--- Terrible Tom <SilverEightynine@aol.com> wrote:
>
> I'll never buy one.
>
> How's that for a start to a road test review?
>
> I took a 2005 Dodge Dakota Club Cab, 4x4, 4.7V8,
> auto, SLT trim... in
> Mineral Grey Metallic (bastards changed it - the
> color is different
> slightly, from that of the Graphite Metallic.
> Looked lighter to me.)
>
> Number ONE BIG BIG complaint. The roofline is
> sloped down far more than
> a Gen III - I was hitting my hat and head on the
> door frame above my
> head. That really pissed me off.
Great and you're not nearly as tall as me ;-P
>
> Next, I do not like where they placed the 4x4
> control knob. It is low
> under the dash behind the cup holders. Also the aux
> power outlet and
> passenger side air bag switch are also recessed
> behind there. Not easy
> access at all.
>
> Complaint number three... I crawled under the truck
> in the show room and
> saw up close what they did under the Dak. The new
> front suspension has
> a very flimsy looking thin crossmember that
> stretches between the rear
> control arm mounting points. That thing is the
> lowest part of the
> undercarriage. It would be the first thing to get
> ripped up with even
> mild offroading.
>
> I don't like the instruments very much. I don't
> like the tach
> positioned on the right - and the lack of additional
> instrumentation was
> annoying. I like to see that I have oil pressure
> and good voltage. I
> don't like an idiot light coming on telling me
> "something" isn't right.
>
> Next up on my list of gripes was what Bernd was
> saying about the auto
> tranny shifter. What the HELL were they thinking?
> They changed the
> movement of the lever to make it rotate backwards as
> well as move down.
> I do NOT like that at all. It also hit my knee in
> the low range
> position. Very poor design change.
Sounds like the hired the old interior designers from
GM. Back in the 90's I went to a car show and sat in
a small (sunfire I believe) car and noticed it was
impossible to put a cassette in the radio while in
park
>
> While I do not like the layout and set up of the
> interior controls, they
> did have a very good fit and finish quality to them.
> They did not look
> or feel cheap. Nothing rattled and it looked well
> made - - just badly
> thought out.
>
> Previous exterior design complaints still stand.
> Doors carved too much,
> front end too low, grill dished into the bumper too
> much - ass end is
> A++ wonderful. Kudos to the new V8 Magnum engine
> badge on the tail
> gate. Me like that!
>
> Cosmetically I like it but I don't love it.. they
> could have done much
> better. Park a Gen III next to a Gen IV - and I
> really like the looks of
> the Gen III better. Same thing happened to me with
> the Ram. After some
> time you get used to seeing a certain model on the
> road and it no longer
> excites you the way it did when you first saw it.
> That lull of a
> feeling happened with me and the Gen III Daks and
> the 94-01 Rams. Then
> the new O2 Rams came out - and I look at them
> compared to my 01 Ram -
> and I love the older design - compared to the newer
> design. That's the
> same feeling I had when I look at the remaining Gen
> IIIs next to the new
> Gen IV's. I find myself appreciating the older
> designs more now.
>
> Performance - - the truck seemed slower than I
> expected with a 4.7L
> behind it. I was treated to the now familiar high
> revving sound of the
> 4.7L - which from past BBQ's has now been burned
> into my long term
> memory. ---- "It feels like we're at a boat
> race!"
Just because I like a little more throttle than the
average guy doen't mean you can make fun of my driving
style :-)
>
> Wasn't able to get the tires to chirp from a stand
> still -
Don't know if Andy can do that either ;-)
> disappointing. Cornering and handling is MUCH
> improved. Truck can
> corner very very well. Brakes grab nice and
> stopping distance is good
> for a truck of its girth. Very quiet at highway
> speeds up to 85 mph
> <evil grin>.
>
> Sound system sounded damned good - better than the
> set up in my Ram.
> Kudos to the rear suicide doors on the club cab -
> that was a good move.
Ed
"00 QC 4X4
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Oct 01 2004 - 11:38:59 EDT