Dodge Dakota Includes New Options for 2005

The 2005 Dodge Dakota has been reported as being the biggest non full size pick up truck on the market. New options include a second V8, heated cloth seats and satellite radio.

The current base two-door Dodge Dakota with front seats only will be dropped from the Dakota lineup in 2005. The Dakota Club Cab with rear-hinged access doors and two small rear seats will now be the introductory model. The popular four-door Dakota Quad Cab with regular back seats and four front-hinged doors will again be priced higher.

The 2005 Dakota “delivers full-size pickup capability in a mid-size package...offering better fuel economy and maneuverability than a full-size pickup,” said Mike Donoughe, vice president of the body-on-frame product team at DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group.

The 2005 Dakota is 3.7 inches longer than the 2004 model, for an overall length of 218.8 inches. Sources with Dodge have said they wanted to appeal to truck buyers who use their vehicles every day and "like a roomier interior and strong power." As the only mid-size truck to offer a V8 engine, now in 2005 it will be the only one with two V8s, including a high-output version of its 4.7-liter, single overhead cam, Magnum V8, generating 250-plus horsepower and 300-plus foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 rpm.

Available transmission for the Dakota engine is a five-speed automatic. Testing reports the V8 delivers 14 miles a gallon in city driving and 18 mpg on the highway. The best fuel economy rating for a 2005 Dakota with V6 is 17/22 mpg for a two-wheel-drive model with four-speed automatic. The V6 is available with either the automatic or a new, six-speed manual transmission, replacing the five speed from 2004.

Dodge reiterated that "no other mid-size truck offers a V8. And the Dakota's 7,150-pound towing capacity is still unrivalled. Dodge officials also said 60 percent of all Dakotas sold have a V8.

Safety is improved in several areas, including the addition of a center shoulder belt for the middle person in the back seat of the Quad Cab. The additional length of the vehicle contributes to a longer front end for better crashworthiness, and side curtain airbags are also available for the first time.

Two bed sizes are available on the 2005 Dakotas. The Club Cab is equipped with a 6-foot-6-inch-long bed, while the Quad Cab has a 5-foot-4-inch bed. The height of the bed sides is 176.1 inches.

Dodge officials report that 88% of buyers of the Dakota are men. Median age is 45, and annual household income begins at $40,000-plus.