2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

i hope they offer a reg cab

[IMG]local://upfiles/41353/65E38BED7E514F58B76A4E38479BA76F.jpg[/IMG]

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

Guess, I never paid attention to this too much but did previous model years have the "Oh-****!" handles on both sides?

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Yeah, they do. At least mine does anyway. I have an '06.

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They need to offer a Regular Cab again. They also need to offer the "Stampede" appearance package again, as well as a 5-speed manual with the V8 engines (like my '03 Stampede).

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The more models they offer the more over head they have supporting it. In a article I just posted about the Firepower they talk about doing what they can to get back to making a profit (can not blame them). So I would not look for many new packages.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

Looks like it may be taking a styling que for the Nitro's front end.

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There will be no reg cab. Peroid.

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is that a done deal!!! the dakota not sharing platforms with the durango anymore

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Durango and Dak have not been related since 05, This trucks problem isnt in the look, its in the engine choice.

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I disagree. The 04 sold better with less money on the hood, and had the same engines. Its the look, not too many like it. The only reason why theysell is when they give them away.

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That was true for just about ever DC product last year. And it was not a DC thing, but a economy thing.

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You dontknow how it would have sold if a 5.7 was an option. No one does...

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But to blame the engine isn't right. Just because it has a hemi dosen't mean it will sell either. Doesmagnum ring a bell?

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Well since I sold Dodges for over 2 years and the most common question about the Dakota in 05 was, does it come with a Hemi, id say I just have an incite most wont understand or remember. I saw dozens of deals lost and I am but 1 person, so.

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Side mirrors are a no go. [sm=smiley21.gif]That'sa first....

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Nice grill!

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i still think it would be better to offer a reg cab!!my 02 will be the last dakota ill own. and yes its because they have no reg cab. leave it to dcx to mess things up. they better get there act togeather. iam about afraid to see what kind of dumbass stunt they pull next...

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What's wrong with an extended cab? It'spractically the same thing.

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photochop a 05 dakota extended cad down to a reg cab then you will see what i mean.. add the fender flares like on the warrior dakota with a 5.7 hemi....oh pinch me!!!!

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Why does the mid-size truck need a 340 hp engine? It doesnt...

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Does amid-sized SUV really need a 420hp engine? It doesn't either, but it sure helps. The Dakota's styling is part of the problem. The other problem is their competition is offering a V6 that has similar acceleration and better fuel economy. They need to offer a V6 that is actually competitive and a V8 that stands out.

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I being an 05 Dakota owner since July, 2005; I would have to say I would love it if I had a Hemi in my dakota. I actually have money saved up for a HEMI conversion in the next 2 years (locked in the bank to earn interest:D). Overall the truck is great, I love the design myself. Just I do agree, if you're going to have a V8 in a truck tha tis competing with other's V6 engines, it needs to be upgraded. If Dodge advertised a Dakota with say 8500-9000lb towing capacity in a midsized truck package, I think this truck would be much more popular! Nonetheless, I love my dakota.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

It needs it for the same reason a full size station wagon needs a 425hp engine, because people want it. The 4.7 which you are stuck with in the Dakota is a PoS, it mangages to get worse fuel economy than the 5.7 while producing75-105 less hp and 80-100 less lb-ft of torque, all whilebeing more expensive to build, that engine needs to be scrapped, true all the other mid/compact pickups don't have a V8 but that's because they don't need it, their V6's are more or less as good power and get better fuel economy. There's simply no real incentive to buy a Dakota, it's gotten even bigger so it's damn near a full size now, but it's gone down a notch on engines from the previous gen dakota andreally no betterfuel economy than the full size, at least the 5.7 would give some incentive to buy it. I know I wouldn't even consider the current Dakota right now, but with the 5.7 I would.

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The dakota will never have the 5.7. DCX would be stupid to offer the same engine in both the dakota and the ram, so maybe they aren't as backwards as we assume they are sometimes. Why wouldn't you just buy a ram if you really want the 5.7? The ram is always THE pickup. looks better too. And stop with the reg. cab thing. the club cab is basically the same thing, you just get a little more room to adjust your front seat. back seat is useless anway.

