test drove awd laramie with 4.7 h.o
#1
05-06-2006, 02:07 AM
test drove awd laramie with 4.7 h.o
Overall a very nice vehicle. I really like the size of this truck, and yes it does indeed ride like a truck. Hard to believe that 20 years ago this would have been a full size truck. It has the same wheelbase as my 87 suburban. This little engine puts out more hp and torque than some of the engines of that era also.
I did notice that the front end would get a little floaty over some surfaces, that and it did occassionally feel a little jiggly. There was a bit of wind noise. it sounded like it was from the back door or window. The engine sounded great! response at low speeds was pretty good, however past a certain point of throttle there seemed to be no difference. The trans was super responsive to throttle input. There were a couple times that I asked the wife if she thought we were going as fast as we really were. Quiet, smooth, and quite comfortable. The brakes felt good, the a/c worked well. This particular vehicle had many more options on it than I would really want though. We really, really like the size.
Would someone explain to me the differences, benefits, or drawbacks of the two diferent transfer cases. What speed can the 4lo selection be driven safely? What is the power split on the awd system?
What is the tow/haul function going to do for me?
Why is the h.o. so hard to find?
This vehicle would have to do double duty as my commuter and her tow truck. She tows her horse and occassionally a second horse. Total weight could be up to 6,000 lbs but usually less. I have concerns that it may be a struggle with the small engine. It's not like we tow like speed demons, we just don't want to crawl up hills.
After the test drive we went into the showroom and looked at a Ram 1500. We both thought it was just a little too big for our taste. She has a difficult time backing up her trailer and the extra lenght of the wheelbase would just make things more difficult for her. The wife really liked the dak and would have taken one home if my cooler head hadn't prevailed.
So, aleviate my concerns and educate me.
Thanks, Rob
I did notice that the front end would get a little floaty over some surfaces, that and it did occassionally feel a little jiggly. There was a bit of wind noise. it sounded like it was from the back door or window. The engine sounded great! response at low speeds was pretty good, however past a certain point of throttle there seemed to be no difference. The trans was super responsive to throttle input. There were a couple times that I asked the wife if she thought we were going as fast as we really were. Quiet, smooth, and quite comfortable. The brakes felt good, the a/c worked well. This particular vehicle had many more options on it than I would really want though. We really, really like the size.
Would someone explain to me the differences, benefits, or drawbacks of the two diferent transfer cases. What speed can the 4lo selection be driven safely? What is the power split on the awd system?
What is the tow/haul function going to do for me?
Why is the h.o. so hard to find?
This vehicle would have to do double duty as my commuter and her tow truck. She tows her horse and occassionally a second horse. Total weight could be up to 6,000 lbs but usually less. I have concerns that it may be a struggle with the small engine. It's not like we tow like speed demons, we just don't want to crawl up hills.
After the test drive we went into the showroom and looked at a Ram 1500. We both thought it was just a little too big for our taste. She has a difficult time backing up her trailer and the extra lenght of the wheelbase would just make things more difficult for her. The wife really liked the dak and would have taken one home if my cooler head hadn't prevailed.
So, aleviate my concerns and educate me.
Thanks, Rob
#2
05-06-2006, 07:36 AM
RE: test drove awd laramie with 4.7 h.o
Yeah the Dakota is like the "perfect" sized truck
Easy to drive & doesn't feel big, but it has a nice size to it.
When you get into a Ram....now that feels huge (compared to the Dakota) & is A LOT more truck to drive.....it also drinks more fuel...lol
Cuz with my g/f...in my Dakota I'm sorta right next to her. When I would drive my dad's Ram....it'd seem like we were really far apart from each other, seriously.
Ummm...concerning the "Tow/Haul" mode button on the auto tranny shifter......it's for towing obviously. It changes the shift points of the tranny to accomodate towing.....like staying in gear longer. Make sense???
My advice would be to stay away from AWD, but it's your decision. First it's gonna cost more $$$ as an option & also it's gonna eat up some of your fuel economy....so might as well just get a 4wd and run it in 2wd most of the time & then kick it into 4wd when you need it (assuming that you "need" a 4wd truck).
Easy to drive & doesn't feel big, but it has a nice size to it.
When you get into a Ram....now that feels huge (compared to the Dakota) & is A LOT more truck to drive.....it also drinks more fuel...lol
Cuz with my g/f...in my Dakota I'm sorta right next to her. When I would drive my dad's Ram....it'd seem like we were really far apart from each other, seriously.
Ummm...concerning the "Tow/Haul" mode button on the auto tranny shifter......it's for towing obviously. It changes the shift points of the tranny to accomodate towing.....like staying in gear longer. Make sense???
My advice would be to stay away from AWD, but it's your decision. First it's gonna cost more $$$ as an option & also it's gonna eat up some of your fuel economy....so might as well just get a 4wd and run it in 2wd most of the time & then kick it into 4wd when you need it (assuming that you "need" a 4wd truck).
#3
05-06-2006, 10:05 AM
#4
05-10-2006, 01:02 PM
RE: test drove awd laramie with 4.7 h.o
Quote; "Yeah the Dakota is like the "perfect" sized truck"
I agree; it is the perfect size for most people and still very capable as a tow/haul vehicle...
While it won't out-tow a Ram, its ability to tow a decent weight keeps it as an option for people who only tow occasionally.
Yes it does have a truck ride, but it’s not a bad ride either. It is a good compromise between a decent ride and haul/tow performance.
There is some room for improvement in handling though. The shock dampening is weak and sharp bumps occasionally feel as though the tire jumps around.
The tow haul (as snobrdrdan said) affects the way the tranny shifts and it also stops it from going into overdrive.
