I am curious, I had a 2003 SXT Club Cab 3.9L and traded in to get a 2004 SLT Quad Cab 4.7L main reasons were to have V8 and the room of a 4 door....I had a hard time finding a low milage 2004 being it is 2006 but found one with only 20k on it and spotless inside and out.....here is the thing the reason I wanted to get a 2004 I still just can not stand the look of the 05 and newer.....I thought after a little time I would grow to like the newer style but after looking at them for 2 years I have yet to see one that looks good they are so square looking not the smooth lines of the 97-04 style....maybe it is just me but I just love the look and the newer ones really were a disappointment to me......curious if any of you guys feel the same or am I the odd ball?

 

I really dont mind that body style, but out of the 4 different body styles throught the years, it has to be the worst.... and all they pretty much did was take the lines from 3rd gen and boxed, and exagerated them.

my list...Gen III, Gen II Gen I , Gen IV.

I inheireted my truck from my grandpa, and if I had to ever get another truck it would be a Dak (or a Ram...), only this ime around it would have a MTX.

 

I'm one of those who doesn't consider a change in steering components and minor trim facelift enough to warrant a new generation tag, so 97-04 = gen 2.

But whatever. It's by far the best looking, although the new ones have grown on my a lot recently. If the Sprinter's diesel was an option in the new Dakota's I'd be all over it. ALL over it. And I'd build myself a decent looking front bumper, as I feel that's the biggest detractor for the design.

 

I'll second that comment. The 2nd Gen Dakota is by far and away my personal favorite. I fell in love with it the day I first got to see R/T 5.9L cruise by....and from that point on, I wanted one. I never got a R/T, but I did purchase a 2000 RC Sport 3.9L V6 and about a year later upsized to a 2001 CC Motorsports Edition 4.7L V8. Both were very good solid trucks, and I have no regrets or even complaints about them. The only problems I ever had were general maintenance....the stuff that's supposed to break down. They look so sweet whether its jacked up in the air, or slammed low for performance. There was just so much about the 2nd Gen Daks that made them great....and the same could be said for the 1st Gen Durangos....they looked pretty sweet too. If I had to buy another Dakota.....it would be a 2nd Gen all the way.

I dont see how you could be any more right. That front bumper looks ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. The new Dakotas arent bad, but they arent better then the 2nd Gen's in MY opinion. I've seen a couple of really well done new Dakotas, but those are far and few between....

 

I like the gen 2 the best, the moment I saw mine i baught it. i also have a gen 1 i still like the old gen 1 dakotas thats why i will never part with it. as for the gen 3 i never liked them but just recently the quad cabs have started to look abit better to me. but nothing will ever be as good as a gen 2.
________
WENDIE 99

 

Last spring I drove off the lot in an '03 QC after seeing the '05's. I didn't care for them ('05's), but my wife sealed it. Her comment was, "it looks like sombody gave it a fat lip." I wasn't going to drive around in a truck that looked like it came out on the bad end of an *** whupin'. I really hope they change significantly in the next few years, it'll be hard to find a good gen2 that has everything I want.

Tim

 

Im going to have to disagree, i find that the 05 models without the black front bumper look pretty cool. Though the designers on the 2WD models went a little over board in making the front lower than the back the 4x4 models look cool. I like the Silver with tons of chrome.

 

2nd gen is still my favorite, the newer styles have been out for awhile now and I still think they are ugly, I do like the gen1's also.

 

Man I don't like the 05's at all. The only way I would drive one would be if it was given to me or if they said I could melt the tires off of it.........

 

it reminds me of the creepy kid at the playground with the squared-off face and bug eye glasses
I don't like it at all and i think the new headlight ideas dodge has are ugly. Plain and simple.
________
Medical Marijuana Card