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| 2006 Dodge Dakota Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Inside & Out | |||
Here's the full story on those lengths and wheelbases. As with the most recent Ram, Dodge ditched the Dakota's unpopular no-cab body styles, leaving only the Club Cab (extended cab) and Quad Cab (crew cab) models, both measuring exactly 218.8 inches long, 82.1 across, 68.7 high, and 131.3 between the wheels. Ranger, Colorado, Frontier, and Tacoma span 198, 207, 206, and 208/221 long, so aside from that last one (a Double Cab Long Bed Tacoma), the Dakota stands pretty far above. Since Dodge follows the common plan of a 6-foot-long box with the small cab and a 5-foot box with the big cab, all the Dakota's extra size should go straight to passengers.Hmm, guess not: adult males sitting in front the way they prefer usually squeeze adult males in the back. The EPA measurements show the Dakota having the best legroom, but our government didn't bother to measure space for feet under the impossibly low-mounted power driver's seat (room under the passenger's is slightly better), and that makes all the difference. The middle passenger also gets some foot space stolen by the cupholders near his soles, and a chunk of his seat cushion was chipped off. The Dakota's rear quarters are on level with the best crew cabs', but as with the engine, the obvious advantage promised by the numbers didn't quite happen. Front riders have no such issues with their roomy and comfortable surroundings. The controls were designed sensibly: clear instruments, easily-reached center stack controls, cruise controls on the steering wheel's face and audio controls on its backside, right by your fingertips. There are too many of those buttons to easily memorize, but the rest was fine. The relationship between seat, pedals, and steering wheel is good enough to make a telescoping steering wheel unnecessary, though the front seats don't fold back far enough for a pitstop nap. The cupholders could be designed better, but at least there are three of them, along with two power outlets. Side/side curtain air bags aren't standard like on some other trucks, but at least the passenger's knows when to turn itself off. Also, the Dakota's see-through rear head restraints make Dodge the first to realize the importance of being able to see other cars on the road. The Dakota doesn't score quite as well when it comes to subjective quality. The silver-painted plastic does a poor job posing as aluminum, the drab colors don't help (including the bland cyan glow from the instruments at night), and the dash and instruments are generally unappealing and uninspired. Finally, after feeling the seats, I was shocked that Dodge would dish out a press car lined with crude vinyl, then shocked once more upon looking at the window sticker and discovering it really was leather. The compartments also close a bit cheaply, and having one or two more wouldn't hurt. But it's a fine place for audiophiles. One past week spent with another new-in-2005 Chrysler truck, the Grand Cherokee, built up expectations of a lame listening experience, but the Dakota's 6-disc MP3 CD changer (with Sirius satellite radio) proved to be a quantum leap forward in sound quality. The Jeep's unit is just a bunch of misguided watts; the Dakota is about power with focus and clarity. The Laramie model's Alpine speakers make all the difference, and the optional auxiliary jack for portable audio devices count for a lot. Nothing remarkable about the Dakota's bed. Just your average big, empty, pre-lined rectangular box - 64.9" by 59.6" by 17.6" (for 39 cubic feet total) - with an easy-to-lift tailgate. You can store extra stuff in the cabin by flipping up the back seats in one simple step. |
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