A mid-size pickup seemed silly twenty years ago, when Dodge wedged the original Dakota between the compact and full-size haulers. Since then, the truck world has changed. Rams, Titans, and F-150s are locked in fierce bigger-badder battle, and compacts seem headed for extinction. So Chevy, Ford, GMC, Nissan, and Toyota all have conceded that Dodge was right: mid-size is a great size for entry-level pickup buyers.
To show those pesky interlopers how this game is played, Dodge has a new 2005 Dakota with an eight-times-stiffer frame, a comprehensively overhauled chassis, and a fresh face. The folds and facets trailing the requisite chromed hog nose herald Dodge's latest design direction. Due to lack of interest, the regular-cab model is gone, so all Dakotas now roll on a 131.3-inch wheelbase. Front crush space is 3.7 inches longer, and everybody rides tall whether or not they're packing a transfer case. Take your pick between a Club Cab with a 6.5-foot-long bed or a Quad Cab with a 5.3-foot bed and an adult-sized back seat.... Read full article