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It would be no different than the previous gen models if they did, before both the Ram and the Dakota got the 5.9L, and the Dakota actualy sold then, now they can hardlygive them away, and Ram sales aren't any better because of it.

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From what I have read there is going to be a new 3-valve 4.7L coming out in 2008. Its supposed to debut in the commander. Not sure what the numbers are going to be but it should be interesting. Not sure if it will find its way into a Dak though...

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

i have the 4.7 and dont think its a POS. just because it doesnt have lots of power doesnt mean that its not a good engine.its actually alot more reliable than the 5.7 hemi from what i hear. now nothing against the hemi, if i could id trade in for a hemi in a heartbeat, but from what i hear from service techsthe number of hemis going in for service is a considerable amount more than the 4.7 even though there are more 4.7s out there than thereare hemis. (the percentage of hemis sold in the first year offered, 2003, was 45% of the totalamount of rams sold, and when the gas pricesstarted goin up, the amount of hemis sold went down)fuel economy is what i expected and i dont think its too low for a full size pickup. and the 4.7 HO in the dakota has 260 hp which is the same hp as the 5.4 in the f150s.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

If you want 340 hp, get a Ram...

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Exactly right!
Why does any vehicle need any specific motor? People got along fine with big, tank-like carswith V8's that made as much power as some stock 4 bangers/V6's make now days. The "does this vehicle need that much power" is pretty useless IMO.

But thats true about the 4.7L. It's smaller, less powerful, yet uses more fuel. It's been brough up many times that many competitors 4.0L V6's make close to the same numbers as the 4.7L V8. Some people provide excuses for the 4.7L, I, on the other hand, know the motor needs to be scrapped, or at least get a big power boost.

Like was stated before, the same 5.9L found in the Rams was put in the Dakota, people bought them, and, yet, people also still bought the Ram. I'm sure that if the 5.7L made its way in the Dakota (maybe as an R/T model, like the 5.9Ls were in the Dakota), it would sell.

As for the regular cab... that was done away with because it wasn't selling very well. That's also why they did away with 4 banger Dakotas, as well. Companies aren't in business to make products that don't sell (I know, it might suprize us sometimes).

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

I agree! The fact is it is dumb not put out your best effort in a competitive market like this. If you don't, someone else will. What they need to do is they need to up the power in the Ram due to the updates from the updated competition the Silverado and Tundra (sounds odd to say that). They need to add newer tech to the HEMI (VVT &/or Direct Injection) to compete. The Dakota could receive the current one so then it doesn't compete against the Ram.

The Dakota needs to match the Tacoma and the Frontier with a V6, not a V8. The reason why they should use a V6 is the V6s get better mileage than a V8 and they are just as fast. My friends have bought the Tacoma and the Frontier instead. I asked them why they didn’t get Dakotas, and they told me “why should I get a V8 when I can get a V6 that has the same acceleration, with better fuel mileage.” It really doesn’t make any sense when you think about it.

The 4.7L needs to either be updated or replaced. The 4.0L produces practically the same hp as the H.O. version of the 4.7L. This would match the Japanese competition nicely by out powering the Tacoma and be right behind the Frontier, while offering similar mileage to both. The 5.7L with MDS would really take the market back since it would have similar mileage to the V6s, while providing class leading hp & tq. The ones that succeed are the ones who set the benchmark, not the followers.

At one time, having the only V8 in its class was a trump card, not anymore. Now that Dodge has to compete against someone other than GM and Ford, they need to fight against their competition the way their competition is beating them. They used to get away with having the weakest V6 output, but now they can’t get away with it. They have a history of using their weakest V6 in their trucks. When they decided to switch over to the AMC I4, they passed up on using the more powerful and torque AMC I6 that would have been a better competitor than the 3.9L. They should have switched over to that as soon as they acquired the engine.

Then in 2004, when they finally decided to retire the 3.9L, which engine did they chose. They chose the weaker of their 2 V6s, the 3.7L SOHC instead of the 3.8L OHV. The 3.8L produced 5 more hp & 10 ft-lbs of tq. Even then they should have made a new V6 for new model.

