From: Terrible Tom <silvereightynine@aol.com>
Bernd D. Ratsch wrote:
> We have the 2009 models already....of course they do. :)
> >
> > - Bernd
>
As far as I am concerned... with the departure of the Gen III in 2004 - the Dakota ceased to
exist... While I dislike the 08 and 09 Daks less than I loath the 05-07 models... they are
still dog-ass ugly shells of former Dakota Greatness. The low ground clearance car like
suspensions have no business in a truck, the ride height of the 4x4's is the same as the 2wd
models. No more stick shift options behind a V8, (as of the last time I checked
build-your-own)... Hell.. Petersens 4wheel grenaded a front Diff on one of the test trucks the
had...thats supposed to impress me?
The interiors are horrid, the A-pillars are sloped WAY too much - and create the worst blind
spot issue in a Dakota A-pillar location ever... headroom is reduced... electronic 4x4
actuation... placement of said 4x4 selector knob is in a horrible location...
Daimler took the Dakota and I think tried to "euro" it... and the result was horrible... what
artistically challenged 5 year olds at the R+D departments came up with the Ugly ass headlight
and front clip themes that plagued these last rounds of Dodge Trucks? The Durvango... the
05-07 Dakota.... the departing Ram body style (05-08?) all have that ugly curved-back-and-up
into the fender headlight style...
All the good points of the Gen I, II, and III Daks went up in smoke with the Gen IV and V
models. Granted, the original Gen I's are the superior truck out of them all... but that goes
without saying...
Anyway... I would hope that the current version of Chrysler retains Dakota and puts it back on
the right path. With the current situation of the economy and the auto industry... its not
likely that will happen however.
TT
your statement carries over in spades to the Durango...
in 2007 we tried to buy a used Durango of the older smaller version. Before the bus size.
For the price they were dealing we bought a new Kia Sorento.
Last May after looking at the new dakotas we ended up with a 2007 4x4 hemi 1500 quad cab full size
with 8000 miles...for 10K less...
Of course the deals are better now, but the money we didn't lose by using it for the ram, heck the
truck is almost free..and it is really big and faster than heck, and it turns in half the radius
of the 92 dakota we traded in.
rob/ferts/phx
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