Middle kids occasionally get a raw deal. Sometimes, however, they achieve the Goldilocks Effect: They're not too big and not too small; they're just right. That's the Dodge Dakota's lot in life. It's a midsize pickup not quite as small as a true compact truck, making it ideal for people who don't like the heft and poor fuel economy of a full-size.
Dodge's second-generation Dakota bowed as a 1997 model, wearing clean clothes for the new school year, stretched atop a chassis with a selection of engines largely carried over from its boxy predecessor. With scaled-down big-rig styling clearly related to the hot-selling Ram, the Dakota became at once handsome and athletic. Originally, two cabs were offered: the regular cab and a Club Cab with a minuscule bench seat (but three sets of seatbelts) and no third door for access. The regular cab could be ordered with an 8-foot bed; the Club Cab has a 6.5-foot bed on the same wheelbase. A short-wheelbase, shortbed regular cab fills out the line.
Powertrains abound for the Dakota. Early base models offer a 2.5-liter, 120-horsepower I-4, which comes only with a five-speed manual. Move up to the 3.9-liter, 175-horsepower V-6 (auto or manual) or the 5.2-liter, 230-horsepower V-8 (also auto or manual). In 1998, the R/T was introduced, using the torque-rich 5.9-liter, 250-horsepower V-8 from the full-size Ram, available only with a four-speed automatic. For 2004, the last year for this platform, the R/T disappeared and the pushrod V-6 was replaced by the 3.7-liter, 210-horsepower SOHC V-6 from the Jeep Liberty.
Dodge made a host of changes for the 2000 model year. The regular cab longbed was deleted, and the midsize V-8 was replaced by the excellent overhead-cam 4.7-liter, 230-horsepower V-8 from the Jeep Grand Cherokee. This engine produces nearly the same torque as the 5.2 with much better fuel economy; it was available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Four-wheel drive was also available on most models, save the base four-cylinder and the R/T.