It took only five minutes inside our tester to understand why people
like the Dodge approach to truck building. It's roomy, comfortable and
full of the kinds of features, big and small, that can ease getting down
the road.
Our Dakota had the optional front bucket seats, but the standard seat
is a bench, split into three parts on a 40/20/40 basis. The center portion
(of the standard bench) has a folding back that also serves as a center
armrest and includes a quite large, multi-function storage console. With
the bucket seats, there's a huge center console that's subdivided for tissue
paper, maps and cassettes or CDs. And for us, the front bucket seats were
comfortable and offered good lumbar support.
Some other neat touches: three cupholders in the forward portion of
the center console, in three sizes, for a two-liter bottle, 20-ounce bottle
and soft-drink can--just right for Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.
In the Club Cab, the rear seat cushions are split 60/40, to allow carrying
combinations of additional people or cargo. The rear cushions fold up,
revealing a flat floor so your suitcase or toolbox will stay upright.
Under those rear seat cushions are two storage compartments; one houses
the jack and tools and provides a little storage space, the other is a
fairly generous storage bin. In addition to the front cupholders, there
are cupholders in the quarter panels for the rear-seat passengers. Order
the automatic transmission and the place where the manual transmission
lever would poke through the floor becomes yet another little tray for
loose odds and ends.
But there were some little things we thought our Dakota lacked. For
example, no visor vanity mirror--maybe somebody at Dodge figured truck
passengers don't do makeup on the way to the Tex-Mex restaurant. The headrests
are non-adjustable, a real comfort issue.
The passenger seat doesn't fully recline. Fold the front seats forward
to allow access to the rear, and there is no memory feature to allow the
front seats to be easily returned to their former position. No grab handle
above the passenger door to ease climbing in.
Something else that's missing is the option of a third door, to make
access to the rear easier. The Chevy S-10 and GMC Sonoma are the only trucks
in this general class that offer this option, but we expect to see it on
the next Ranger, due later this year.
Back on the positive side, there's a must-have feature for trailer-towers:
the optional 6x9-inch mirrors are the biggest we've ever seen outside a
truck stop, provide a big boost in rearward vision, and cost only $160.
You can't reasonably expect an extended cab pickup to offer stretch-out
room for rear-seat passengers. But the Dakota Club Cab is wide enough for
three adults, and with cooperation from those in front, the three in back
should find the trip livable at least to the football stadium parking lot.
Trucks keep getting better in ride quality, but they're still trucks.
Unloaded, there's little chance the Dakota will make you think you're in
a sedan. But like most pickups, the ride gets better with a load in back.
Other aspects of comfort, like the decent seats and loads of front seat
room, make the Dakota just fine for all-around driving.
We think the Dakota's handling will feel pleasantly surprising, especially
to those familiar with bigger pickups. It has relentless straight-ahead
stability, yet it works well when the pavement takes a few turns, as well.
One important day-in, day-out aspect of handling is nimbleness, the ability
to deal with tight spaces and crowded conditions. Here, too, the Dakota
will be appreciated, where its tidier size allows it to fit easily through
traffic and into that last available spot in front of the grocery store.
In short, as with several other characteristics important to truck buyers,
the Dakota's just-right size seems to give it several advantages with few
apparent shortcomings.