Right On!!
tOm
-----Original Message-----
From: Norah Bleazard <nbleazard@home.com>
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Date: Friday, July 28, 2000 11:40 AM
Subject: RE: DML: RE: what is this s@#t???
:Well... I sent my reply... er... novel to these two. In case anyone is
:interested (it's long) it's below. If not, just use your delete key :-)
:
:TTYL,
:
:Norah
:current: '98 Dakota Sport black 4x4 CC V8/5.2L/Auto
:current: '95 Dakota Sport white 4x4 Reg Cab V6/3.9L/5spd
:RIP: '95 Dakota Sport black 4x2 CC V6/3.9L/Auto
:previous: '93 Dakota blue 4x2 CC V6/3.9L/Auto
:
:
:Dear Paul and Anita,
:
:I just finished reading your article on the Dakota R/T and I have to say
:that I found it very offensive and full of generalizations and
:unsubstantiated facts. After reading this article... I felt insulted,
:especially where women are concerned.
:
:>>> She: I’m shaking my head over the fact that there are still auto
:companies trying to market products like the Dakota R/T that have
absolutely
:nothing to offer real people. Even worse, a silly toy truck like the Dakota
:R/T is so clearly aimed at guys — specifically guys who never quite got all
:that Woodward Avenue street-rod stuff out of their system — that it’s bound
:to turn off most women. <<<
:
:Speaking as a WOMAN here.... I do not find the Dakota or the Dakota R/T a
:turn off. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I, personally, don't know of
:many women that don't like the Dakota. Even my mom (age 63) finds my truck
:attractive and fun. She loves being the passenger and says she feels much
:safer in my truck than in a small car. She calls it "pretty". And we're
:talking about a Hungarian woman who is the furthest from "Macho" than you
:could possibly know. Imagine Zsa Zsa Gabor saying those words and you can
:visualize my mom perfectly.
:
:>>> He: You can talk about the practical side of trucks all you want, but I
:do understand the basic premise behind the Dakota R/T. Dodge wanted to cram
:all the go-fast goodies it could into its midsize pickup, and keep the
price
:tag as reasonable as possible. It’s really that simple. Unfortunately, what
:they’ve come up with is a truck that is amazingly fast in a straight line
on
:smooth pavement. But it’s not particularly comfortable, and once you get on
:a rough surface, this pickup can get mighty squirrelly. Even expressway
:on-ramps can feel dangerous. <<<
:
:As an owner of 4 Dakotas, 2 current and 2 in the past, I have never
:experienced these problems you describe. My two previous Dakotas were
:strictly for Road and they were smooth and a joy to drive. Our current
:Dakotas are one for the road and one for Off Road, and I still do not
:experience these problems. In fact... I like the way it feels speeding up
:on the on ramp. Reminds me of taking off in a plane. And yes... I love
:flying too. :-)
:
:Practical? I think the Dakota is perfect. We manage to take all our
:camping gear without any problems (couldn't cram all that stuff into my old
:Lemans). I also don't have to get large purchases delivered... I can just
:throw them in the truck. Try cramming a new freezer into a little VW
:beetle. :-) Oh... and guess who people call on when it's moving day? The
:same people that ask me, "Why do you need a truck anyway?" My response is
:usually, "now would be a good time for you to look at investing in a
:so-called unnecessary truck... or pay me $50/hr to help you move." :-D
:
:As for dangerous... after being in a wreck and having my Dakota totally
:written off due to some idiot running a light, I can honestly say, that
I've
:never felt safer in a vehicle. I immediately ran out and bought another
:Dakota after my accident. The exact same accident in a small car would
have
:had much more serious consequences.
:
:>>> She: I think that, like most guys, you secretly like the idea of a
:simple red truck that looks cool, doesn’t cost that much and doesn’t do
much
:more than go really fast. Sorry, but that whole concept doesn’t push my
:buttons. I talk to a lot of women who do like pickups, but this is one
:vehicle that would not be a good choice for everyday driving. I mean, what
:were they thinking with the Dakota R/T? This truck costs more than $20,000
:and it still has crank windows! It looks like an economy car into which
:someone stuffed a giant engine, but forgot to add even the basic amenities.
:You like that? <<<
:
:It may not push your button Anita, but it does for most of the women I know
:and have spoken to. As for everyday driving... that is exactly what we use
:them for. I drive mine everyday, and my husband drives the off road one to
:work, on the highway, 45 minutes each way in rush hour traffic -- EVERY
:DAY!!! Handles like a charm. As for the windows.... I had a hard time
:finding a Dakota ***WITH*** crank windows. I specifically had to order no
:power windows as *I* didn't want them in my truck at the time. Our next
one
:will have them though. You obviously got an R/T with absolutely no
options.
