2008 Dodge Dakota First Drive

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Introduction

Dodge Dakota - 2008 First Drive: If the truck market was to be judged by the overgrown 2007 Toyota Tundra, it would appear that pickup buyers are longing for intimidating vehicles that look poised to snack on small children. Every year, those rolling, seldom fully-utilized cargo haulers expand in size and power, dwarfing not only predecessors but also the mortal humans that attempt to drive them. In essence, they're becoming the juiced athletes of the automotive world.

There are those who buy full-size trucks simply for work, and then there are buyers who dream of a pickup that serves their multitude of needs. They require space for carrying the family and power for towing the boat, but they want it all wrapped in a manageable package - one that offers some semblance of efficiency and doesn't take five minutes to park. That's where the 2008 Dodge Dakota comes in, with an available 302-horsepower engine that helps tow more than 7,000 pounds, all while transporting up to six passengers in relative comfort. Plus, with starting prices in the $20,000 to $30,000 range, the midsize Dodge is affordable by most standards.

It would seem like a no-brainer for shoppers, but there is some serious competition out there, with respected names like Toyota and Nissan. Fellow domestics, who are also gaining ground in this field, hint at a new V8-powered rival for the Dakota in the near future. To fend them off, the 2008 Dakota offers a fresh look, a retuned eight-cylinder engine, more space, and some nice interior features. However, what buyers won't find are modern conveniences like four-wheel disc brakes, front-side airbags, or standard four-wheel ABS. If we were living in 1988, that'd be fine - but we're not.

Origins

Detroit has been selling small pickups for more than thirty years. Before the days of the Colorado, Chevy sold the LUV and then introduced the S-10 for the 1982 model year. Ford rebadged a Mazda and sold it as the Courier through the '70s, replacing that little pick 'em up with the Ranger for 1983. For its part, Dodge played in the market with a ride courtesy of Mitsubishi, and eventually followed its home-turf competitors with the midsize Dakota, which was launched in 1986 as a 1987 model. Over the course of two decades the Dakota has grown in terms of size and power, from the 1987 rear-wheel-drive, four-cylinder-powered Regular Cab to 2008's Crew Cab Laramie with full-time four-wheel drive (4WD) and a 302-horsepower V8.

Built in Michigan, the 2008 Dodge Dakota goes on sale in August.