RE: 05 Gen IV's Have Arrived

From: Terrible Tom (SilverEightynine@aol.com)
Date: Sun Sep 26 2004 - 21:54:50 EDT


Olznut@aol.com wrote:
> The verdict is still out for me on the '05, just like the '04 Durango. It
> doesn't get my attention like the Gen 3 did, or the '02+ Ram, or the Magnum. I'm
> scratching my head still over the front end. Car and Driver tv tested one
> today (first drive, actually) and liked it, but wanted more power. Maybe the
> drive is better, like the '04 Durango over the '03, but it takes more than a
> better driving truck for me to buy one.
>

Hey Ed - yes I agree with you - and I'm going to echo some things others
have said too. The interior is waaay too euro for my tastes. I also do
not like the interior of the Durvango and for that matter I don't like
the interior on the 02+ Rams. I LOVE the back end of the new Dakota.
they got that look just perfect. What I do not like about the exterior
is how the grill dipps down so far into the bumper and makes the front
end look like a front loader scoop. They also carved the doors in too
deep. The doors should be more flush with the front fenders instead of
deeply chiseled.

I got down and looked at the Gen IV 4x4's ground clearance between the
front crossmember and the pavement and compared it to the ground
clearance of a Gen III 4x4 that was parked right next to it. Just from
eyeballing the two trucks - it looked virtually identical. The body
does ride lower on the chassis however - so its not an optical illusion.
The Gen IV's front bumper is lower to the ground than a Gen III. (4x4
models)

Pissed off about no rear discs anymore? Here's another gripe for you.
  2000, and 2001 1500 1/2 ton Rams - use different front brake
componants than the years before and after them. For some screwball
reason Dodge went to a twin piston caliper design on those trucks - only
to replace them with totally different parts on the new IFS 2002 models.
  My rotors are almost twice the cost of a 1999, and twice as expencive
as a 2002+!!!

$39.99 for 1999 model rotors, $64.99 for 2000 and 2001 models, and ONLY
$24.99 for 2002! These prices were for same line and warranty rotors
from AZ at work. I have not checked other places for rotor prices - but
I'm going to have to soon - I need to do brakes, plus all new tierods
and ball joints. The front end of that truck is more loose than a
hooker in Amsterdam. Who knows why these designers do what they do...

Anyhow...

I'm planning on test driving a Silver 05 Dak tomarrow - and I'm going to
snap a few pics of it too. I refuse to even test drive a Durvango - I
still think its butt ugly - but maybe I am just getting use to the way
it looks, because it's not as ugly as I thought it was upon seeing it
for the first time.

I also stopped by the local Jeep dealer. They have a brand new 05 Jeep
Grand Cherokee - VERY VERY nice! I can actually say that I LOVE the way
the new ZJ looks. I think I like it better than the previous
generation. Also I noticed that they refreshed the front end of the
LIberty. It looks MUCH better than the first front end. They smoothed
out and made teh grill more vertical - moved the fog lights from the
bumper into the grill, and made the turn signals more flush with the
body. All in all it looks more like a "Jeep" than it used to. There
also was a Wrangler "Willys Edition" on th elot - - I like it hehehe.

Back to the Dakota however, Petersons 4Wheel and Offroad for this month,
has a write up on the new Dak (first drive) they gave it a very good
review. Only thing I think they said was they expected a litte more
power. As I have heard this from other reviews of the truck, I can
assume the "lack of power" can be chalked up to the possibilty of the
Gen IV's being heavier than the Gen III's. While the 4.7 is a nice
peppy little power plant - power gives way to girth.

Peterson's also had a write up of their test of the Ram Power Wagon.
They were creaming their jeans. Based off a front and rear solid axle
3/4 Ton 2500 truck - standard HEMI, 4.56 gears, E-lockers, 33 inch BFG
AT's, Bilstein shocks, 12K LB Warn winch!

Oh I gotta get me one of those......

-- 
Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine
http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/



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