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Dodge Dakota Owners - Meet the Members

373 messages,  Last post on Jun 08, 2009 at 10:17 AM

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#303 of 373 Nice to meet you all by eharri3 Nov 07, 2003 (7:30 pm)
My final deal when all was said and done: Invoice-holdback+ approx. 300 including sales tax, all financed at 4.9 through Chrysler. OR to compare apples to apples, after rebates and trade but before tax or financing factored in, I was at invoice-2 grand or over 4700 below sticker.   My truck: 04 Dakota Quad Cab Sport Plus, 4x4, 4.7, 5 speed auto, 26c with power windows and locks, cruise, tilt steering wheel, sliding rear window, 60/40 split bench, and 245/70 tires. All wrapped in the new Atlantic Blue. Couldn't find 03s near me like I wanted and I know if the 05 is restyled same as the 04 Durango Id hate it so I figured it was time to stop talking constantly about a new truck and go in on the last of the month and just do the deal.   Oh my god I still can't believe when Im driving this truck how far trucks have come since my little rwd reg cab 95 Ranger was built. IT handles as tight as any car I've ever been in and the acceleration is UNBELIEVABLE for a 4thousand pound plus 4x4. Pulling off the lot I gave it the same kind of gas I normally have to give on my little 4-banger Ranger to get up to traffic speed and before I knew it I had gone from being at a stand still to moving FASTER than the approaching cars as I merged in.   Interior is very quiet and comfortable. Everything feels tight and well engineered. Only criticism is one side of bumper sits a couple inches lower than the other, but I have not yet decided if it's annoying enough for me to let the dealer mess with it.   On the radio: CAn't believe Dodge would put a radio in a 2004 truck without a scan function.   Back seats: VERY spacious. On a 3 hour drive to DC my Mom was able to sleep comfortably. She absolutely fell in love with big blue when I first pulled into her driveway. Her first reaction: "We have to go on a road trip. NOW."   Mileage: I can live with it. About the same range as my 4 cylinder Ranger but maybe 10 bucks more for a fillup at current prices. If I was trading from a Civic it would be a shock but having already been accustomed to paying over 20 bucks a tank, it wasn't as big of a leap.   First tank was 16 almost all highway. Second tank was still around 16 but this time with lots of around town and stop and go mixed in. Working on the third tank now. Im thinking once break-in is done if I can learn to restrict my juvenile instinct to make full use of all that power I could be averaging 17-18, which would be absolutely fine by me. Hehehe... from 11 miles on the clock to almost 900 in a week. I gotta find something to do that will make me not want to be out driving my truck constantly. OTherwise at this rate it'll be run into the ground in three years.
#304 of 373 Just Sign up by silverbullet Jun 21, 2004 (11:46 am)
I just want to say Hello to all from LA I just recently sign up here and is nice to have you here.
#305 of 373 Welcome silverbullet by bookitty Jun 22, 2004 (5:46 am)
DAK, welcome to the fold. There is a plethora of great information exchanged here. There are some bright and handy folks here to help you, should you need it.   Bookitty
#306 of 373 Just bought, already been helped by popdaddy Oct 28, 2004 (8:59 am)
Hi all, Pardon the bad pun, but the intros almost sound like an AA meeting: "Hi, I'm Larry and I've been an alcoholic for.... Nevertheless, I'm Larry, in Jackson, Ga (midway between Atlanta and Macon), and I've been a Dak owner for two weeks now. Bought a 2000 Club Cab, Blue, 3.9, auto, bedliner, fatter tires than I wanted but they'll do for now. Kids are grown and wife and I like to camp in a popup trailer. Sold my F-150 to buy her a Honda Odyssey, but wanted something that would pull better, smaller than fullsize, bigger than small, Dak fit the bill. Week after bought it, got engine light, came online and got help figuring out what it was and how to fix it (new gas cap). Great site and a lot of good folk willing to help. Thanks.
#307 of 373 by KarenS HOST Dec 06, 2004 (5:44 am)
Full Test: 2005 Dodge Dakota Replies to this message: bookitty (Dec 06, 2004 10:04 am) dustyk (Dec 08, 2004 4:03 pm)
#308 of 373 Re: [KarenS] by bookitty Dec 06, 2004 (10:04 am)
Replying to: KarenS (Dec 06, 2004 5:44 am) Karen, thanks for the update. No Hemi, but still a nice truck.   Bookitty
#309 of 373 Re: [KarenS] by dustyk Dec 08, 2004 (4:03 pm)
