2005 Dodge Dakota Review

Specifications

A 6-Foot, 6-Inch Tanning Bed?

I love trucks, and I dont know where my fondness stems from. My family has never owned any, nor are they planning to purchase one in this lifetime. Sedans are the Straubs vehicle of choice. But I am the odd one out here, since I like going to the dentist, my favorite flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans is buttered popcorn and I live for Formula 1 races every second weekend. Im not your average female.

I recently acquired my undergraduate degree from university after a few long, stressful years and what did I do? Go out and party? No. Go shopping? No. I went out for sushi, bought myself a nice, big chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cone (I splurged because of the special occasion and because its my favorite kind of ice cream in the world), and went home and washed my 2005 Dodge Dakota Laramie Club Cab 4X4 loaner.

Yes, it was a beautiful sunny day, and the Dakota had accumulated a fine film of pollen, so I washed it. Oddly enough, I couldnt have pictured myself doing anything else. After I shammied and wiped the truck down, its lustrous Atlantic Blue Pearl Coat was sparkling again. And when the bed dried, I grabbed my patio furniture cushions, laid them out, and lounged in “bed” under the hot rays thinking how relieved I was not to have to study anymore, or at least not for the time being. Again, I suppose Im not the average female.

But the all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota is not your average midsize truck either. Offering not one, but two V8 engine choices, two cab styles, five trim levels and a list of great standard features, the completely redesigned Dakota offers a wide variety of configurations for the truck buyer. My tester was the club cab, with small rear-hinged secondary doors on each side. While both the club cab and quad cab feature four doors, the former models rear access doors can only be opened when the front doors are open, the same setup as on my Toyota Tacoma tester not too long ago.

My test Dakota came with the base V8 engine, the 4.7-liter, 16-valve, SOHC, Magnum with five-speed automatic transmission that produces 230-horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. An optional 4.7-liter, High Output V8 producing 260 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque is available for those who want the extra grunt, or on the other hand, a non-Laramie version of the truck can be purchased with a base 3.7-liter V6 with 210-horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque.

I felt my testers 230 horses and 290 lb-ft of torque were all that was needed and more when it came to city driving. Being an inexperienced off-roader, I didnt venture off the paved streets, nor did I tow the boat that I dont have, so its hard for me to say how amazing this truck is at such duties without experiencing all of its capabilities first hand. But more and more people are purchasing trucks, not just as practical boat-towers, stuff-haulers or off-roaders, but for driving around the city. While I really like a good-looking, boat-hauling, off-roading truck, I am not in a field where its practicality would be put to the test on a regular basis. But as a city truck, its pretty good.

The Laramie 4X4 Dakota sports upper and lower A arms, coil springs over gas-pressure shock absorbers and link-type stabilizer bar up front, and a live axle hung on multi-leaf, two-stage longitudinal springs, staggered gas-pressure shock absorbers and stabilizer bar suspension in the back. In addition, the tough, rigid hydroformed frame has been redesigned to improve strength and stiffness for an overall quieter and smoother ride. Yes, the Dakota had a nice ride on smooth, straight roads, but as soon as the pavement became uneven, or there were potholes or bumps, I felt it. But in essence, that is how a truck is supposed to feel; you are going to feel the road and all its qualities, or lack thereof. The Dakota also handles well for its liberal suspension, and is pleasant to drive in the city.

Speaking of qualities, the new Dakota has some luxuries that would not have been found on a first-generation version introduced in 1987, let alone any truck manufacturer in the segments earlier stages. The optional front leather-trimmed heated bucket seats ($525) are always a perk in a pickup. In addition, the AM/FM six-disc in-dash CD/MP3 player and six-speaker audio system was perfect for pumping up Gretchen Wilsons “Red Neck Woman.” Its not every day, in fact its very rarely, that I listen to country music, but I felt it was befitting the whole truck theme; plus, the song is upbeat, catchy and fun, kind of similar to the Dakotas qualities. Furthermore, keyless entry, air conditioning, power locks and windows, power steering, fog lamps and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror were on the luxuries list.

Shifting from luxury to practicality, my test Dakota had the optional full-time electronic shift on-the-fly full-time (part-time is standard) transfer case making it easy to convert between the 4-high and 4-low gear sets ($395). The available full-time all-wheel drive mode is the only system in its class that allows for four-wheel traction on all surfaces all the time without it having to be turned on and off.

The Dakota is equipped with front disc and rear drum brakes with antilock on the rear wheels only, but for an extra $495 you can have the recommended four-wheel ABS. Enhancing its on- and off-road performance is a set of P265/65R17 BSW all-terrain tires mounted on a shiny set of 17-inch chrome cast aluminum wheels.

The Dakotas pickup bed and towing capacity also shine. Its bed has a length of 6 feet 6 inches, and it can tow up to 7,150 pounds of cargo in Club Cab ST 4×2 configuration, giving it the title of Best-in-Class towing capabilities.

So its the best in some ways, but not the best in others. Fuel consumption is something I could whine about, but wont. Its a truck. What do you expect? But I do raise the issue of parallel parking. Its not easy finding a spot that will accommodate the Dakotas length. While its not impossible, its difficult.

I just happened to run into a few friends on the road driving over to town. We both stopped at a red light and agreed to meet up for Slurpees at the local convenience store. They were in a Honda Civic and I was in my dominating Dakota. As we pulled up to the store, only street parking was available. Luckily, there was just enough room to squeeze my pickup and the compact sedan into the gap, but I wasnt always so lucky. If youre looking for a more practical parallel-parking vehicle with just as much horsepower and dont need the Dakotas hauling capabilities, the Dodge SRT-4 might be the right choice.

That in mind, with the myriad of vehicles on the automotive market today, purchasing one is downright confusing. Even in the pickup truck segment, the introduction of such new imported and domestic trucks as the Honda Ridgeline and GMC Canyon makes the choice in this class that much more difficult. But if best-in-class torque and towing ratings are on your list of qualities, as well as a long menu of standard and optional features, the all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota might just be what youre looking for.