Dodge Dakota Quad Cab offers the best of both worlds
a007apl
01-15-2002, 08:42 AM
The Dodge Dakota Quad Cab may be the best argument going for the old adage - If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Dakota offers a car's interior space and ease of access with the wildly popular pickup bed design. It's not the first to do this, nor will it be the last, but so far it's the best I've driven.
Seems the world has gone over to the truck side with sport-utility trucks, pickups and minivans populating the Earth with more vigor than a hutch of hyperactive bunnies. Everyone either has a truck, or wants one.
Yet most of us haul our families as much or more than we haul lumber and sod.
With the old pickups, even those with an extended cab, that was a problem. They really were meant only for hauling two people. Those with back seats only realistically carried small children.
Wheel Stats
2000 Dodge Dakota
Quad Cab 4X4 SLT
MADE IN: Warren, Mich.
ENGINE: 5.9-liter, Magnum V-8
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed automatic
TOW CAPACITY: 6,100 pounds
MPG: 12/16
BASE PRICE: $21,615
DEALER's PRICE: $19,768
MAJOR OPTIONS:
Package 28G (SLT decor, A/C, bright grille/bumpers, cruise control, tilt steering, floor mats) $1,220
Heavy-duty group (battery, engine cooling and auxiliary transmission oil cooler) $180
Trailer tow group $275
Overhead group (auto mirror and overhead console) $185
SLT Plus decor (aluminum wheels, tire upgrade, power locks and windows, keyless entry, power mirrors) $1,285
ABS $495
Automatic transmission $975
Axle 3.92 ratio $40
Anti-spin differential $285
5.9-liter V-8 $1,125
Sliding rear window $115
Power fold-away mirrors $20
Power driver's seat $320
bodyside molding $75
AM/FM cassette/CD/equalizer $660
Steering wheel mounted audio controls $75
Leather-wrapped steering wheel $50
DELIVERY: $520
TEST VEHICLE: $29,165
However, in the last year or so pickup makers decided we may want to take the family with us on an outing and, voila, they added some extra rear seat room and normal-sized rear doors so it is easy to get in and out.
That made Dakota a roomy, comfortable truck, plus it handles better than most pickups I've driven in the past 10 years.
For a full test, we loaded the visiting grandparents aboard the metallic brown (bronze) test truck for a trip to Chicago and got no complaints.
Everyone praised the truck's legroom and its charcoal gray cloth seats for their comfort. The only real complaint was the lack of running boards to help folks climb aboard.
I liked the driver's seat, which had power adjustments to manipulate seat height and the bottom cushion's angle. The front seat also is versatile. It's a bench that is split so the driver and passenger can adjust each side separately or keep it together to accommodate three up front.
In addition, there's a huge armrest/storage container that folds down conveniently between the seats if there are only two riders. Cup holders pop out of the front edge of the center seats both front and rear, and molded into the floor console is a pen holder and a large coin tray.
Dakota's dash is fine, too. It's easy to see and read, and the radio station buttons are large, although the other radio controls are relatively small.
However, this truck was loaded up with a bunch of interior options, some of which were included in pricey option packages. Some of the goodies included a tilt steering wheel, overhead console with outside temperature gauge and trip computer, a CD player and equalizer, power windows, locks and mirrors and a sliding rear window.
That added about $7,500 to push the truck to a nearly unbelievable $29,165, or about the price of a good upscale sport-utility truck.
Still, at its base price of $21,615 the Dakota SLT 4X4 is a nice truck for hauling the family around while having the option of lugging dirty stuff in the bed.
Be sure and get that $50 bed liner to protect it from bumps and scrapes that could cut into the truck's life.
Dakota was a top performer mechanically, too.
A 225-horsepower 3.9-liter V-6 is standard, but the test truck came with a 5.9-liter V-8 that cranks out 245 horses and 335 pound-feet of torque. It's a fairly noisy power plant to be sure, but really pushes the truck up to highway speeds in a hurry. As with many larger engines, it quiets down at cruising speed.
I was most impressed, though, with Dakota's handling and ride. The truck handled well, both in town and on the highway, thanks to its rack and pinion steering. Dakota has a moderate turning radius, meaning it was easy to park in the grocery lot.
The steering was fairly firm, too, which gave it a more substantial feel on the highway. In addition, there was little body roll from the truck in tight turns, and quick maneuvers were well controlled.
Ride was close to excellent, certainly better than that found in many sport-utes. Dodge has retuned the suspension here and added a stronger front stabilizer bar. The result is a comfortable ride without that bouncy truck feel most of us are used to in pickups.
While a two-wheel-drive version is available, this one was a 4X4. The four-wheeling was easily engaged with a floor-mounted shifter, even while the truck was in motion. It was simple to use, although a push-button on the dash, which some trucks offer, would be simpler yet.
No denying I liked this truck, but still I had two concerns.
First, the huge rear-view mirrors and the truck's large A-pillar combine to create a big blind spot to the front and side. You need to take note of that when pulling across a street.
The gas mileage also was pathetic. I got 14.3 miles per gallon on a 95% highway drive to Chicago and 13.9 on another drive of about 80% highway miles with four people aboard. The EPA says to expect 12 mpg city and 16 highway.
