Home » Car Reviews » Dodge » Dakota
Dakota
Dodge Dakota - exterior.
2008 Dodge Dakota - enlargeComplete 2008 Dodge Dakota New Car Reviews listed below
The 2008 Dodge Dakota compact pickup truck (MSRP: $22,780 - $30,370, Invoice price: $20,990 - $27,745) comes in Base ST, SXT, Big Horn/Lone Star, SLT, TRX/TRX4, Sport, and Laramie trim levels. It is also available in two versions: an Extended Cab with a 6 1/2-foot bed, a 40/20/40-split bench front seat, and small, rear compartment doors; and a Crew Cab with bucket front seats, a five-foot and four-inch bed, and four full-sized doors. This model competes with the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, Mazda B-Series, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma . There are two available engines: a 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6 gas engine and a 302-horsepower, 4.7-liter V8 engine. Both six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions are available, as well as rear-wheel and four-wheel drive systems. The four-wheel drive versions also come with a part-time 4WD, an electronic hi-lo gear selection, a rear limited slip differential, and automatic locking hubs.
The Dodge Dakota compact pickup truck was first conceptualized by parent company Chrysler as "the first 'mid-sized pickup' combining the nimble handling and fuel economy of a compact pickup with cargo handling capacity approaching that of full-sized pickups".1 This model is currently in its third generation and is assembled in Warren, Michigan.
The 2008 Dodge Dakota compact pickup truck has a front independent suspension, a front stabilizer bar, a double wishbone front suspension, and a solid live axle rear suspension.
Exterior features on this compact pickup truck include 16 x 7.0 inch steel wheels, all terrain tires, a full-size and matching spare tire, a steel spare wheel, and an underbody-mounted spare tire. It also comes with variable-intermittent wipers, a privacy glass, and a side-impact door beam.
Instrumentation in the Dodge Dakota includes a tachometer, a clock, low fuel level warning, and trailer wiring. The Dakota has a maximum towing capacity of 7,050 pounds.
Inside, this compact pickup truck has a two-person total seating capacity for the Extended Cab and a five-person total seating capacity for the Crew Cab. It also has bucket front seats and cloth upholstery.
Convenience features in the Dodge Dakota include power-dependent steering and remote driver and passenger exterior mirrors. Also standard are front and rear cupholders, front and rear door pockets, a 12V front power outlet, and retained accessory power. Basic comfort features are air conditioning, front reading lights, and a passenger vanity mirror.
The Dodge Dakota compact pickup truck entertainment features include an AM/FM in-dash single CD player, CD-controller with CD MP3 Playback stereo and four total speakers. It comes equipped with a mast antenna and an auxiliary MP3 audio input.
The 2008 Dodge Dakota compact pickup truck has the following safety and security features: ventilated front disc/rear drum brakes, an Anti-Lock Braking System (for the rear wheel only), a passenger airbag deactivation switch, and rear door child safety locks. It is equipped with front headrests (two, height-adjustable), tire pressure monitoring, and electronic brake-force distribution.
The Dodge Dakota SXT features 16-inch painted aluminum wheels, power mirrors, windows, and locks, and remote keyless entry. It has a center console, tilt steering, cruise control, fold-down rear jump seats for the Extended Cab, and cargo lamps (rear exterior).
More features on the Big Horn/Lone Star trim level are 18-inch cast aluminum wheels, fog lamps, body color front and rear bumpers, and an accent color grille.
The 2008 Dodge Dakota SLT, meanwhile, has the following additional features: a Sirius satellite radio, an engine immobilizer, a security alarm, an external temperature display, and a trip computer. Also featured are a six-way power driver's seat, fog lights, color-keyed carpet mats, a compass, an overhead console, and a YES Essentials seat fabric (claimed to be resistant to stains, odor, and static). More features are a sliding rear window with defrost, full-swing rear doors that open 170 degrees (for the Extended Cab), a collapsible storage system under the rear seats (for the Crew Cab), and utility rails in the bed sides.
The TRX trim level features tow hooks, off-road tires, a higher axle ratio, and black body trim and fender flares. The Dakota TRX also has special trim cues on its exterior.
The Dodge Dakota Sport compact pickup truck has a leather-wrapped steering wheel and 18-inch painted alloy wheels. It also showcases a unique side trim, a body-color grille, and bucket seats with cloth upholstery and larger side bolsters.
Lastly, the top-of-the-line Laramie features a body-color front bumper, leather upholstery, steering wheel-located audio controls, a remote engine start, and chrome bodyside moldings. Also included are a premium Alpine audio system with MP3 capability and six-CD changer, 276-watt of stereo output, automatic headlamps, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
A safety report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the 2008 Dodge Dakota 4-DR received five stars out of five in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars out of five in rollover tests. Meanwhile, the 2008 Dodge Dakota Extended Cab received five stars out of five in frontal and side (front seat only) crash tests, and four stars out of five in rollover tests.
A reliability history report from ConsumerReports.org showed how the Dodge Dakota held up mechanically. The Dodge Dakota received the following ratings for the year 2006 (major design year was 2005):
Dodge Dakota (2WD)
Excellent ratings for engine, major transmission, exhaust, electrical and climate system trouble spots; Very Good ratings for its minor transmission, fuel system, paint and trim, and audio system trouble spots; Good ratings for its body hardware and power equipment; Fair ratings for its squeak and rattles; and Poor ratings for its brakes and drive system trouble spots.
Dodge Dakota (4WD)
Excellent ratings for major engine, engine cooling, and major transmission trouble spots; Very Good ratings for minor engine, exhaust, fuel, electrical, and audio system trouble spots; Good ratings for climate system and power equipment; Fair ratings for paint and trim, squeaks and rattles, and body hardware trouble spots; and Poor ratings for minor transmission, drive system, suspension, and brakes trouble spots.
Click here for more information on 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Dodge Dakota car prices, auto insurance, auto loans, car dealers, and car leases.
Dodge's mid-size Dakota pickup shares its big-rig look with the much larger Ram. It drives and feels more like a full-size truck than the compact competition, like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. The Dakota hasn't been redesigned since 1997, and it shows in the cabin where plastics feel cheap and the overall look is out-of-date.
•2006 Dodge Dakota Compact Pickup Truck
Dodge comes in third after Chevy and Ford in the American truck market. The 2006 Dakota shows us why with sub-par fuel efficiency, poor interior materials and poor acceleration capabilities. However, for towing is ok with the Dakota, which can pull over 7,000 lbs, and the V8 models do have some decent power behind them.
•2006 Dodge Dakota Mid-Size Pickup Truck
Mid-size Dakota, sized one step below the Ram 1500, achieves best-in-class power, torque and tow numbers.
•2005 Dodge Dakota Mid-Size Pickup Truck
Read more…
•2004 Dodge Dakota Compact Pickup Truck
Sized one step below the full-size Ram, Dodge's mid-size pickup still sports the stepped-hood prow of Ram for a family resemblance.
•2003 Dodge Dakota Mid-Size Pickup Truck
Sized between full-size Ram and a compact-class truck, the mid-size Dodge pickup looks tough with a stepped-hood prow that mimics the Peterbilt look of full-size Ram.
