Automotive Trends

     For a guy who grew up in Texas, I’m an oddball. I don’t like trucks.
     It seems like pickups are divided into two distinct categories, neither of which tickle my automotive fancy. The first is the giant, full-size truck that can tow just about anything and drive just about anywhere, which is great for those weekends when you need the power and cargo space that only these brutes can offer. Only problem is having to drive them the rest of the week, which means spending a fortune in gas and barely squeezing into parking spots at the SuperMart.
     Then there are compact pickups, which are easier to park and don’t gulp gas so quickly. But they often feel like economy cars with a pickup bed welded onto the back, so they tend to be noisy, uncomfortable, rough riding, relatively slow, and much less useful than the giant trucks are.
     Then there’s the Dodge Dakota. Like me, it’s an oddball.
     The Dakota can’t be classified as a full-size truck since it’s smaller than the Dodge Ram, Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and even the new Toyota Tundra. At the same time, it’s significantly bigger than mini-trucks like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. For me, it’s just right.
     Despite being smaller than the mammoth Ram, the Dakota doesn’t feel like a compact pickup because it’s not one. It shares the Ram’s big-rig look and has enough room to seat six people relatively comfortably, something its compact competition doesn’t offer.
     It even has an optional V8 engine that can pull up to 6,100 pounds, so its towing performance is almost as good as the giant trucks. And the sweet, deep, pavement-shaking rumble of a Magnum V8 doesn’t hurt, either.
     At the same time, the Dakota is much easier to drive than the full-size beasts. Its size makes it a snap to whip into narrow parking spots with about the same difficulty as a full-size sedan, and it offers better gas mileage than the big trucks (up to 17 MPG in town and 22 on the highway with a 3.7-liter V6 engine).
     Speaking of engines, the Dakota offers two: the V6 that makes a robust 210 horsepower, and the 4.7-liter V8 that makes 230. Unless you plan to do some very serious towing, the V6 has more than enough power.

     But not all is blissful in the Dakota’s perfect-size world. For starters, it was last redesigned in 1997, and its age is starting to become painfully obvious with a bouncy ride and cheap-feeling hard plastics on the dash. Even some full-size trucks, especially the new F-150, have a better ride, quieter cabin, and nicer materials inside.
     Also, options can get fairly pricey. The Cargazing test vehicle came with Dodge’s “Stampede” appearance package, which added some body-color trim and a rear stabilizer bar for slightly better handling. The package cost $1,385, which seems too high for the relatively minor changes.
     Base prices, though, are very reasonable, starting under $18,000 and rising to about $27,000 for fully loaded, four-door models with four-wheel drive.
     An all-new Dakota is available for 2005, so expect to get a good deal on a 2004 model now. Or, if you’re willing to pay a little extra for more refinement and a new look, just wait a couple of months until the ’05 Dakotas start showing up at dealer lots.
     In any case, the Dakota is the perfect size for many people who don’t want the expense of a full-size truck but still want plenty of power and a spacious cabin. Its just-right size would make Goldilocks proud — and oddballs from Texas.