The Patrol Is Back. How It Stacks Up Against Toyota's, Chevy's, and Ford's Off-Road SUVs
Nissan's renamed Patrol PRO-4X lands at $81,265. We lined it up against Toyota's, Chevrolet's, and Ford's factory off-road three-rows on price, hardware, and towing.
Nissan is putting the Patrol name back on an American SUV for the first time since 1969. For the 2027 model year, the Armada PRO-4X becomes the Armada Patrol PRO-4X, with production starting this month and a public debut at the LA Auto Show on Nov. 20. The price carries over from the trim it replaces: $78,990, or $81,265 with Nissan's $2,275 destination charge, according to Nissan's announcement.
The new badge doesn't change the hardware we covered in our breakdown of 2027 Armada pricing. It does make this a good moment to line up the four full-size, body-on-frame SUVs that leave the factory dressed for dirt and still carry three rows: the Patrol PRO-4X, the Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro, the Chevrolet Tahoe Z71, and the Ford Expedition Tremor.
The specs side by side
Every figure below comes from the automaker's own press materials or consumer website, checked on Nov. 10. Where a company doesn't publish a number for that specific grade, the cell says so instead of borrowing an estimate from a third party. That gap turns out to be part of the story.
| Spec | 2027 Nissan Armada Patrol PRO-4X | 2027 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro | 2027 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 | 2027 Ford Expedition Tremor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $78,990 | $85,925 | $71,500 | $83,215 |
| Destination | $2,275 | $2,195 | $2,795 | Not published |
| Price with destination | $81,265 | $88,120 | $74,295 | TBA |
| Engine | 3.5L twin-turbo V6 | 3.4L twin-turbo V6 hybrid (i-Force Max) | 5.3L V8 standard; 6.2L V8 or 3.0L turbo-diesel optional | 3.5L twin-turbo V6 (High Output EcoBoost) |
| Power / torque | 425 hp / 516 lb-ft | 437 hp / 583 lb-ft | 355 hp / 383 lb-ft (6.2L: 420 / 460; diesel: 305 / 495) | 440 hp / 510 lb-ft |
| Ground clearance | 9.6 in (11.6 in with air suspension raised) | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Approach / departure / breakover | 30–33° / 22–25.5° / 21.5–24.5° | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Tires | 275/60R20 all-terrain | 18-in forged BBS wheels; tire spec not published | 20-in Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrain | 275/70R18 all-terrain (33-in) |
| Locking differential | Electronic rear locker | Rear locker | Not listed by Chevrolet | Electronic rear locker |
| Suspension | Adaptive air suspension, standard | Fox QS3 adjustable shocks | Four-corner air suspension optional | Raised suspension, passive shocks |
| Max towing | 8,500 lb | 9,120 lb (Sequoia max; TRD Pro not broken out) | 8,400 lb (Tahoe max; Z71 not broken out) | 9,300 lb (Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package) |
| Cargo behind third row | 20.4 cu ft | Not published | Not published | 22.9 cu ft |
Patrol PRO-4X: the only one with full geometry on paper
Nissan is the only one of the four companies that publishes ground clearance and all three off-road angles for its off-road grade. Its spec sheet lists 9.6 inches of clearance at normal ride height and 11.6 inches with the standard air suspension raised, plus an approach angle of up to 33 degrees thanks to a reshaped front bumper.
The rest of the kit is standard too: an electronic rear locker, all-terrain tires, eight drive modes, a metal skid plate, and Invisible Hood View, a camera trick that shows the ground under the nose. The engine runs on regular fuel. NISMO rock sliders and a roof rack arrive as accessories this winter, but Nissan hasn't priced them.
The weak spot is the hitch. At 8,500 pounds, the Patrol PRO-4X has the lowest published tow rating of the group.
Sequoia TRD Pro: the most torque and the biggest bill
Toyota's hybrid V6 makes 583 lb-ft, the most torque here, and the 2027 TRD Pro adds Sequoia-specific Fox QS3 shocks with adjustable damping alongside a rear locker. It also costs the most, at $88,120 with destination. That's $6,855 more than the Patrol.
Toyota now offers a cheaper path into a dirt-ready Sequoia. As we reported in our look at the 2027 Sequoia, the SR5-based Trailhunter adds Old Man Emu suspension, a skid plate, and a locker for well under TRD Pro money. The TRD Pro also comes in Honeycomb, the gold shade explained in how Toyota picks a TRD Pro color.
Toyota's 2027 announcement rates the Sequoia at up to 9,120 pounds of towing but doesn't break that out by grade. Its hybrid parts carry 8-year/100,000-mile coverage and the battery 10 years/150,000 miles, on top of the usual 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty.
Tahoe Z71: the cheapest door and the most engines
At $74,295 with destination, the Z71 undercuts the Patrol by $6,970 and is the only one of the four you can order with a V8 or a diesel. The optional 3.0-liter Duramax makes 495 lb-ft and, by Chevrolet's numbers, up to 624 miles of EPA-estimated highway range per tank.
The off-road kit is lighter than the Nissan's. Chevrolet lists all-terrain tires, an aluminum skid plate, red recovery hooks, a high-approach front fascia, hill descent control, and a two-speed transfer case. The four-corner air suspension that can lift the body is optional, not standard, and Chevrolet's site doesn't list a locking differential for the Z71.
Expedition Tremor: the tow leader with an unfinished price
Ford's High Output EcoBoost makes 440 hp, the most power here. The Tremor also has the highest published tow rating at 9,300 pounds with the Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package, the largest published cargo space behind the third row at 22.9 cubic feet, and 33-inch all-terrain tires over an electronic rear locker, according to Ford's Tremor page.
Ford lists the 2027 Tremor at $83,215, but its site doesn't show the destination charge, so we can't give a like-for-like total yet. Even before delivery, it costs $4,225 more than the Patrol. Ford's page also skips ground clearance and approach angles for the 2027 truck.
Which one should you buy
Real off-roading with the family aboard: the Patrol PRO-4X. It's the only one with air suspension and a locker both standard, and the only one whose maker backs its trail claims with published angles. That doesn't prove it outclimbs the Toyota or Ford, whose numbers simply aren't public. It does mean it's the one you can judge on paper before you sign.
Towing plus gravel roads: the Expedition Tremor, on its 9,300-pound rating and roomiest published cargo hold. The Sequoia TRD Pro's torque makes it the alternative, though Toyota hasn't said what the TRD Pro itself can pull.
Most hardware per dollar: the Tahoe Z71 is the cheapest entry, and its diesel is the long-range tow pick. Add air suspension and the price gap to the Patrol narrows, while the Nissan still brings a standard locker the Chevy doesn't list.
If you don't need the third row, our Passport TrailSport vs. 4Runner comparison covers the smaller, cheaper end of factory off-roaders. The Patrol PRO-4X itself goes on public display at the show covered in our LA Auto Show preview.
What we don't know yet
- Ford's destination charge for the 2027 Expedition, and the Tremor's clearance and approach angles.
- Ground clearance, off-road angles, and grade-specific tow ratings for the 2027 Sequoia TRD Pro and Tahoe Z71.
- Cargo volume behind the third row for the 2027 Sequoia and Tahoe on the automakers' current pages.
- Prices for Nissan's NISMO rock sliders and roof rack, due this winter.
