I have an opportunity to purchase a 2002 Dakota Crew Cab 4x4 All Wheel Drive (my first Dodge) with low miles and for a pretty reasonable price. My concern is that I've never had an AWD and am not sure that it's the way to go. I'd really prefer just a regular 4x4 as that's what I'm used to driving, but this truck is a pretty nice rig. I'm thinking that perhaps the AWD could be a good thing, but then again maybe not, I just have absolutely no info about it so it's pretty difficult to make an educated decision. Any comments--for or against--with respect to the 4x4 AWD would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I never knew they made a Dakota in AWD.

 

Never heard of an AWD Dakota... But dor some reason, the AWD Buick Rainiers turn better than the 4WD on-demand Rainiers with the 4WD engaged, maybe the Dakotas are the same...

 

Well YODA it all depends on where you live and what you plan on doing with the truck.
I have a 01 Dakota Quad with the 4.7 and it is AWD.
I have had the truck since new and love it. What kind of questions do you have?

 

I live in Utah. Backroad trails in the summer, snow, slush, ice in the winter.

Does the AWD affect the gas milage? How does it handle on icy roads - 4x4 usually isn't very good on ice. Do the wheels skid on a sharp turn? What makes AWD good or bad? If it's a good thing, do you know why they don't offer it anymore? Thanks for your comments.

/David

 

AWD option on the Dakotas came from the same transfer case being offered in the Durango. I haven't spent any time in the AWD ones, but I doubt it will affect mileage and such very much. Dakotas have a front live axle (hubs don't unlock), so the whole mechanism is spinning all the time anyway, just no power going to it on normal 4x4s. It's a viscous coupling system (basically a torque converter that locks up when a large speed difference is seen front-to-rear). Basically a perfectly good system as long as all you're really using it for is on road stuff, not quite as tight as a serious off-raod system, but if you're seriously off-roading a Dakota would need some modifications anyway.

 

Mix-up in the terminology

Live axle is a solid axle, doesn't matter if the hubs lock or not. Dakotas have an independant front suspension where the differential isn't part of the unsprung weight, connected by CV shafts to the wheels.

You are correct though in that it's all spinning all the time, which is why I doubt there'd be much of a mileage difference. It'll make it handle better in the rain, slush, and snow. Off road it's not as good unless you lock it into 4wd.


And some people like to refer to it as Permanent 4wd or Full-time 4wd, because it still has a dual range transfer case, whereas most AWD systems lack one (read: Subaru, Audi, Explorers, etc.)

 

I bought the '05 AWD for my wife. With 230 HP I did not want her to be able to slide the truck (we live in FL and can get lots of rain). I tried to slide the truck side ways during the test drive ( it was raining, salesman loved this tactic) and could NOT do it. Very stable in the wet, and pulls through soft dirt fine . Also, you can lock it into 4wd if need be, which was important to me since I do use it to do real work from time to time. Even if it hurts overall MPG (we get 14-17 around town, and its not broken in) it keeps it from breaking rear traction like a truck does. Can't speak for ice, but much more stable than the normal 4x4 in 2wd mode in the wet. My Jeep has a similar "Full Time" 4wd option and I have always been pleased with it. No skidding liked locked in 4x4 during turns as some sort of differential is engaged and prevents that. Worth it IMO

 

Be careful screwing around man, I had a 99 Grand with the 4.7 and quadra-drive system and it didn't like getting the rear end loose, but when it came out it stepped out doubletime, almost too fast to react to it.

 

Well David by the sounds of it you will appreciate the AWD. I live in Central New York in a valley where we can get 2 foot of snow over night and I love the AWD. General rule for me - 1" to 11" of snow use AWD. 12" to 24" use 4HI.
The truck handles great in the rain like dakdeano stated.
I also pull camper and do some "lite" trails with the truck in the summer and I have yet to need 4HI. I used 4LO once to pull a guys TOYota out of a mud pit on the construction site.
As far as gas milage goes I only work 5 miles from my house, so I probably burn more in start up the the whole trip, but I'm getting about 12mpg city and 14-15mpg highway.
I park in a parking garage that has tight fit spots and in the winter if I forget to turn 4HI off the truck "hops" where in AWD you don't even notice.
Also I have driven other "mid-size" trucks and the dakota drives great and has soo much more room.
The one thing that is "horrible" is the Wrangler GT/S tires the truck came with. I only have 32,000 miles on the truck and I will need to replace them by next year and I firmly believe that when I change the tires the truck will be even more unstopable in the winter.

But what it all boils down to is... do you like the truck?