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While the Dakota once
stood out among crude competitors for its relative passenger comfort and
refinement, it has not kept up with them. Since the Quad Cab model’s initial
introduction for the 2000 model year, all of its competitors are either new or
completely redesigned. It too was overhauled for the 2005 model year, but not
sufficiently to match either their improvements in comfort and refinement or
in power and towing capacity. Steep rebates give it the lowest price of this
group, but you sacrifice too much in choosing it.
The Dakota has a fairly
smooth, comfortable ride by the standards of its class. It behaves well on
smooth pavement, but loses composure on bumps and can suffer from some
highway-speed floaty motions. The Dakota handles somewhat clumsily, and the
steering is numb and slow. The 3.7-liter V6 is overworked in this 4,600-lb
vehicle, and this model is only rated to tow 4,300 pounds. It sounds strained
in even routine acceleration without a load or trailer, and wind noise is
excessive. Gas mileage is not impressive either.
Inside, the Dakota’s
front seats are high and roomy, but not especially well-shaped or well-padded,
and do not offer a wide enough range of adjustments. The rear is roomy enough,
but the seatback is too short and the cushion is flat. The asymmetric
center-rear seating position is not as uncomfortable as it might appear, but
the cupholders mounted right at its base are an irritant. The rear seat flips
up easily in two sections for interior cargo-carrying, but several competitors
offer more space. The Dakota has been known for its relatively long beds since
its 1987 introduction, and it remains a few inches longer than most of the
others here, and easy to access.
 The dash uses
principally hard, cheap plastics, and features rather shoddy assembly. The
instruments are at least well laid-out, and the gauges are very clear. Drivers
sit fairly comfortably, but rearward visibility is obstructed by thick
pillars. Entry/exit is easy to the front and rear, thanks to the high seats,
wide door openings, and abundant interior space.
The V6 Dakota reviewed
here was the least expensive vehicle in this group at $24,547, but was missing
some important features. Safety features like torso-protecting side airbags
and traction and stability control are unavailable, and a sunroof is
unavailable with the optional side-curtain airbags. It was however the only
truck in this group to offer a convenient hands-free cell phone link.
The V6-powerd Dakota
lacks the power, refinement, interior comfort and quality, agility, safety
features, fuel economy, and towing capacity found in its better competitors,
and lacks a compelling reason to overlook this. It is relatively inexpensive,
but that is a poor tradeoff for its many flaws and lack of outstanding
qualities. Either of the Dakota’s two V8 versions would be a better choice.
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