AW: 05 Dakota Review

[hemidakota]

VEHICLE REVIEWS

2005 Dodge Dakota

Little Big Truck: A Midsize Hauler with Full-Size Aspirations

MIKE FLOYD
Published Date: 9/6/04
2005 DODGE DAKOTA V8 ST CLUB CAB 2WD
ON SALE: Fall
BASE PRICE: $19,995
POWERTRAIN: 4.7-liter, 230-hp, 290-lb-ft V8; 2wd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 4374 pounds
0 TO 60 MPH: n/a[/size][/size]

This truck has definitely been working out

After pumping some serious iron with Ram, Durango and its other Dodge big brothers, the 2005 Dakota has become a chiseled, muscular brute of a truck, flexing not one but two V8s, and unrivaled towing capacity for its class.

Just in time, too, because with new and more powerful offerings from Toyota (Tacoma) and Nissan (Frontier) looming, and stiff competition already from GM’s Canyon/ Colorado combo, Dakota is going to need all its newfound strength to thrive in the midsize truck segment when it debuts this fall.

The Dodge boys have been cramming V8 power into Dakota for more than a decade now, and the truck continues to stand alone as the only midsizer with an eight-cylinder option.

For 2005, two 4.7-liter V8s are available. The standard output block pumps out 230 hp at 4600 rpm and delivers 290 lb-ft of class-leading torque at 3600 rpm. The High Output option dynos at 250-plus hp and more than 300 lb-ft of torque.

Dakota’s base engine is a slightly reworked, carryover 3.7-liter V6 that manages 210 hp at 5200 rpm and 235 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. It comes with an all-new Getrag six-speed manual, also the standard transmission for the base 4.7-liter. A four-speed automatic is available for the V6 while the 4.7-liter gets an all-new five-speed automatic as an option; this five-speed is the only tranny available for the High Output block.

On the highways, byways and cow pastures in and around The Music City, aka Nashville, Tennessee, we found the Dakota a more than capable performer in both V6 and V8 configurations (the High Output option was not available at test time)

We like the feel and operation of the six-speed manual, despite a bit of hunting and pecking for the right notch at times. The five-speed auto impressed, and delivered smooth, precise shifts when we dropped the hammer on the V8.

Dakota’s weight-room work showed in towing tests of both V6 and V8 models. With a class-dominating, available towing weight of 7150 pounds in its highest configuration, this is one brawny midsize lad in the pulling power department.

Overall ride and handling felt downright car-like thanks to an all-new coil-over, independent front suspension, a massaged rear suspension and an improved rack-and-pinion steering gear. Dakota’s standard stopping power comes via a front-disc/rear-drum with ABS setup, with four-wheel ABS available. A full-time 4wd transfer case is another option on Dakota’s first-in-class list.

Underpinning it all is a hydroformed, fully boxed frame that is both stiffer and safer, featuring Dodge’s patented octagonal front rail tips (first used on the new Durango) designed to deliver improved energy absorption on impact.

Dodge has jettisoned the two-door Dakota for ’05, instead going with two four-door configurations: a rear-access-door-style Club Cab with a six-foot, six-inch bed and a full four-door Quad Cab with a five-foot, four-inch box. Trim levels include the base-level ST, the SLT and the high-end Laramie.

In the looks department, the new Dakota is all buff, featuring a bolder crosshair grille and a sharply creased hood, while fender flares flow neatly into the doorsills. Several styling cues, including boxed headlights, rearview mirrors and dual burner taillights, bear the new look of the Dodge truck family.

Heck, a couple of more sessions in the gym, and the Dakota may even be ready for a Hemi steroid injection (are you listening, SRT?).

Inside, Dakota sports Chrysler’s familiar whiteface gauge work and a revamped center console. Seats proved comfortable and the Quad Cab cabin felt especially cavernous for a midsize truck, with class-leading interior room and available seating for six. In addition, cabin noise has been knocked down thanks to improvements including thicker front door glass.

To be sure, the new Dakota has been pumping mucho iron. But it is also refined enough to shower, change out of its gym clothes, and step into a three-piece suit. Which is more than we can say for ourselves.