[onewhippedpuppy]

My wife has a 2004 Armada (first year) 2wd with 85k on it. My only real knock is a few squeaks from the interior, but far better than the domestics I've driven with similar miles. Otherwise the interior has held up very well (looks new), it handles decent for a truck based SUV, LOTS of room especially in the 2nd row, decent turning radius so it's not bad to park, and the engine/transmisson combo is fantastic. The 5.6L V8 DOHC has something like 320 HP and 400 lb*ft of torque, and it sounds like it was yanked straight from a '60s musclecar. It never lacks for power, and the transmission is always in the right gear. 19 MPG on long highway trips. The 2004 models had a few recalls for brake wear and vibration, so 2005+ avoids that. 2006 gets a split 3rd row, and as Eric noted 2008+ gets a nicer interior. Overall we're very happy with it, it's been a very solid and enjoyable SUV.

We test drove the Expedition, Tahoe, Durango, and Sequoia in the 2004-2006 age range, we liked the Sequoia but it isn't as big. The domestics were all clearly lacking in interior build quality, and none of them were as nice to drive as the Armada or Sequoia. One glaring example is the folding 2nd row seats, a big deal when you use the 3rd row. The Armada has a single lever at the top of the seatback, it's easy for my 6 year old in the 3rd row to flip the lever so he can get out. The domestics all featured 2 levers, several of them very difficult to operate and hidden in tough to reach spots. You just get the impression that they didn't try very hard with the domestics.

With that said, the newer Expedition and Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon are much improved. I had a 2010 Suburban rental last year and was very impressed, pretty good quality and very nice to drive. If you look domestic, definitely look at the newer body styles. You might also consider some of the bigger crossovers, like the Mazda CX9 or GMC Acadia. Better MPG with lots of size.

Personally if you don't need the room of the bigger SUVs I'd still stick with the Land Cruiser or get a newer one, but I'm biased. I love the 100-series Land Cruisers, and there's a reason why they hold their value so well.