The following is from Edmund's online used car buying guide:
> Dodge Dakota (1989-1994)
> Officially classified a mid-size truck, the Dakota
> competes with compact trucks on the market. Dakota is larger
> than its competition, offering more interior and bed space
> and boasting a payload capacity of over 2500 pounds on
> certain models.Good reliability ratings and optional V8
> power distinguish Dakota from other domestic compact trucks.
> In fact, Dakota's record in all areas except crashworthiness
> is solidly positive. A standard driver-side airbag did
> increase safety levels for 1994 models. Strong resale values
> and high owner satisfaction scores reflect the quality of
> this truck. Dakota's exterior styling is clean but
> unadventurous. The interior is more of the same, with a
> chunky looking instrument panel logically arranged with
> right-angled rectangular shapes.
> Performance is only adequate with the gas-guzzling V8, worse
> with the V6 and four-cylinder engines. Dakota weighs more
> than most compact trucks, and the engines work harder to
> motivate the mass. Four-wheel ABS was optional on a Dakota.
> Despite its performance shortcomings, we recommend the
> Dakota for its other advantages in this class.
>
"only adequate with the gas-guzzling V8"?!?
"worse with the V6"?!?
"performance shortcomings"?!?
I admit, the V6+Automatic combo was sluggish, but the manual moved
it right along...
I wonder what the editors were on when they wrote this review?
I was under the impression that the Dakota (especially with the
V8) was one of the fastest trucks on the road! What would be
faster? The V8 Chevy 454 Sport perhaps, the V6 turbo Syclone definitely,
and the V6 turbo Typhoon... Not too many, I'll wager.
(Not that I regret my decision... I knew there were trucks which were
faster when I bought the Dakota, but the Dakota excelled in so many
categories, whereas others in only a few. Anyway, I have yet to have
a truck (or a car, for that matter) get ahead of me after the light
turned green.)
-Jon-
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| Jon Steiger == DoD# 1038 == USUA# A46209 == NMA# 117376 == KotWitDoDFAQ |
| stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu && http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~stei0302/ |
| '96 Dakota SLT V-8, '91 FZR600R /* Just another mangy hacker */ |
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