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2005 Dodge Dakota Preview

NFS4

NFS4

No Lifer
For what started life years ago as a mid-size pickup meant to parry the emerging threat of compact trucks from Nissan and Toyota , the Dodge Dakota has matured well past its original charter. Although nominally the little brother of the humongous Dodge Ram, the 2005 Dakota has grown up to become huge in its own right.

Its job skills, in the form of hauling and towing capacities, now rival those of many full-size trucks dating to only a few years ago. Indeed, the Dakota is now the only mid-size pickup available with a V-8 - make that two different V-8s. There's more besides: the Dakota is now the only V-8-powered vehicle of any kind available for under $20,000.

This fact changes everything in the competitive and often complicated category of pint-size pickups. The category is competitive because of all the worthy contenders: Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon , Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier. It's complicated because of all the mix-and-match possibilities involving engines, transmissions, two- and four-wheel-drive powertrains, cabin layouts, and cargo box configurations. Making direct comparison amongst so many variables amounts to juggling apples and oranges. And now comes the completely redesigned and restyled Dakota - the pomegranate of the mix.
Click to expand...

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7374&sid=275&n=157
 
I wonder if Dodge was afraid to put the Hemi in there cuz it might rival/steal sales away from the Ram. The HO 4.7 looks kind of weak - I mean come on, 20hp and 5lb/ft?
 
Looks like a Durango chopped into a pickup truck, though I thought they don't share the same platform anymore? Looks like a Dodge to me I guess. I still think the Colorado/Canyon minus the plastic cladding is the best looking outta the bunch. New Tacoma should be out soon though, n'est-ce pas?
 
I owned an '87 with the 3.9l V6 and that was the biggest POS vehicle that I've ever had the displeasure of owning. Ironicly enough, it was also had the least miles. Don't let that fool you though, it underwent a complete motor rebuild, transmission rebuild twice, carb rebuild 3x, every electrical probelm under the sun, master brake cylinder locked while on freeway, fuel pump died several times as well, and so on and so forth. It had 90k miles when I sold it.
 
Had a 2001 model Quad Cab that was fantastic. Perfect vehicle for my needs and would gladly buy another one. Sadly, when we go back to the States, I'm probably getting a used vehicle, but that could mean that I wind up with the very same truck I sold two years ago. 😉
 
Originally posted by: geno
woot for keeping a V8 in the lineup, two no less!
Click to expand...

Well, the competitors are making more horsepower and just about as much torque from smaller 4.0 liter V6's.

'05 Dakota: 230 HP @ 4800 RPM / 295 lb-ft @ 3200 RPM, I don't know the specs of the HO V8
'05 Frontier: 250+/270+, no RPM numbers yet
'05 Tacoma: 245HP @ 5200 RPM / 282 lb-ft @ 3,800 RPM
 
Looks like the newer Silverado's (before the '04 refresher). At least if you don't look at the grill.

They should've offered a downtuned hemi instead. It would make it a lot more popular, I think.
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
For what started life years ago as a mid-size pickup meant to parry the emerging threat of compact trucks from Nissan and Toyota , the Dodge Dakota has matured well past its original charter. Although nominally the little brother of the humongous Dodge Ram, the 2005 Dakota has grown up to become huge in its own right.

Its job skills, in the form of hauling and towing capacities, now rival those of many full-size trucks dating to only a few years ago. Indeed, the Dakota is now the only mid-size pickup available with a V-8 - make that two different V-8s. There's more besides: the Dakota is now the only V-8-powered vehicle of any kind available for under $20,000.

This fact changes everything in the competitive and often complicated category of pint-size pickups. The category is competitive because of all the worthy contenders: Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon , Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier. It's complicated because of all the mix-and-match possibilities involving engines, transmissions, two- and four-wheel-drive powertrains, cabin layouts, and cargo box configurations. Making direct comparison amongst so many variables amounts to juggling apples and oranges. And now comes the completely redesigned and restyled Dakota - the pomegranate of the mix.
Click to expand...

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7374&sid=275&n=157
Click to expand...
Where is that HEMI option?
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: geno
woot for keeping a V8 in the lineup, two no less!
Click to expand...

Well, the competitors are making more horsepower and just about as much torque from smaller 4.0 liter V6's.

'05 Dakota: 230 HP @ 4800 RPM / 295 lb-ft @ 3200 RPM, I don't know the specs of the HO V8
'05 Frontier: 250+/270+, no RPM numbers yet
'05 Tacoma: 245HP @ 5200 RPM / 282 lb-ft @ 3,800 RPM
Click to expand...

Which means less work for the V8 as opposed to the V6 to produce the same results.
 
The general consensus among Dakota owners:
stock: ugly
Lowered or raised: okay

The Hemi will probably make it in as the R/T in '06 (someone claims to have seen a test car easily outrun his lightly modified R/T)
 
the older Dakotas weren't bad looking, but they're looking more and more like the Rams, which is a bad thing. They look pinched in the front.

My gf's family owns nothing but Dodges (except for my gf herself, whom I convinced to bought a Saturn after liking mine so much) and they've had a fair amount of problems with them. A year after her dad bought his Ram, he had to bring it back and get the entire thing repainted because the paint was chipping off. Then the transmission started slipping and he had to get that fixed. Now it's leaking oil, transmission fluid and some other stuff around the front axle. And her mom's caravan is on it's 2nd transmission, with 50,000 miles on it. Same thing happened to their last Caravan. I don't know if I would ever buy a Dodge after hearing their stories.
 
I have a Dakota, my dad has a Ram, my uncle has a Ram, and my brother in law has a Ram. No horror stories here. My uncle's '94 has well over 300,000 miles on it with probably no more than 10,000 miles w/o a 2000+ Lb load, and then he hopped up the engine. Still going.
 
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