear axel. They make up for it with soft springs, giving it a very vague feeling and poor handling. The Armada has independent rear suspension. Superior unless you are building a monster truck it will easily outhandle a Yukon.

BTW, it is a Japanese car, not American. It is assembled in the US, but then so is the BMW X5, Honda Accord, etc. It is still a better build than anything that has ever come out of England except maybe a Bentley. Jaguars broke on a regular basis. They even marketed a kit to put a Chevy 350 under the hood to replace the XJS motor. More power, more reliable, cheaper to maintain. Now they are more reliable because they are made on the Ford Taurus line with many common parts. Every Triumph rots and breaks. Same with MG. Minis were good, but havent' been made in forever. The new ones are BMWs. And now unless you spend a fortune getting the finiky top of the line Rover, they basically were low grade rattle boxes that had very little utility. Guess it took the Americans and Germans to help poor old England build a good car.

And as was pointed out, the only almost full size SUV from Japan besides the Armada cost twice as much, and all you get is some cheap looking wood on the dash, lower tow rating, small underpowered motor, etc.