Dodge Dakota

The 2007 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab

The Dakota is a midsize pickup truck from DaimlerChrysler's Dodge brand. It was introduced in 1987 alongside the redesigned Dodge Ram 50. The Dakota was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2000.

The Dakota has always been sized above the compact (Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-10) and below the full-sized (Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado) pickups and Dodge's own Ram. It is a conventional design with body-on-frame construction and leaf spring/live axle rear end. The Dakota has also long been the only midsize pickup with an optional V8 engine. One notable feature was the Dakota's rack and pinion steering, a first in work trucks.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Dodge Dakota Review.

Recent Changes

After being redesigned for 2005, the Dakota has received only minor updates, and this holds true for the 2007 model year. While remaining cosmetically unchanged, the latest Dakota offers new standard features for certain trims, like stain-resistant cloth seating trim on the SLT, and the engines have been upgraded. An E85 version of the 4.7L V8 engine is now also offered.

Styles and Major Options

The 2007 Dakota comes in three trims (ST, SLT, and Laramie) and two cab styles (Club Cab and Quad Cab). All three trims are available in either of the cab styles and either 2WD or 4WD. The standard engine is a 3.7L 210hp V6 engine, but a 4.7L V8 and a flex-fuel version are also available. For a list of standard safety features, see the Safety section below. Some of the standout features for each trim include:

The 2007 Dodge Dakota Club Cab

ST

• Heavy duty ride
• 16" silver styled wheels
• 4-way front bucket seats
• Cloth seating and vinyl door trim
• Manual front air conditioning
• 4-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
• Manual windows, locks, and mirrors

SLT

Adds to or replaces ST features with:

• 16" silver alloy wheels
• 8-way (6-way power) driver's seat
• YES Essentials premium cloth seating trim
• 4-speaker AM/FM/SIRIUS/CD audio system
• Cruise Control
• HomeLink wireless control system
• Compass, exterior temp monitor, trip computer
• Tilt steering wheel
• Power windows, locks, mirrors

Laramie

Adds to or replaces SLT features with:

• Leather seating and vinyl door trim
• 6-speaker Alpine AM/FM/SIRIUS/6CD-changer audio system
• Leather steering wheel
• Chrome rear bumper and bodyside moldings

Pricing

Today's actual prices for the Dodge Dakota can be found at CarsDirect.

Dakota Trims
ST Club Cab 2WD	SLT Club Cab 2WD	Laramie Club Cab 2WD	ST Quad Cab 2WD	SLT Quad Cab 2WD	Laramie Quad Cab 2WD	ST Club Cab 4WD	SLT Club Cab 4WD	Laramie Club Cab 4WD	ST Quad Cab 4WD	SLT Quad Cab 4WD	Laramie Quad Cab 4WD
MSRP
$19,135	$22,850	$24,950	$21,835	$24,180	$26,250	$23,285	$25,700	$27,905	$24,685	$27,030	$29,205
Invoice
$17,565	$20,872	$22,741	$19,998	$22,085	$23,928	$21,289	$23,438	$25,400	$22,555	$24,642	$26,577

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trim
3.7L V6 manual 2WD	3.7L V6 auto 2WD	4.7L V8 manual 2WD	4.7L V8 auto 2WD	3.7L V6 manual 4WD	3.7L V6 auto 4WD	4.7L V8 manual 4WD	4.7L V8 auto 4WD
MPG
16/22	16/22	15/20	15/20	16/20	15/19	15/19	15/20

Reliability

Although the latest generation of the Dakota, which was introduced in 2005, is still too new to provide accurate long-term reliability information, Consumer Reports states that the 2007 model's "reliability has been above average."

Safety

Both the Club Cab and Quad Cab versions of the Dakota received high marks from the NHTSA. In tests for rollver and in passenger side front-impact crash tests, the Club Cab received 4-Star ratings, while driver front-impact and both side-impact crash tests earned it 5-Star ratings. The Quad Cab, however, earned 5-Star ratings in all crash tests and 4-Star ratings in tests for rollover. Standard safety equipment on the Dakota includes:

• Front and rear anti-roll bars
• Rear wheel anti-lock brakes
• Driver/passenger front-impact airbags
• Occupancy sensors
• Side impact bars
• Front seatbelt pretensioners

Photos

• 

  Front view

• 

  Side-iso view

• 

  Door openings on an extended cab

• 

  Dodge Dakota engine

• 

  Dashboard instruments

• 

  Front interior

• 

  Rear interior

• 

  2008 Dodge Dakota concept.

• Dakota Ram lol
• ===Colors===
• '''Exterior'''
• *Bright Silver Metallic Clearcoat
• *Bright White Clearcoat
• *Electric Blue Pearlcoat
• *Inferno Red Crystal Pearlcoat
• *Light Khaki Metallic Clearcoat
• *Patriot Blue Pearlcoat
• '''Interior'''
• *Khaki
• *Medium Slate Gray
• ===Main Competitors===
• ==Hybrid Models==
• ==Unique Attributes==
• ==Resale Values==
• ==Criticisms==
• *"The new rack-and-pinion power steering is a bit over-assisted for our tastes but will probably be okay for most customers." - '''New Car Test Drive'''
• *"...club cab's backseat offers barely passable comfort for adults." - '''Edmunds.com'''
• *"While the Dakota is definitely a solid truck, it doesn't offer the powertrain refinement and smoothness of the Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier. Also, there is no Regular Cab model available." - '''Kelley Blue Book'''
• ==Generations==
• ===Third Generation (2005-present)===
• ===Second Generation (1997-2004)===
• Four-door "Quad-Cab" models were added for 2000 with a slightly shorter bed, 63.1 in (160.2 cm), but riding on the Club Cab's 130.9 in (332.5 cm) wheelbase. The smaller V8 was replaced by a new high-tech V8 as well.
• ====Engines====
• ===First Generation/Origins (1987–1996)===
• ====Engines====
• ==Worldwide==
• ==Design quirks and oddities==
• ==Awards==
• ==See also==
• ==External Links==