The first thing we noticed about the Dakota interior is that it looks like a
10-year-old design, a far cry from the beautifully designed Ram interior. The Dakota
dash looks blocky and dated.
Once we got past the nostalgia, though, we realized the inside of a Dakota was not
such a bad place to be. It's a comfortable, roomy truck and all controls are
straightforward. The cup holder cannot be missed. Mounted in the center of the dash in
front of the passenger, it pulls out to hold two cans of soda. While conveniently
located, it's an unattractive piece that shouts plastic. And it looks fragile.
Our Dakota was a regular cab Sport model. The seatbacks do not flip forward to allow
easy access to the small storage space behind the seats. This setup was inconvenient
when two of us went to the mall and picked up some large items that would have blown
out had we put them in the bed. The Club Cub version (see photo) helps out
considerably in this regard.
Our 4X4 Sport model rode and handled well and the 5.2-liter Magnum V8 engine produced
lots of power. The engine itself isn't the smoothest V8 we've seen, but it sounds
powerful and sure of itself. Our truck also had the 5-speed manual transmission, and
the V8 delivered so much torque that it was a challenge to keep from spinning the rear
tires, especially on wet pavement.
Throw in some tight, bumpy corners and the driver has to pay attention to keep the
rear end from trying to pass the front, particularly a driver in a hurry. That's why
we recommend matching the V8 with the automatic transmission. A V8-powered Dakota with
an automatic provides the same payload as one with a manual transmission, so power
loss is negligible and driveability is improved.
Those who opt for the 4-cyl. engine, however, will find the automatic transmission
soaks up more power than the 5-speed gearbox, which shifts smoothly and precisely. The
V6 buyer could argue the merits of either transmission.
The on-demand 4wd system features shift-on-the-fly, eliminating the need to stop for
snowstorms or muddy roads that may suddenly appear.