The full-size Dodge Ram, introduced three
years ago, brought big-rig styling and a host of innovative features and
design details to the pickup truck market. For 1997 Dodge has applied the
Ram look and feel to its mid-size pickup, the Dakota. We predict this almost-all-new
Dakota will have a similarly resounding success.
Perhaps most important for many, the Dakota is a uniquely nifty size,
bigger than compact pickups such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma and
Chevy Sonoma, yet smaller than the full-size models. Dodge calls the Dakota
a compact, but there's nothing else quite like it. It's a little roomier
than its smaller competition, but not as cumbersome around town as a full-size
pickup.
The Dakota also offers a wide range of powerplants. At the bottom is
a 2.5-liter four-cylinder--120 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque.
Next up is an optional 3.9-liter V6 that gives a very useful 175 hp and
225 lb.-ft. of torque. It's the top choice for many buyers, particularly
those whose lifestyles don't include trailer hitches.
At the top is a Dakota exclusive: an optional 5.2-liter V8, easily the
strongest engine available in any truck anywhere near the Dakota's size.
With 220 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque, it gives the Dakota a maximum towing
capability of up to 6700 pounds, and an appetite for hard work you can't
match without moving up a size class.
The new Dakota looks, and feels, like a slightly smaller Ram. Based
on reactions from people on the streets and in the parking lots, we think
it will be every bit as popular as its big-brother. We like the rugged,
no-nonsense look, and it seems a lot of other people do, too.
Like most pickups, the Dakota offers buyers a lot of choices. In addition
to the three engine selections, there are: five-speed manual or four-speed
automatic transmissions, regular cab and the extended Club Cab, cargo box
lengths of either 6.5 or eight feet, two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
and roughly 40 or so options (some of which, admittedly, can't be ordered
together). There are three trim levels: Base, without much glitz; Sport,
with the body-color look; and SLT, fancier, and with more chrome.
Our subject vehicle was a very nicely equipped--make that loaded--Club
Cab 4X4 Sport with the 5.2-liter V8 and automatic transmission. The base
price on the window sticker was $19,690, but by the time the good people
on the assembly line were finished welding and bolting this particular
Dakota together, the bottom line read $26,753, and that included the "Dodge
Discount" of $1000. There were still a few more things that could
have been added, but not much we needed; check the specification box for
details.
As you would expect, the performance and pulling power of the V8 is
several steps above that of most competing V6 engines. The Dakota isn't
particularly fast (even empty, ours weighed over two tons), but it's capable
of dealing with serious loads, whether those loads are in the cargo bed,
hooked onto the trailer hitch, or both.
We also noticed a pleasantly high level of quality. Things were screwed
together tight and snug, the doors and tailgate shut with an authoritative
slam and nothing creaked or rattled. That couldn't really be said for the
previous Dakota.
It took only five minutes inside our tester to understand why people
like the Dodge approach to truck building. It's roomy, comfortable and
full of the kinds of features, big and small, that can ease getting down
the road.
Our Dakota had the optional front bucket seats, but the standard seat
is a bench, split into three parts on a 40/20/40 basis. The center portion
(of the standard bench) has a folding back that also serves as a center
armrest and includes a quite large, multi-function storage console. With
the bucket seats, there's a huge center console that's subdivided for tissue
paper, maps and cassettes or CDs. And for us, the front bucket seats were
comfortable and offered good lumbar support.
Some other neat touches: three cupholders in the forward portion of
the center console, in three sizes, for a two-liter bottle, 20-ounce bottle
and soft-drink can--just right for Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.
In the Club Cab, the rear seat cushions are split 60/40, to allow carrying
combinations of additional people or cargo. The rear cushions fold up,
revealing a flat floor so your suitcase or toolbox will stay upright.
Under those rear seat cushions are two storage compartments; one houses
the jack and tools and provides a little storage space, the other is a
fairly generous storage bin. In addition to the front cupholders, there
are cupholders in the quarter panels for the rear-seat passengers. Order
the automatic transmission and the place where the manual transmission
lever would poke through the floor becomes yet another little tray for
loose odds and ends.
But there were some little things we thought our Dakota lacked. For
example, no visor vanity mirror--maybe somebody at Dodge figured truck
passengers don't do makeup on the way to the Tex-Mex restaurant. The headrests
are non-adjustable, a real comfort issue.
The passenger seat doesn't fully recline. Fold the front seats forward
to allow access to the rear, and there is no memory feature to allow the
front seats to be easily returned to their former position. No grab handle
above the passenger door to ease climbing in.
Something else that's missing is the option of a third door, to make
access to the rear easier. The Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma are the only trucks
in this general class that offer this option, but we expect to see it on
the next Ranger, due later this year.
Back on the positive side, there's a must-have feature for trailer-towers:
the optional 6x9-inch mirrors are the biggest we've ever seen outside a
truck stop, provide a big boost in rearward vision, and cost only $160.
You can't reasonably expect an extended cab pickup to offer stretch-out
room for rear-seat passengers. But the Dakota Club Cab is wide enough for
three adults, and with cooperation from those in front, the three in back
should find the trip livable at least to the football stadium parking lot.
Trucks keep getting better in ride quality, but they're still trucks.
Unloaded, there's little chance the Dakota will make you think you're in
a sedan. But like most pickups, the ride gets better with a load in back.
Other aspects of comfort, like the decent seats and loads of front seat
room, make the Dakota just fine for all-around driving.
We think the Dakota's handling will feel pleasantly surprising, especially
to those familiar with bigger pickups. It has relentless straight-ahead
stability, yet it works well when the pavement takes a few turns, as well.
One important day-in, day-out aspect of handling is nimbleness, the ability
to deal with tight spaces and crowded conditions. Here, too, the Dakota
will be appreciated, where its tidier size allows it to fit easily through
traffic and into that last available spot in front of the grocery store.
In short, as with several other characteristics important to truck buyers,
the Dakota's just-right size seems to give it several advantages with few
apparent shortcomings.
Some truck buyers have been stuck in a quandary: don't need that big
honkin' full-size pickup, but the next size down doesn't meet the power
requirement to tow the boat to the lake.
Like no other truck on the planet, the Dakota fills that niche perfectly.
If you need to tow or haul something bigger than the Dakota will handle,
then face it: You need a full-size pickup. If you don't contemplate heavy
loads, one of the other compacts might do just fine. But if you have needs
that are somewhere in that great middle ground, there's nothing else available
that will do the job like the Dodge Dakota.