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Posted May, 2007

Road Test: 2007 Dodge Dakota

By Thomas E. Bonsall

We have tested some full-sized pickups recently (see our Ford F-150 vs. Chevy Silverado face-off), but it has been a while since we have reviewed a mid-sized pickup. Enter the Dodge Dakota.

The model we tested was the Dakota Club Cab 4X4 SLT. It had the standard 3.7-liter six-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. A couple of V8 engine options are available this year if you want a hot rod pickup, but we liked the six just fine.

Styling is always a personal thing, but we found the looks of the Dakota appealing, both inside and out. It is a very stylish truck and there was a major (and successful) effort on the part of the designers to tie the exterior and interior styling together. The Dakota's design is all of a piece.

Due to its muscular look, the Dakota appears bigger than it is. Outside it can be mistaken for a full-sized pickup. It's when you climb inside that you really realize you're in a mid-sized vehicle. There's plenty of room for two people and that's about it. The rear passenger compartment is vestigial. It has a couple of opera seats that would be pretty uncomfortable even for short hauls. Children might tolerate it, but not full-grown adults.

Other than that, we had absolutely no complaints about the Dakota. The engine had plenty of pep, the shift points on the transmission were well selected, and the ride and handling were right up there with what you would expect of a truck in this market segment. The Alpine sound system was pretty good, too.

The EPA fuel economy rating on the model we tested is 15 city/19 highway, which is okay for a pickup. Fair warning: the optional V8 engines are likely to do worse.

The base price the truck we tested is $26,040. Our test vehicle had three grand's worth of options making for a final sticker price of $30,625 (including destination charges). The automatic transmission was an $1,135 option. Other major options included the Trailer Tow Group ($346), the Popular Equipment Group ($895), the TRX4 Off-Road Group ($1,195), anti-lock brakes ($295), and a bedliner ($245). These options are pretty much self-explanatory, the exception being the Popular Equipment Group. It included the Alpine sound system, a remote start system, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls. It was an intelligently equipped truck for someone planning to do off-road towing.

In sum, we liked the Dakota a lot and believe it represents good value for the money. R&D