Black-on-white gauges are outlined with bright rings, and the central speedometer is about twice as large as the other two gauges. The angular center stack houses the sound system, climate controls and vents. The thick four-spoke steering wheel is home to the cruise control buttons. Brushed metal accents brighten the cockpit, and the whole design works very well in terms of usability, convenience, and reach. The dash and console are dominated by plastic, however, showing the Dakota is built to a price. The materials look good but not great, and interior fit and finish is generally good.

The center console, redesigned for 2008, has three integrated cupholders, two of which are modular and can be removed to provide more storage space. The console also has lots of cubby holes to stash small items, and a pull-out bin designed to hold an MP3 player or cell phone. In terms of usefulness, this is one of the best designed center consoles available today.

The available MyGIG Infotainment System has an integrated navigation system and 20-gigabytes of hard drive space to hold music, pictures, and navigation map information. It has voice control, and the nav system has real-time traffic. Dodge says the hard drive will hold 1600 songs.

All but base ST Extended Cab models have auxiliary rear doors that swing open 170 degrees. The front doors must be open to open the rears. Crew Cabs feature four regular doors; the rear doors open out to nearly 90 degrees, so ingress and egress is quite easy.

Crew Cab interiors are roomy, with more than 102 cubic feet of passenger space. The rear seats are deliberately stepped up on their bases so rear-seat occupants can see out more easily, and they are split into 60/40 sections. Rear-seat room is generous for family use, with 37 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seat.

New for 2008 is a handy under-seat storage system. It includes two milk crate-type bins that are collapsible and removable. Like the Chrysler minivans' new Swivel 'n Go seating system, this storage system is another example of Chrysler Corp. engineers developing a useful feature unique to the class.