:
:What basic amenities are required in a vehicle? Personally... all I need
is
:a seat, steering wheel, windows, door, gas pedal, brakes, etc. When I
:drive, I make sure that I take care of all personal hygiene and necessities
:before I get in to the vehicle. My purpose behind the wheel is to get to
:where I am going and enjoy the ride. Women should do their make-up and
hair
:before leaving and men should shave and handle business matters from the
:home and/or office. As far as I'm concerned... cell phone use while
driving
:is an accident waiting to happen. I still don't understand what amenities
:you would be looking for in a vehicle.
:
:>>> He: C’mon, give Chrysler some credit. They did beef up the Dakota a bit
:to take the bigger engine — a 5.9-liter pushrod V-8 that churns out 250
:horsepower and a whopping 345 pounds-feet of torque, and sounds like a real
:hot rod coming out of the big-bore, free-flow exhaust. Of course, it’s
:offered only as a two-wheel-drive with a four-speed automatic transmission
:and a limited-slip rear axle. The engineers lowered the chassis by an inch,
:retuned the suspension and fitted some fat 17-inch tires. <<<
:
:Sounds beautiful to me if that's what a person is looking for, and many
ARE.
:Otherwise, why would it be such a good seller?
:
:>>> She: Maybe I’m getting spoiled by all the fancy four-door pickups and
:expensive utility vehicles we’ve been driving. But didn’t the regular-cab
:Dakota seem awfully confined? And who thought up that dreadful all-black
:cabin? Even for macho guys, didn’t that monochrome look go out about 20
:years ago? And those heavy-duty shocks always left my teeth chattering by
:the time I drove to the end of the block. <<<
:
:Have you ever sat in a Corvette or any other 2-seater vehicle? That is
:confined, but I love the Corvette too. Always wished I could have one as
:well. Regular cab pickups have been around for a very long time, so why
:would there be a problem with them now? One of our trucks is a RC (regular
:cab) and the other is a CC (club cab) soon to be traded in for a QC (quad
:cab) for my occasional passengers that can't fit in the back.
:
:As for the all-black cabin.... it's gray, not black. It is a very
practical
:color, as it doesn't show dirt or pet hair the way other colors would.
This
:was a very smart move, in my opinion. Anyway... I love black... my truck
is
:black, the other is white, and my previous Dakota was also black. It's
:tasteful and elegant (speaking as an artist of course), which is why black
:is referred to as "classic".
:
:And the heavy-duty shocks.... I specifically ordered those as well. It's a
:truck, not a Lincoln or a Caddy. If people want a smooth ride... don't get
:a pickup truck... that's not what they were designed for. They are
designed
:to haul, crawl, tow, speed, and fun. They don't all come with the
:heavy-duty package but are ordered that way. Also... when you have stuff
in
:the bed, the ride is much smoother. Every passenger I've had has commented
:on the smooth ride.
:
:Do you have actual statistics on what women like or want? Has there been a
:legitimate blind study done on this? If so, I would like to know the
:results. I would only consider it valid if it was done in all regions of
:North America and not just with the so-called "soccer moms" or "business
:executives" in a large American city. I guess I can't consider myself most
:women according to your comments and so I must be very special and unique,
:along with all the other women and men I know that drive Dakotas and other
:pickup trucks.
:
:I am educated, an ex-professional computer analyst, now with my own
business
:in the arts, love the outdoors, and live in a large (over 4 million people)
:North American metropolis. I am also a member of the Dodge Dakota Mailing
:List with over 800 other Dakota enthusiasts, many of whom share my feelings
:on this. There is also the Dakota R/T Mailing List, the Dakota-USA club,
:the Dakota Quad Cab Mailing List, and the DTOA (Dakota Truck Owners
:Association) who will beg to differ with your opinions. In fact, on our
:small street in the suburbs, there are 3 Dakota's along with Ram's,
:Cherokees, and vans alike.
:
:Sincerely,
:
:Norah Bleazard
:current: '98 Dakota Sport black 4x4 Club Cab V8/5.2L/Auto
:current: '95 Dakota Sport white 4x4 Reg Cab V6/3.9L/5spd
:RIP: '95 Dakota Sport black 4x2 CC V6/3.9L/Auto
:previous: '93 Dakota blue 4x2 CC V6/3.9L/Auto
:previous: '81 Lemans white, 2-door automatic
:previous: '75 Camaro red, automatic
:
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