I say give it time. The small pickup truck market as a whole isn't exactly the healthiest segment and all the players but Ford have had a major redesign recently. It wouldn't surprise me if people are waiting till the new Frontier and Tacoma are available to test-drive alongside the recent Colorado/Canyon and new Dakota. Also Dodge's recent ball-joint debacle might have people holding back.

On styling, the '97-'04 Dakota was an exceptionally good looking model but you can't keep things the same forever. As an engineer with a consulting company that works with a major manufacturer in the compact equipment industry I know full well what would happen if they stopped innovating. Maybe the '05 was too much. Maybe not. I don't think half a model year is enough time to tell. Personally I love the new style and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

Hey I LOVE the new Dodge Dakotas. The new design makes it look mean and something that shouldn’t be messed with. I know I’d take one over those Butt Ugly POS Canyons and Colorados.

 

I admit I felt in love with the new 05 dakotas! There is just something about that type of design I can't explain!

 

I'll back you up on that. I think it looks way better than the old Dakota. The Durango now is still a piece of Garbage that can burn in a fit of inferno for all eternity....same with the Charger. If Dodge screws up the Ram, I will be so mad. The Ram is perfect.....minus the interior



-Matt-

 

hate the new dakota my ***


i love it

saw a 2005 one the other day..i love it

 

Yeah the F-150 is number on in the south, but that's because they are all over Ford's nuts. I didn't say the Dakota was as popular its just very well liked!

 

I want to know why the people who know Dodge dealers tell us they can't sell anything and everything coming from the factory is crap but the financial side of Chrysler is looking the best out of the big three and every projection has Chrysler outselling what they sold last year?? Maybe I must live in utopia called Florida because I see Magnums, 300's, Durangoa's, Pacifica's, PT's etc etc etc out the ***.......The only vehicle I see that isn't selling well is the 2 door Stratus and Sebrings...and you still se quite a few of those on the road

 

The dealers are telling you that because they are not selling cars! I don't care what Chrysler financial is doing look at the assy plants. Newark Del., durango plant rolling shutdowns due to lack of sales. Neon plant killed 2nd shift due to sales. Warren truck shutdown for two weeks after Christmas due to sales of dakotas being poor. We are suppose to be on a rolling shutdown for a while as well. And if things don't improve soon the third shift they just created this past may will be gone. Sterling Heights assy, stratus and sebring four doors and sebring convertibles, rolling shutdowns. I'd have to say we are not selling anything well, besides 300's and magnums.

Joe

 

i cant believe the mega ram is gonna have a simular front end, really liking my 97 ram more and more everyday

 

I wished the left the cluster gauges alone! Trucks should have the full cluster gauges, ie: oil, volts, temp, etc. Now they took out the volt/oil gauge. I can live without the volt gauge but I want my oil gauge! oil light just tell you something is wrong which is pretty much too late to do anything by the time the light comes on.

Now the interior dash/cluster starts to look like minivans! Bleh! First time I seen a huge speedometer that sticks out like a sore thumb!