DAKOTA A COMBINATION OF FUNCTION AND STYLE
By
Paul Borden
I’ve never really been a “truck” guy, mostly because on
the rare occasions I need one I just go out and rent one for a day.
Back in the days (and I’m not going to get into how far
back) when I was growing up trucks were pretty plain and seated only two
comfortably, three if you were good friends and someone was okay with
sitting in the middle.
Trucks -- we’re talking pickups here, not semis -- were
more about function than style, at least until Ford came out with its
Ranchero and Chevy produced the El Camino. (Interesting that both
companies picked names with an Hispanic/Southwest flair for the two
models. Wonder what was behind that?)
The Rancheron and El Camino were more like sedans with a
can opener taken to their rear ends than actual pickups, however.
But I digress.
My point here is that I just never got into trucks
because I never really had a use for one.
Again, pickups of my day (no, they didn’t have crank
starters) were more like Clydesdales than they were thoroughbreds.
That no longer is the case, of course. Pickups today come
in many sizes and varied styles, and most all of them with style. You
can use it to haul a load of sod back home, then wash it and head for an
evening out. There are big trucks that do big jobs. There are small
pickups that won’t hold more than a load of groceries in the back.
And there are those in between, like the Dodge Dakota.
Dodge pretty much created the midsize pickup when it
introduced the Dakota back in the late 1980s. As a smaller version of
the company’s full-size Ram, the Dakota comes in numerous trims. All
offer a good deal more hauling capacity than you’ll find in a compact
pickup but without making you feel like you’re a Lilliputian when you
get behind the wheel. They are good for both work and play.
The 4.7-liter, V8-powered Dakotas have a best-in-class
towing capacity of up to 7,250 pounds, depending on the the trim level.
Horsepower is rated at 302 ponies and torque at 329 pound-feet. (The
3.7-liter V6 pumps out 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, and
maximum trailer weight is under 5,000 pounds.) That’ll tote your boat!
V8 models come with a five-speed automatic transmission,
V6s with a four-speed. It’s available in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive
with a low-range transfer case. The six-speed manual offered in the
previous generation has been discontinued.
EPA mileage figures are between 15/17 mpg combined
city/highway driving depending on the engine and configuration. For most
driving even in AWD models you’ll be running in 2WD mode, switching to
AWD High and AWD Low as conditions warrant.
Don’t know about V6 -- I suspect it’s on the weak side --
but the V8 offered plenty of power. The Dakota handles nicely, not quite
as nimble as the smaller, compact pickups but much easier to park than
the full-size versions. They’re easy to back, and you can see things
around them very well.
The ride is, well, truck-like, but for the most part is
smooth enough on surface streets and highways. It’s not going to shake
up your insides. I never took it off-road.
The Dakota’s exterior takes the lead of its bigger
brother Ram with bold styling cues, very masculine if I can use the term
in a non-sexist way. The rear gate lowers with the flip of a latch, and
it doesn’t require a big lift to load materials into the bed.
There are a couple of new colors, including one called
Mango
Tango that a Texas Longhorn fan no doubt would pass off
as burnt orange.
The Dakota is offered in both Extended and Crew Cab
versions. The latter gives the backseat passengers a bit more head and
leg room, the former provides for a slightly longer cargo bed. Some
critics have found the interior to still be on the slightly spartan side
-- the instrument cluster, for example, is simply white with black
numbers -- and I would agree that you’re not going to mistake it for a
luxury sedan. But it’s also very functional, and it’s not ugly.
Most controls, including one to shift from 2WD to 4WD
High or Low mode, are operated by rotation big knobs, making them easier
to turn if you happen to be wearing gloves. (We in South Florida have
learned about gloves this past winter, right?) You can operate the radio
by use of the navigation system screen or by pushing on the buttons on
the backside of the steering wheel crossbar, a Chrysler trade mark). And
there are huge cupholders, three of them in the front console.
You do have to make a conscious effort to step up when
you get into the cabin, not as much as with the bigger pickups, though,
and once inside the seats are supportive and comfortable.
Pricing for the Dakota starts at just under $23,000 and
runs into the low $30,000 range. My test vehicle topped out at $35,935,
which included the touch-screen navigation package.
Still not sure I could come up with reason enough to have
one, but if I ever do need a midsize pickup, Dakota will be on my list.
The
Dakota is offered in both Extended and Crew Cab versions. The latter
gives the backseat passengers a bit more head and leg room, the former
provides for a slightly longer cargo bed. Some critics have found the
interior to still be on the slightly spartan side -- the instrument
cluster, for example, is simply white with black numbers -- and I would
agree that you’re not going to mistake it for a luxury sedan. But it’s
also very functional, and it’s not ugly.
