I like the power it has! I just bought a chip, new injectors, K&A Air system, and new high flow Hooker manafolds. It sounds great wiht the strait piping. Fast! beats my friends Grand AM GT's and Bonivilles. MPG sucks, but it is puttin out quit a few pony's! Cant get high power and fuel economy in the same deal. Lays a hell of a black mark!

Squels a bit when i hammer it and let off. Likes to shift at weird speeds.

Its just a great truck over all. Not to big not to little. Im worried sumthing might go wrong wiht it thoguht considering its a dodge and they tend to make a cruddy product. But for the most part its doign me good.

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Ford ranger. It beats out my old ranger by a ton. It gets about the same fuel as my old 91 ranger and it has twice the pullin power. also a much better ride.

Nice looking. Good ride. Handles well. Very confortable. Bought this 98 brand new in 99. Have not needed any warranty work at all. Good in the snow.

Poor gas mileage. It's a 4 cyl. Gets about half the mileage my 4 cyl car does. Somewhat gutless on hills, but I should have bought 6 cyl.

Has been a super truck. Only has 20,000 KM (12,000 miles) mostly hwy driving. No warranty work so far. Looks and rides nice. Even the 4 cyl. engine with 5 speed manual transmission is OK. Rear sliding window, mud flaps, box liner included in price. During a recent snow storm, this was the only truck out of 4 others there that made it up the hill.
Truck used mainly for going to cottage. Will buy the dakota sport again when time for a new one BUT with 6 cyl. engine.

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87 jeep comanchee - dodge more comfortable, better in snow

Reliability. Bought new and only followed the standard maintenance schedule. Replaced cat converter at 140K and water pump at 150K. That's it. All else was maintenance to 162K and traded it in. I had the "short" (standard bed) bench seat regular cab 4x2 with Sport package, 5 speed and 3.9L. V6 really kicks, rubber in 3 gears sometimes 4. Mostly highway, got 21.5 MPG like clockwork. Smooth, fast, quiet. In 1994 it offered everything a T100 did (plus more HP) for $5K less.

Would get stuck in a mud puddle. Get Posi if you get must get a 4x2. I always carried 200-300 lb sand in winter. Black paint had weak spots from the start but did hold up through 7.5 years of ungaraged parking in harsh weather. Sport package with color keyed bumpers a definite style improvement but looks are stodgy for some- OK for me. Brake life and tire life 50K per but had to replace front disc rotors early- probably due to tire shop overtightening lug nuts. Every shop stripped a few and overtightened them hoping I'd come back in 10K for a brake job. Don't let them do it to you. Started pulling my own wheels for new tires and problem went away. Ride was a little bouncy (but very solid) compared to a car but better than most mini-pickups.

Traded it in on a 2001 Dakota SLT 4x4, that tells you something... Am doing it again, 4WD this time but sticking with V6/5-speed.

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T100 same features less cost.

the 5.2 power is BEASTLY, ride is great, the 4wheel drive works great, plenty of room, it has an overhead console with temp and sunglasses holder, the seats feel good, plenty of room in the club caband the POWER-oh the POWER

the d*** gas gauge dosen't work, the infinity sound system with CD player is screwed up and there are 2 speakers blown, it's turning radius isn't that good, the horn is wimpy

like I told my friends, I'm spoiling myself
this truck is so much better in everyway over my old S-10, I'll never buy a another chevy- ever

MOPAR POWER RULES!!!

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this truck is better in everyway compared to my old 1991 S-10 2wd

Best looking small or midsize truck,inside and out. Just the right size to work with or to handle.

Hard on gas. Shoot the guy that designed the tie down.