The 4.7L was competitive back in 2000 when they first used it in the Dakota, but it isn’t anymore because they haven’t done any updates to it since. They should have updated in 2004. The H.O. doesn’t count as an update because that is only an optional level. Also why did they weaken it from the GC? It was stronger in there than it is in the Dakota.

Excuses don’t sell cars & trucks. Offering what the customer wants sells excellently, just ask the Japanese.

Chase, I want you to think about this for a minuet. What if you wanted an option on a car that you knew the company had it in another model, but the other model was too big or expensive that you didn’t want the other model, and you ask the salesman about it and he responds “you don’t need it, get the other model…”? You’d be ticked just as many of us are that they didn’t offer the HEMI in the Dakota. It is stupid not to give the customers what they want, because that is where the Japanese are getting the Big Three.

Actually, I have heard the opposite. The 4.7L appears as though it has the occasional oil sludge problem. Remember the more abusive crowd is going to get the 5.7L because of its name and market segment. Also, the sources who don’t like Dodge have given the Ram a better rating in engine reliability since the HEMI was added. As far as are there more HEMI than 4.7L, that might be true but the ratio is changing thanks to the expanded use of the HEMI.

That’s exactly the problem. This truck is a MID-SIZED, not a full-sized. It should be comparable with other mid-sized not full-sized. The 5.3L powered Silverado gets the same fuel mileage while producing around 58 more hp & 15 more ft-lbs of tq. I guarantee it can tow more as well.

No offense but LOL!!! That was replaced in 2004 by the 3 valve head version. A little piece of advice, don’t use the Ford as a bench marker in the categories of engine output, fuel mileage, or reliability. They are normally dead last (unless Shelby helps them). The GM 4.8L produced more hp back in 2000 than the H.O. 4.7L produces

I'm glad you like your Dakota, but the fact is many other people aren't that loyal. They need to beat the Japanese at their own game.

The Dakota should offer the following. A economy V6 for price pentration (perhaps the 3.8L), the 4.0L instead of the 4.7L L.O. & 3.7L, the 5.7L with MDS from the Durango instead of the 4.7L H.O., and a diesel model maybe the Bluetech diesel to provide both economy and good acceleration.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

well i said the economy is what i expected from a full size pickup because i have a 4.7 ram, not a dakota. i like the daks but just couldnt ever see myself in a midsize truck.

im sure different sources will say different things about which engine is more reliable and thats always gonna depend on who you are talkin to, the experiences theyve had and the experiences of their sources that they are qouting. either engine is great i think, i still think the 4.7 is the more reliable of the two, but id rather have a hemi anyways.

i knew the 260 hp engine rating on the fords was before the updates but i just used it anyways. and yes fords normally do come in dead last in the hp category, they have some of the weakest engines liter for liter, but my point was that the power isnt as bad as people are making it sound. i agree that dodge should have updated it in 04 and made the HO the standard version of it.

i think they should keep the 4.7. its perfect for some people, like myself, who need a truck for the basic truck stuff (hauling wood or steel in the bed, towing a small-medium trailer every now and then, etc.) but dont need gobs of power. the only thing that i think could be improved upon is gas mileage, but even thats not that bad if you drive it easy. i can get about 14 in town if i drive like a normal person and not like a bat out of hell, which i dont think is bad for a full size pickup. my uncle has a dakota with the 4.7 and he gets about 16 in town when he drives it easy, and my automotive instructor has an 02 ram 4.7 that he drives to and from work every day, all highway miles and hand calculates his gas mileage every week and he is normally around 24-26 mpg, so gettin good mileage is possible with the right driver and the right conditions.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

Okay, I failed to notice that you listed in your signature that you had a Ram. My mistake, I apologize for that. Though my point still stands that it is sad that the Silverado gets the same fuel mileage with a larger, more powerful engine in a heavier vehicle.

