To: alw@micro.ti.com@INTERNET; dakota@csclub0.cs.fredonia.edu@INTERNET
From: Clement_D on Thu, Jul 11, 1996 11:20 AM
Subject: RE: 97 Dakota style sucks - NOT
From: alw@micro.ti.com@INTERNET on Wed, Jul 10, 1996 8:41 AM
>The Dakota should be retaining the blood lines of its own
>and not being 'cool' styled after big brother. If I
>wanted to be driving 'big-boy'style, i would, and not be
>driving Dakota and wishing for the other.
>
>Dodge is doing a number to the Dakota lover and is wiped
>the Dakota character style.
>Dodge could have continued the style on a seperate track and
>have two smashing styled trucks...
>
>Anyway the sides of the big ram looks wussy.
As with most things, aesthetics is very personal. I like the new style much
better than the current mainly because the current truck is getting very
dated looking. Also, the new design is very distinctive and identifiable
with Dodge, from a distance it is hard to distinguish a current Dakota from
other brands from the late eighties, that certainly will not be an issue
with the new design. As far as "'big-boy'style" is concerned the Dakota has
always looked like the full size truck. My 89 looks some much like the full
size 89 that you could almost believe it shrank in the wash.
Initially the Dakota was marketed as a "bigger than the compacts / smaller
than the full size" alternative and it was not very successful. It was not
until the magnum engines were introduced that the popularity of the Dakota
took off. With the the power advantage erroding, moving to a style similar
to the Ram is a safe bet for Dodge to maintain sales levels. Do not forget
Dodge was non-existant in the full size truck market before the Ram was
introduced.
Dave Clement
89 4x4 LE
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