Dodge Dakota reviews

1998 Dodge Dakota Walkaround

The Dakota comes with a choice of four powerplants. At the entry level is a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder that makes 120 horsepower and 145 foot-pounds (lb.-ft.) of torque. It's most appropriate for a delivery truck for the local auto parts store.

Next up is an optional 3.9-liter V6 that generates a very useful 175 hp and 225 lb.-ft. of torque. This is the logical engine of choice for most buyers, particularly those whose lifestyles don't include trailer hitches.

Then there's a powerful 5.2-liter V8, with 220 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. It's stronger than any other engine available in any truck that's anywhere near the Dakota's size. Depending upon specific configuration and drivetrain, the 5.2-liter gives the Dakota a towing capability of 6700 pounds, a level the imports and compacts just can't match.

Finally, Dodge is introducing the Dakota R/T this spring with a 5.9-liter V8 that makes 250 hp and a crushing 345 lb.-ft. of torque. It just won't take no for an answer.

From the outside, the Dakota looks and feels like a slightly smaller near-clone of the Ram. Based on reactions from people on the street, its big-rig look has turned out to be very popular.

The Dakota offers buyers a lot of choices. In addition to the four engines, there are two transmissions available, a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. The body comes in a regular cab or extended Club Cab with cargo box lengths of either 6.5 or 8.0 feet. Two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive is available along with more than 40 options. Trim levels include the relatively plain base; Sport, which sports body-colored trim; SLT, which is fancier with more chrome; SLT Plus, which is fancier still; and the hot-rod R/T.

Our Dakota was a nicely outfitted Club Cab 2WD SLT with the 5.2-liter V8 and automatic transmission. The base price was $19,665; some carefully selected options raised that figure to $22,405, which we thought seemed reasonable.

As we expected, the performance and pulling power of the V8 was several steps above that of most of the V6-powered compact pickups. The Dakota isn't particularly fast because, even empty, it weighs about two tons. But it is capable of dealing with serious loads, whether those loads are in the cargo bed, hooked onto the trailer hitch, or both.

We were pleased to see a high level of quality on our truck. Everything was screwed together tight, the doors and tailgate closed with an authoritative slam and nothing creaked or rattled. Even wind noise was noticeably low.