I still disagree with the theory that the 4.7L is more reliable. It has been my observation that pushrods tend to be more durable and reliable than OHC (I know it sounds odd coming from a person who owns a SOHC engine;)).
In comparison to domestics, Dodge is doing fine, the problem is in comparison to the Japanese. They are kicking our butts with their V6s. In fairnesspart of the blame also belongs to the transmissions. Theycould have chosen better ratios in the 545RFE.
Okay,now let me ask you this.Why should DCX makethe 4.7L if the HEMI Magnum is less expensive to build, more fuel efficient, and a lot more powerful?

Your right that the right driver can get the right mileage, I get in the lower 30s on my Intrepid and it is only rated for 26mpg highway.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

Except that you're ignoring the fact that the 5.7 costs less to build and get's better fuel economy, there is absolutly no reason to get the 4.7, the reason people normaly go with the smaller engine is fuel economy, but you don't even get that.

14 in town with a 4.7?, well you can get 15 in town with a 5.7.

Oh, and your automotive instructor is full of you know what if he says he averages 24-26 in a 4.7 Ram, maybe if half the trip is downhill with the truck in neutral, a very very rare 24 highway I could posibly buy, but average, I think not, you would be hard pressed to break 20 average even driving like an old lady with a 4.7, between the engine, the drag, and the gearing it's simply not posible.

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I guess people haven't driving those V6's there great for the 0-60 and 1/4 mi. but don't feel like truck engines with down low power and pulling. Plus most use primiem gas and if you read there forums they get horrable gas milage no better then the Dakota in real world driving, heck on MSN there tons of complains the Tacoma is only getting 14 MPG. If you put a load on the Dakota you see how good the 4.7L is, I was really impressed hauling over a 1/2 ton of dirt the engine pulled great and didn't loose much at all, it really showed me were is engine shines, being a work horse.

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the expense of the 4.7 is an issue, i agree. if they scrap iti think they should at least have a small v8 available that is cheaper and gets better gas mileage. more options equal more sales, and when you mention "hemi" most people think "8 mpg" automatically.

and my auto instructor knows what hes talking about. hes been building, fixing, and racing cars since he was a teen and i have personally seen 21 mpg (hand calculated) in my 4.7 on a relatively short (200 Miles) trip and that was mostly highway with the cruise at 74, but with a good amount of city driving on the tank. so i dont think its impossible to get 24-26 mpg in the right conditions. he drives about an hour and from work each day and only about 10 mintues each way is city driving, so if he hit the freeway, set the cruise at 65 and didnt have to accelerate or slow down the whole time, its possible to get good mileage. plus the area we live in is FLAT and his commute doesnt take him through any towns where he would be goin up and down overpasses, so he has no hills to climb. believe it or not, i dont care, but my point was that you can get good mileage in anything.

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Dakota is still a very sharp looking truck. It was the best smaller size truck I ever owned except for the fuel pumps! Red

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I myself like the ext cab so i'm not complaining that its only ext.

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I work in a Chrysler service dept. and although I think both aregreat engines, we do see more quality issues with the Hemi engines than the 4.7L. I don't understand why everyone wants to buy these big pickup trucks and use them as hot rods. If you want to go fast get a car, a Hemi in a full size quad cab is nothing to get excited over.

RE: 2008 dodge dakota spy pic
 

logical to me

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Yeah, that tickled me he said he lost deals on Dakota's not having Hemi's. Just goes to show some people want the Hemi name but are as inpractical as **** (if they want it in the Dakota. The Hemi is a big engine, and therefore belongs in a big truck.) If you really want the Hemi in a truck just get the Ram 1500. It's not a big deal.
I think Dodge should make all their base model trucks have 6-speed manuals. They would save money, and people would be buying a good value-- a tranny with a great range, economy, and performance, reliable, and lighter and cheaper than an auto. I don't know why more people don't opt for a 6-spd. Before I bought my Ram '04 1500, I was looking for 5-spd/6-spd manuals but they were SO hard to find! Two reasons I suppose. 1, because people still have them (they are being sold), and 2, because they aren't many. Really, what best defines a full-size truck is the V8 engine, 4x4, and a 6-spd manual transmission. How do you get any more truck than that? Thing is, I guess people aim more for the "convenience" side of auto's than the true truck side, even in buying trucks.