Replying to: KarenS (Dec 06, 2004 5:44 am) Yes, thanks for the full review on the new Dakota.   My first perusal of the '05 led me to believe that I love my '03 even more. It's not that the new Dakota isn't a worthy contender, but like the reviewer in the article I was disappointed in the interior. What bothered me even more was the lack of a full set of gauges, a real no-no in my opinion, both for a truck and especially bad for a Dodge.   Of course, I still have a hard time getting my face to straighten out after I look at the front-end, which I find unappealing. That by itself wouldn't stop me from buying one, but it doesn't make it easier. The lack of a hemi wouldn't bother me. My little 287 (4.7) runs great and performs better than I would've expected. But I do find it puzzling why Dodge didn't size the truck for the hemi. If it did I'm sure the Dakota manufacturing lines would be two shifts all next year.   Still, I've talked to a fellow who owns a '05 and he says it's the best handling, best riding, and quiet est truck he's ever driven. And he just came from a Tundra.   Bests, Dusty
#310 of 373 The '05 by tcsmpsi Dec 10, 2004 (3:26 pm)
Had an '01 quad, manual 6 cyl. Excellent vehicle. Had 40,000 mi on it and had no trouble. Still had original tires with good tread.   Picked up an '05 the day before Thanksgiving, fresh off the truck. Since it was late, dealer didn't have much time to 'make ready'. Had a loose fuse and loose piece of back door trim ( I fixed them and jokingly 'complained' to the dealer-who is an hour's drive from me)   I LIKE IT!!   It is smoother, quieter, tighter. Finally dried up enough around here where I could lay under it for a while and get acquainted. Several things I like more, as well as more ground clearance. Now, admittedly, I had to 'rationalize' just a bit over the initial appearance. But, hey, I even like that, now.   Initially, I wasn't too thrilled in having to take an automatic, but the manuals hadn't been shipped out yet.   The main reason I even traded, was of financial/investment considerations.   The first mileage I have checked, which has been town driving, has been 14.9 mpg. Which is actually a bit better than I had gotten with the manual.
#311 of 373 Trucker newbie needs help by amoreano Dec 10, 2004 (8:01 pm)
I almost bought a '05 Toyota Tacoma this afternoon (extended cab/long bed). The biggest drawback to this truck is the old style on-demand 4 wheel drive system. You have to choose between locking rear diff/open diff when unlocked, or a limited slip diff. Each has its pros and cons. I'm very excited about the Dakota'a full 4 wheel system. I also like the fact that the Dak's short bed is almost 5" longer than the Taco's short bed.    This truck will be on the streets 90% of the time/10% in the woods. I am NOT a true 4 wheeler; that is, no boulder hopping, tree stump climbing stuff. My wife and I are avid hikers and we often travel long distances on some pretty rough Forest Service roads to get to trailheads.    The one thing that I find disturbing about the Dakota is the 7.9" ground clearance. I'm accustomed to the 8.1" ground clearance in our '97 Pathfinder SE (prior to that we had a really crummy '84 Jeep Cherokee- don't know what it's ground clearance was). I noted that some of you have actually BEEN in the F.S. so you're intimately familiar with the kinds of roads I frequent.    Do you think that this '05 Dakota will meet my needs??? Thanks loads for your experienced opinions! Replies to this message: bpeebles (Dec 11, 2004 7:00 pm) spike50 (Dec 12, 2004 3:35 am) crazyclyde (Mar 31, 2006 8:19 am) eharri3 (Dec 12, 2004 9:16 am)
#312 of 373 Re: Trucker newbie needs help [amoreano] by bpeebles Dec 11, 2004 (7:00 pm)
Replying to: amoreano (Dec 10, 2004 8:01 pm) Unless they have changed the "Full Time" 4WD on the Dak, it is simply a 3rd open differentail in the xfer case. In other words, if any one wheel spins, you are stuck. Adding the LSD rear end actually makes matters WORSE. (The details of these facts have been described in previous postings.)   Given the type of off-roading you have described, you would be locking the xfer case in 4X4 anyway. You may be better off to have an xfer case that can be set to rear-wheel-drive when on the street. That will increase MPG and reduce wear-n-tear that the 'full time' has been proven to cause. (reduced tire and drivetrain components life)   That ground clearance concern you have may not be a realistic measurement that has meaning while off-roading. You will find that a LONGER WHEELBASE will tend to bottom out more often. (even if the "ground clearance" number that the manufacturers quote is higher.)   Of course, any experienced off-roader knows the basics of putting the wheels on the "high spots" of the trail. (putting your wheels in an existing rut is a no-no) Replies to this message: spike50 (Dec 12, 2004 3:35 am) crazyclyde (Mar 31, 2006 8:19 am)

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