With four, full-size doors, it's plenty easy to get in and out of the Dakota - once you've negotiated the big step up. Tall
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| With four, full-size doors, it's plenty easy to get in and out of the Dakota - once you've negotiated the big step up. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
drivers will embrace the Dakota's additional headroom and legroom, as will those who ride in back; while it's not quite as roomy as a midsize sedan, five can ride in comfort in the Quad Cab with little fuss. All passengers receive three-point safety belts, while head restraints for rear seat passengers are also included.
As for storage spaces, there's almost no end to them in the Dakota. There's a flip-up arm-rest cubby that can easily swallow a laptop and bag, a floor console with cellphone holder, adjustable cupholders and deep map pockets. The seat cushions of the rear bench fold up to form a flat surface area and covered storage that's out of sight.
Given that the Dakota is a pickup truck, to criticize Dodge for its lack of soft-touch plastics would surely be crass. The
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| The Laramie's extras give a little bit of added comfort to the otherwise well-organized Dakota interior. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) |
ability to stand up to wear and tear is much more important, and to a great extent, it has influenced the materials and the styling of the interior. In the luxury-injected Laramie model, you'll find satin silver appliqué on the centre console, slightly grainy but comfortable electrically-adjustable heated leather seats, power-operated windows and mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for the 278-watt six-disc Infinity MP3 CD stereo system - just to name a few things. The Laramie's extras give a little bit of added comfort to the otherwise well- organized Dakota interior.