I have only had my Dodge a few months so I can't talk about how reliable
it is. So far it handles very well. Seems solid, quiet and is comfortable to drive. I have the Club Cab with the V-6 engine. Not blazing fast but has a lot of power for even big hills and mountains. My Dakota has bucket seats and a full center console/armrest. With that console, the huge pockets in the doors. Storage under the rear seats and glove box. This truck has more storage space than any small truck I have seen. That also goes for 90% of the cars on the road today. One thing I did not like about the Dakota, besides bad milage. Was the tie downs in the bed of the truck.
The two near the cab, are under the floor. Making it difficult to put a rope around the tie bar. The opening is small and you are using just a couple of fingers to feed the rope under and over the tie bar. The two in the back are a little easier as they are in the side of the truck and not under the floor like the front ones. But even they are hard to get at because of the bed liner. I fixed that problem with four Snap Hooks. They are easy to slip on and you can tie your rope or stap on to them instead. When your finished, you just unsnap them and throw them under the seat. Anyone that owns a Dakota, should buy these Snap Hooks. They are great. I am hoping I have good luck with this truck. I really love it. The love the looks,size,ride and the way it handles. I like the solid sound when you close the doors. So far, I would recomend the Dakota to anyone.

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Ford Ranger& Toyota. Ranger got a lot better mileage. Toyota gets about the same as Dodge. Dodge looks and feels better than both.

Truck looks great...the Patriot Blue has gotten several compliments. 4.7L V8 provides plenty of power, plenty of torque...sufficient power to pull (within reason...if you want serious hauling, get a Cummings Diesel Ram). 4x4 is a must - if you can afford it, there is no reason not to get it. It runs great through snow. Personally have the extended cab...no desire for four doors - got sick of having four doors on my previous car...the extended cab provides plentry of room, the storage area under the back bench is nice to stow away smaller supplies. The seats are comfortable for long periods of driving, Infinity stereo is nice to have (especially steering wheel audio controls). The Overhead Power Group is a great feature for those that like keeping track of gas mileage, but don't feel like playing with a calculator. All the dials and controls are within perfect reach from the driver seat. A few others have said the same: you don't have to worry about getting cold, the heater will run HOT when you crank it...which is great for those sub-zero mornings.

Really none. If you don't like the gas mileage, don't buy a V8 truck...it's not like you didn't know that it was going to be low. I put an ARE lid on mine...mpg went up noticeably. Brakes are a little underpowered...but not to the point of any great concern. As far as the blind spots that some have complained about - I personally don't find them to be that bad at all...all trucks have some form of them, and the DAK's aren't half as bad as some of the others I have seen. If you think this is going to be a problem - THEN DON'T BUY IT. Only complaint was in the beginning my stereo didn't want to kick on in the winter when I first started it up, but took it to the dealer, haven't had the problem since. No other problems yet...

This is a great truck...I've wanted one since they restyled them, and it made the wait well worth it. I've been MOPAR since day one...wouldn't have it any other way. For those that are in the market for a pickup truck, but don't want the bulk of a full size truck, the Dakota is the way to go. The truck looks great, runs great, and performs great. As I said, the 4x4 is great in the snow...and the truck also warms up quickly on those cold mornings. Some have complained about complete lack of aftermarket parts...I have no idea where they are shopping, because you can get TONS of stuff for these trucks...I have kept mine simple, just adding ARE lid, K&N filter, and slush mats (trust me, you want these if you leave anywhere with winter weather) so far...but will consider other options as time goes on. A friend of mine that owns a 2000 DAK has loaded his with after-market items... I'm sorry to see that so many people have had bad experiences at their dealers - I'm crossing my fingers that I continue to have the great service they have given me for my truck and my previous Dodge before it. As for those that say this truck is succeptable to rolling, couldn't tell you what the heck they were doing...this truck has survived the inclimate weather of Cleveland and has yet to have any battle scars.

std cab short bed known as Redlightning. Sport truck 3.9 magnum V6 with 5-speed! out runs new dakota R/T's Running a clean 15 sec 1/4 mile. im the 2nd owner the truck it self has 245,000 miles on it, Orig. motor and trans never went bad but got weak so changed at 220,000 got 201,000 outta orig. clutch! this truck is a dream and I LOVE IT! Very dependable ok gas milage but it has alota Hi PO Mods!

not enough aftermarket products being made for it so its been alota searchin and hard to find but im hangin on!

Not to Big Not to Small! Beats the S-10 Xtremes and R/T dakota'a and almost hangs with a Ford Lightning, LIL SLEEPER not to bad for a V6 Also has a v8 sound if you know your exhaust! Good job Dodge!

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1st truck i've had her since i was 16!

