Dodge Dakota Crew Cab Truck Review
Truck Reviewer
The Dodge Dakota Crew Cab is classified as a compact or mid-size truck, but sometimes the problem with classification is that it doesn’t tell the whole story. The Dodge Dakota Crew Cab is a prime example, bigger and more spacious than most in its class but still nicely manageable. An ideal solution then? For many it would seem so, and who can blame them. The exterior styling was largely revised back in 2008 and has an aggressive edge. Not too hard, but definitely purposeful. A good looking beast in any of its wide range of color choices. Load it up and get it moving and you’ll find it has plenty of grunt too. The standard V6 will be more than adequate for many owners but, if you’re going to have a lot of stumps to uproot, you might prefer the potent V8 option. There are lots of clever touches too, showing that Dodge have considered who will use their pickup, and how. The Dodge Dakota Crew Cab naturally has the shorter bed at five-foot, four-inches, but a combination of the two-position tailgate, cables and integrated bed brackets means you can stretch that capacity when you need to.
The Dodge Dakota Crew Cab’s size and solid undercarriage give it class-leading load and towing abilities. It’s available as a 2 or 4-wheel drive, and with the right configuration you can throw over 1,660 lbs in the back and tow a maximum of 7,000 lbs. Serious capacities. Those motors we mentioned are an enjoyable 3.7 liter V6 giving 210 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque, or the superb 4.7 liter V8 which takes horsepower up to 302 and torque to 329. That’s a lot of power in a compact truck. The V8 is capable of using E85 Ethanol and is standard on the top-of-the-range 4-wheel drive TRX, which has an upgraded off-road suspension package. It’s available for the slightly lower spec Laramie and the Big Horn/Lone Star, which is the base trim level on the Dodge Dakota Crew Cab model. Actually “base” suggests a certain lack of features. While safety is adequate (airbags, anti-lock brakes and tire pressure monitor) the remainder can be quite a list – particularly on the Laramie. You get power mirrors, air conditioning, the smart “Crate ‘n Go” storage system, CD/DVD/MP3, leather-trimmed seats… plenty of choice.
What the Dodge Dakota Crew Cab is, is a really good all-rounder for those who need a hard-working truck but not a full-size one. If you’re a contractor you can throw a good lot of stuff in the back and it’ll drive much like it does empty. If you want to take the boat to the lake for the weekend, or head out with a trailer-tent, no problem at all. It won’t look out of place in more refined company either. Compact trucks aren’t for everyone but if that’s the kind of vehicle you’re in the market for, the Dodge Dakota Crew Cab is definitely worth a closer look.
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