Ouch!
Dakota offers a car's interior space and ease of access with the wildly popular pickup bed design. It's not the first to do this, nor will it be the last, but so far it's the best I've driven.
Seems the world has gone over to the truck side with sport-utility trucks, pickups and minivans populating the Earth with more vigor than a hutch of hyperactive bunnies. Everyone either has a truck, or wants one.
Yet most of us haul our families as much or more than we haul lumber and sod.
With the old pickups, even those with an extended cab, that was a problem. They really were meant only for hauling two people. Those with back seats only realistically carried small children.
Wheel Stats
2000 Dodge Dakota
Quad Cab 4X4 SLT
MADE IN: Warren, Mich.
ENGINE: 5.9-liter, Magnum V-8
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed automatic
TOW CAPACITY: 6,100 pounds
MPG: 12/16
BASE PRICE: $21,615
DEALER's PRICE: $19,768
MAJOR OPTIONS:
Package 28G (SLT decor, A/C, bright grille/bumpers, cruise control, tilt steering, floor mats) $1,220
Heavy-duty group (battery, engine cooling and auxiliary transmission oil cooler) $180
Trailer tow group $275
Overhead group (auto mirror and overhead console) $185
SLT Plus decor (aluminum wheels, tire upgrade, power locks and windows, keyless entry, power mirrors) $1,285
ABS $495
Automatic transmission $975
Axle 3.92 ratio $40
Anti-spin differential $285
5.9-liter V-8 $1,125
Sliding rear window $115
Power fold-away mirrors $20
Power driver's seat $320
bodyside molding $75
AM/FM cassette/CD/equalizer $660
Steering wheel mounted audio controls $75
Leather-wrapped steering wheel $50
DELIVERY: $520
TEST VEHICLE: $29,165
However, in the last year or so pickup makers decided we may want to take the family with us on an outing and, voila, they added some extra rear seat room and normal-sized rear doors so it is easy to get in and out.
That made Dakota a roomy, comfortable truck, plus it handles better than most pickups I've driven in the past 10 years.
For a full test, we loaded the visiting grandparents aboard the metallic brown (bronze) test truck for a trip to Chicago and got no complaints.
Everyone praised the truck's legroom and its charcoal gray cloth seats for their comfort. The only real complaint was the lack of running boards to help folks climb aboard.
I liked the driver's seat, which had power adjustments to manipulate seat height and the bottom cushion's angle. The front seat also is versatile. It's a bench that is split so the driver and passenger can adjust each side separately or keep it together to accommodate three up front.
In addition, there's a huge armrest/storage container that folds down conveniently between the seats if there are only two riders. Cup holders pop out of the front edge of the center seats both front and rear, and molded into the floor console is a pen holder and a large coin tray.
Dakota's dash is fine, too. It's easy to see and read, and the radio station buttons are large, although the other radio controls are relatively small.
However, this truck was loaded up with a bunch of interior options, some of which were included in pricey option packages. Some of the goodies included a tilt steering wheel, overhead console with outside temperature gauge and trip computer, a CD player and equalizer, power windows, locks and mirrors and a sliding rear window.
That added about $7,500 to push the truck to a nearly unbelievable $29,165, or about the price of a good upscale sport-utility truck.
Still, at its base price of $21,615 the Dakota SLT 4X4 is a nice truck for hauling the family around while having the option of lugging dirty stuff in the bed.
Be sure and get that $50 bed liner to protect it from bumps and scrapes that could cut into the truck's life.
Dakota was a top performer mechanically, too.
A 225-horsepower 3.9-liter V-6 is standard, but the test truck came with a 5.9-liter V-8 that cranks out 245 horses and 335 pound-feet of torque. It's a fairly noisy power plant to be sure, but really pushes the truck up to highway speeds in a hurry. As with many larger engines, it quiets down at cruising speed.
I was most impressed, though, with Dakota's handling and ride. The truck handled well, both in town and on the highway, thanks to its rack and pinion steering. Dakota has a moderate turning radius, meaning it was easy to park in the grocery lot.
The steering was fairly firm, too, which gave it a more substantial feel on the highway. In addition, there was little body roll from the truck in tight turns, and quick maneuvers were well controlled.
Ride was close to excellent, certainly better than that found in many sport-utes. Dodge has retuned the suspension here and added a stronger front stabilizer bar. The result is a comfortable ride without that bouncy truck feel most of us are used to in pickups.
While a two-wheel-drive version is available, this one was a 4X4. The four-wheeling was easily engaged with a floor-mounted shifter, even while the truck was in motion. It was simple to use, although a push-button on the dash, which some trucks offer, would be simpler yet.
No denying I liked this truck, but still I had two concerns.
First, the huge rear-view mirrors and the truck's large A-pillar combine to create a big blind spot to the front and side. You need to take note of that when pulling across a street.
The gas mileage also was pathetic. I got 14.3 miles per gallon on a 95% highway drive to Chicago and 13.9 on another drive of about 80% highway miles with four people aboard. The EPA says to expect 12 mpg city and 16 highway.
Ouch!
1989 DX R
01-22-2002, 10:34 PM
KICK ASS!!! Is that the same 5.9 that is in the R/T? Thats what the stats look like. :D
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