Dodge Dakota pops up as a bigger and better mid-size pickup
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Gridiron grass at Nashville's Coliseum, home field for the NFL Titans, on one recent morning hosts not the usual padded bruisers of professional football but all of the powerhouse pickups in the 2005 ram-horned truck line by Dodge.
Parked on the 50-yard line is the leader of Dodge's pickup team, a full-size Ram 1500 (light-duty) truck with the stepped-hood styling of a big-rig Peterbilt.
Flanking the Ram 1500 is a high-performance SRT-10 variation which ranks as the world's swiftest production-model sport truck, thanks to a Viper-powered V10 engine pumping 500 hp and up to 525 lb-ft of torque.
But massive Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks dominate the Coliseum's center field with forceful exterior styling as they flex muscles from hefty engines like a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 producing 345 hp or a 5.9-liter Cummins turbo diesel which brings a towing capacity of 16400 pounds.
And the latest pickup player from Dodge, charging onto the gridiron to join the truck team, is a mid-size Dakota, sized one step below the Ram 1500 and sporting the stepped-hood prow of Ram for a family resemblance.
Dakota scores a re-do for 2005 and in the process achieves best-in-class power, torque and tow numbers.
A fleet of new Dakotas, cast in two different cab conformations with three powertrain options, line the stadium's infield awaiting drive tests from the automotive press assembled in Nashville for this truck's media debut.
Introduced in 1987, Dakota always charted a different course in pickup design. Neither full-size, like classic American pickups, nor compact, like some itsy-bitsy models from Asia, Dakota measured somewhere between these extremes to provide benefits of both.
In the new version, Dakota rides on a stiff new boxed-rail platform.
It's actually larger than the predecessor Dakota, gaining 3.7 inches in overall length and 2.7 inches in width. As a result, the cabin gains capacity too.
There are two formats for the cab.
Dakota Club Cab contains two rows of seats for four and two rear-hinged access doors, while the Quad Cab stocks four full-size doors and seat space for up to six.
Club Cab becomes the standard cabin for Dakota.
The pair of individual rear seats fit a full-size adult, but seat cushions fold away when not needed for passengers and the area behind front seats converts into a storage compartment with 30 cubic feet of space.
Dakota Quad Cab carves out the largest cabin among mid-size trucks. A bench-style backseat holds up to three adults and the seatback tips rearward at a slight angle so riders may sit comfortably with ample room for heads and legs.
The truck bed behind the cabin varies in length, depending on cab style.
Club Cab has a long-bed design extending to 78 inches, while the Quad Cab uses an abbreviated bed 64 inches long.
Dodge builds the new Dakota with choices for three different engines, two transmissions and three traction modes plus three model designations, so the truck projects a different personality with each level of equipment upgrade.
From a row of 18 editions of Dakota '05 parked on the Coliseum infield, we select a V8-powered Quad Cab in deluxe Laramie trim, then steer it out of the stadium and up a nearby ramp onto I-24.
The expressway leads out of town and into the green hills of Tennessee for a day of tests on pavement and dirt, as we switch into Dakotas of both cab sizes and several trim variations with big and bigger engine choices, both manual and automatic transmissions, and rear two-wheel-drive (2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction modes.
From this experience we discover that Dakota in its various forms has a generous wheelbase, which sets up a smooth ride quality for a truck.
A new suspension configuration -- coil-over-shock up front with link-type stabilizer bar -- improves handling, while a rack and pinion steering mechanism -- not a common component for a truck -- brings crisp steering traits.
Dakota also benefits from smaller overall body length (about 18 feet long) when compared against a full-size truck like Ram. That advantage of having several less feet of steel to move around in traffic makes a big difference in terms of maneuverability and practicality.
Brakes with front discs and rear drums bring power assistance plus standard anti-lock brake system (ABS) for the rear wheels, with optional four-wheel ABS that adds electronic brake force distribution (EBD).
Frontal air bags for front-seat riders are also standard, with curtain-style side air bags concealed above windows for both rows of seats new on the option sheet.
More choices come for trim, powertrain and traction.
Dakota's trim designations are the ST, SLT and Laramie.
Powertrains range from a Magnum V6 to a 4.7-liter Magnum V8 and the ultra-powerful high-output version prompting best-in-class power points and tow capability.
The six-pack displaces 3.7 liters and runs up to 210 hp at 5200 rpm with torque numbers climbing as high as 235 lb-ft at 4000 rpm.
The 4.7-liter V8 reaches 230 hp at 4600 rpm plus torque pegging high to 295 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.
A sweet Getrag 238 manual six-speed transmission is the standard for either engine, with a four-speed Dodge automatic (42RLE) optional on the V6 but an automatic five-speed (5-45RFE) paired with the V8.
Dakota's ultimate power player is the high-output version of the V8. It bumps up to 250 hp at 5200 rpm with 300 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm, then links exclusively to the five-speed automatic.
Pick a 4WD package for off-road forays or the 2WD mode for trailer-haul chores.
Actually, there are two choices for 4WD action -- either an on-demand 4WD system with 2WD plus 4WD high and 4WD low-gear settings or a full-time all-wheel-drive (AWD) system available for SLT and Laramie.
Dodge delivers a bigger, better and more powerful Dakota for 2005 but brings it to market with fair price points. Entry model Dakota ST Club Cab 2WD lists for $19,210, while the addition of a V8 engine still holds the MSRP below $20,000.
|
| 2005 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size 4-door pickup |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size 4-door pickup |
| Wheelbase: |
131.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
218.8 inches, Cargo box length: 78.0 inches, 64.0 inches |
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.7-L V6, SOHC 4.7-L V8, SOHC 4.7-L V8 H.O. |
| Transmission: |
V6: Manual/6 Getrag 238 Auto/4 42RLE, V8: Manual/6 Getrag 238, Auto/5 5-45RFE, HO: Auto/5 5-45RFE |
| Drive: |
2WD Rear, 4WD part-time NV233HD, AWD all-time NV244HD |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum, rear ABS opt. ABS/EBD |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) plus opt. 4 (side curtain) |
| Gross Weight: |
6010 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
7150 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
V6 M/6 2WD: 16/22 mpg, V6 M/6 4WD: 16/20 mpg, V8 M/6 2WD: 15/20 mpg, V8 M/6 4WD: 15/19 mpg, HO A/4 2WD: 14/18 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 19,210 to $ 29,324 |
|
|
|
The Big Lot! is dedicated to privacy, security, and service. Read our Privacy Policy.
