Regular and Club Cabs have a 6-foot 6-inch bed, a good size for a compact truck. The Quad Cab, on the other hand, has a 5-foot 3-inch bed. According to Dodge, people seldom need the full length of the longer bed. Our experience, however, is that when you need it, you need it. Those who need more cargo space can consider an optional bed extender, an aluminum cage that flips over the lowered tailgate to extend the bed by 18 inches. Sometimes the bed extender works great, but a lowered tailgate with a mesh opening won't hold dirt back like longer bed with a solid tailgate. Dodge also offers a special shell developed for the Dakota by Leer to protect the cargo area.

For 2002, the 2WD Quad Cab comes with bigger standard tires: P235/75R15.