My wife was not fond of driving my BIG 96 Ram and when it came time to replace it we decided to look at the Dakotas. It's nice having a vehicle the wife will drive if needed without complaining.
I'm disabled and the Dak is much easier for me to get in and out of; plus it has 4-doors and is lower to the ground, so the kids are easy to strap in from ground level... no climbing!
The Daks are much easier to drive and maneuver yet it doesn't feel small like its competitors trucks do. It’s a Great compromise!
There's plenty of room for car/booster seats in the Quad-cab unlike some smaller so called midsized trucks that get cramped with the larger styles of child seats...
Plenty of room for the kids in the back... (With the Quad-cab) but you do lose some box capacity. That's still a good trade off for me though, but some may miss the bigger box. My father-in-law has the extended cab and his box is a good 14” longer.
My wife also had a 93 Dakota and currently has a 00 Durango so we like Dodges.
My biggest complaint about my Dak is the rear seat headrests block your view when backing up. It's not easy to see out the back with them. I did get the tow package though and the larger mirrors help with that once you get used to it.
I have a 2005 4x4 H.O. Quad cab without the full time 4wd and I recommend the PT transfer case as well. The truck I test drove with the full time transfer-case seemed a bit more sluggish and my wife's 2000 Durango has the AWD system and I'm not a big fan of it. Yes it gets good traction without having to remember to lock the 4wd, but it has other drawbacks.
Besides the 4wd is real easy to engage when needed and the H.O. comes with a limited slip rear axle so that helps as well. I don't think the extra cost for AWD is worth it and then it also gets worse gas mileage and is more wear and tear on the front end, but that is up to you.
I think the 4lo is for less than 30mph and is not likely to be used much. In my Ram I used it when off-roading and once while towing my father-in-laws full sized van after a breakdown. They live in the city at the top of a huge hill with traffic lights and other obstacles. Once I got into the city I dropped it into 4lo since it's a 30mph speed limit anyways and it pulled those hills with ease even when I had to stop and go at the lights.
Definitely get the H.O. if you can find one that fills your other needs. Remember too that the dealer is likely putting 87 octane in it so don't be fooled into thinking it's not much different than a standard 4.7 when you test drive it. After I got around to filling mine up with 93 octane I was shocked how much more power it has. Well worth the extra money IMHO. It's more fun to drive as well.
I'm not sure why the H.O. package is hard to find where you are. It was just released when I bought mine (summer 05) and the big dealers had truckloads pouring in at the time. Maybe they are just getting sold off quick. The H.O. has more power and it also has 3.92 gears, both of which are good for towing.
Good Luck and I hope this helps.
Later, Glen
I agree; it is the perfect size for most people and still very capable as a tow/haul vehicle...
While it won't out-tow a Ram, its ability to tow a decent weight keeps it as an option for people who only tow occasionally.
Yes it does have a truck ride, but it’s not a bad ride either. It is a good compromise between a decent ride and haul/tow performance.
There is some room for improvement in handling though. The shock dampening is weak and sharp bumps occasionally feel as though the tire jumps around.
The tow haul (as snobrdrdan said) affects the way the tranny shifts and it also stops it from going into overdrive.
My wife was not fond of driving my BIG 96 Ram and when it came time to replace it we decided to look at the Dakotas. It's nice having a vehicle the wife will drive if needed without complaining.
I'm disabled and the Dak is much easier for me to get in and out of; plus it has 4-doors and is lower to the ground, so the kids are easy to strap in from ground level... no climbing!
The Daks are much easier to drive and maneuver yet it doesn't feel small like its competitors trucks do. It’s a Great compromise!
There's plenty of room for car/booster seats in the Quad-cab unlike some smaller so called midsized trucks that get cramped with the larger styles of child seats...
Plenty of room for the kids in the back... (With the Quad-cab) but you do lose some box capacity. That's still a good trade off for me though, but some may miss the bigger box. My father-in-law has the extended cab and his box is a good 14” longer.
My wife also had a 93 Dakota and currently has a 00 Durango so we like Dodges.
My biggest complaint about my Dak is the rear seat headrests block your view when backing up. It's not easy to see out the back with them. I did get the tow package though and the larger mirrors help with that once you get used to it.
I have a 2005 4x4 H.O. Quad cab without the full time 4wd and I recommend the PT transfer case as well. The truck I test drove with the full time transfer-case seemed a bit more sluggish and my wife's 2000 Durango has the AWD system and I'm not a big fan of it. Yes it gets good traction without having to remember to lock the 4wd, but it has other drawbacks.
Besides the 4wd is real easy to engage when needed and the H.O. comes with a limited slip rear axle so that helps as well. I don't think the extra cost for AWD is worth it and then it also gets worse gas mileage and is more wear and tear on the front end, but that is up to you.
I think the 4lo is for less than 30mph and is not likely to be used much. In my Ram I used it when off-roading and once while towing my father-in-laws full sized van after a breakdown. They live in the city at the top of a huge hill with traffic lights and other obstacles. Once I got into the city I dropped it into 4lo since it's a 30mph speed limit anyways and it pulled those hills with ease even when I had to stop and go at the lights.
Definitely get the H.O. if you can find one that fills your other needs. Remember too that the dealer is likely putting 87 octane in it so don't be fooled into thinking it's not much different than a standard 4.7 when you test drive it. After I got around to filling mine up with 93 octane I was shocked how much more power it has. Well worth the extra money IMHO. It's more fun to drive as well.
I'm not sure why the H.O. package is hard to find where you are. It was just released when I bought mine (summer 05) and the big dealers had truckloads pouring in at the time. Maybe they are just getting sold off quick. The H.O. has more power and it also has 3.92 gears, both of which are good for towing.Good Luck and I hope this helps.
Later, Glen