V-8 has sufficient power especially when beefed-up a little. Size of vehicle good(not too big, not too small). Excellent sound quality in Infinity system. Great pulling/towing power and handling.

Here we go: gas mileage (or the lack of it). Blind spots both front window post and to the rear. 5.2L V-8 pings like hell on 87 and even 89 octane fuel. Mine uses oil with only 40000 miles on 'er. Ash tray is a bit of a reach, radio is difficult to operate while driving, front end sucks, transmission just worries me from time to time...seems to shift around a lot especially when it's warmed-up for an hour or so.

230 Hp from the factory but a computer chip (got one used for $100) and a K&N filter and home-made air induction system really increased power...probablly to around 270. Great pickup through 1st and 2nd gear but fizzles in 3rd around 90 then picks-up from 95 to 105. At 105 hits a brick wall of air probablly due to the ride height of the 4WD. Putting a tonneau cover on it made this air-pullback a little better. Transmision shifts early when using less than full throttle...shift kit will most likely cure this problem. Computer chip also DOES increase fuel economy. Went from the 9-10 mpg range to around 13-14 non-highway driving. Expect to see 16 on the open road.

Anyway, while test driving the truck I notice that the front end was a little loose and seemed like it needed ball joints and correct I was (with only 33,000 miles at this time) and stabilizer shock-bar. Damn, bad ball joints at 33,000...My old 76 LTD made it 260,000 with no front end work ever!!! At 40,000, problem has returned....crap parts would be my guess.

Hay, where is the front liscense plate holder...none...nothing, not even pre-drilled holes in the bumper.

Breaks shake like hell. Warped rotors I guess.

Overall a great truck, just always has me thinking about what may go wrong.

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First truck...but pulled away from my brothers 94 Ford F-150 Lightning.

compared to my 92 v6 the v8 in the 99 is no question better
cab interior alot of room.The electrical system is great so i can run my
lightbar,radio equipment.

l`m on a volunteer team and l could go for gas before i get called out and
after were done go back for more thats where l miss the 92v6.

My truck is at 29327miles i`m the second owner its great looking rumbles
now&then when the throttels down and great and easy to attract woman.I would recommend these trucks to any single guys but its your way to get
them in the passanger seat.

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Better on power than the v6
But the v6 better gas milage.

The 4.7 V8 mated to the multi speed transfer case/transmission. Truly amazing how well the AWD performs. I live in the mountains of Colorado and have driven on solid ice uphill without slipping at all. Haven't even put it in four wheel drive yet. My driveway is uphill at a 40% angle, and even covered with ice, the DAK just walks right up it in AWD.

The power of the 4.7 is awesome. This truck has two speeds, stopped and GONE. Has the 3.55 gears, 3.90 would be hairy. When shifting into passing gears, it really gets your attention.

Bada$$ looking truck with the 16" tires, regular cab, white color, SLT package.

Decent gas mileage for a 4x4, much less AWD. 17-18 around town, and 18-20 highway at 65-75 mph.

Truck is tight and quiet, no rattles or squeaks, solidly built. Heavy duty frame and componets like on full sized trucks.

Haven't been able to program out the horn beep that sounds when using the remote door locks.

The full length skid plates cause a real mess when changing oil unless removed, and they are heavy. Solved this problem by installing a Fumoto oil drain valve with a hose nipple and just run the hose right into my oil container.

Truck is so smooth and sounds so good that I'm tending to drive a bit faster than I should.

Paint on the doors is a little pebbly.

Have owned four 4x4s (Jeep CJ5, Ford F-150, Dodge 2500, Nissan) prior to the Dakota, and the Dak is by far the most powerful, comfortable, driveable, beautiful, multi-purpose, and loveable of them all. The multi-speed transfer case mated to the 4.7 V8 is a masterpiece and must be driven to be believed. Test drove S-10, Ranger, and Dakota, there was not even ANY doubt, the Dak was head and shoulders above the others in all areas of style, performance, quality, and value. Had a Ravin HP muffler installed and it now sounds like a snarling hemi-cuda rather than just a snarling DAK. DAKUDA? With all the option packages and other options I selected, the price was a great value compared to any of the others I test drove.