The Dakota is a storied vehicle in the Chrysler lineup. It's been explicitly showcasing the Dodge brand's sporty virility for many, many years. No doubt that's why it sits atop the sales charts in the midsize pickup truck segment.
For 2008, the Dakota received a minor facelift. Designers focused essentially on two areas. First, the front fascia loses the square fenders and ill-executed headlight clusters in favor of a more integrated grille, hood, headlight and fender combination. Second, the dashboard is redesigned and, while it may not be more attractive than before, ergonomics are positively improved.
Big brute
Much like the full-size Ram, the Dodge Dakota sports a very masculine look and seemingly overflows with testosterone. Because it's a work truck first and foremost, the interior layout is rather simplistic so as to allow the owner to easily find and manipulate the controls (there aren't that many, by the way). The heating, ventilating and air conditioning system is surprisingly effective, especially with regard to defogging and defrosting. While it does a decent job, the audio unit won't be a determining factor for buyers.
Big cavern
The cabin is roomy and particularly wide. However, rear legroom is at a premium and the seats are a bit high. What's more, access to the rear bench requires some flexibility, as is the case with most pickup trucks. Storage compartments are aplenty, which adds to the Dakota's versatility.
As for comfort, I hope your job site isn't very far because the seats are pretty firm and they can become irritating over long drives. That being said, the driving position is good even though the seating and steering adjustments are limited. The suspension does nothing to improve ride quality as it tends to bounce exaggeratingly, even when the vehicle is fully loaded, which is rather strange.
For 2008, the Dakota received a minor facelift. Designers focused essentially on two areas. First, the front fascia loses the square fenders and ill-executed headlight clusters in favor of a more integrated grille, hood, headlight and fender combination. Second, the dashboard is redesigned and, while it may not be more attractive than before, ergonomics are positively improved.
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| 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport Extended Cab |
Big brute
Much like the full-size Ram, the Dodge Dakota sports a very masculine look and seemingly overflows with testosterone. Because it's a work truck first and foremost, the interior layout is rather simplistic so as to allow the owner to easily find and manipulate the controls (there aren't that many, by the way). The heating, ventilating and air conditioning system is surprisingly effective, especially with regard to defogging and defrosting. While it does a decent job, the audio unit won't be a determining factor for buyers.
Big cavern
The cabin is roomy and particularly wide. However, rear legroom is at a premium and the seats are a bit high. What's more, access to the rear bench requires some flexibility, as is the case with most pickup trucks. Storage compartments are aplenty, which adds to the Dakota's versatility.
As for comfort, I hope your job site isn't very far because the seats are pretty firm and they can become irritating over long drives. That being said, the driving position is good even though the seating and steering adjustments are limited. The suspension does nothing to improve ride quality as it tends to bounce exaggeratingly, even when the vehicle is fully loaded, which is rather strange.
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| 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport Extended Cab |