Great Curves
Given its lowered stance and racing rubber, the TRD is as close to a 7/8-scale NASCAR Craftsman truck as we've ever driven. Posting a 63.13 pass through the cones, the S-Runner is one of the most poised trucks we've ever tested. We found almost zero body roll, neutral to the limit, then just the slightest oversteer.
The feeling was mutual as we traversed mountain roads, where the Toyota inspired confidence the harder we pushed it. Laced with its bubblegum rubber, breaking the rear end free is nearly impossible, except when the open differential allowed tire spin in hairpin turns. The steering communicates freely to the driver, informing you of every nuance in the road.
Out of the canyons, the Toyota's suspension rides tautly on uneven surfaces, mostly due to the exotic rolling stock. Once out on the highway (and especially in truck lanes), the S-Runner effectively eradicates any inkling of kidney stones you may have. But get it on smooth pavement, and it rides like a sports car.
As expected, the Lightning served up the softest ride on the highway, exhibiting only slight rear jounce on abused roads. Fresh pavement only helped the SVT ride like a Town Car. Heading for the hills, it exhibited steering tighter than the Dakota, with good feel and near rail-like cornering. Throttle steering was effortless, unless you put too much foot into it--then the rear breaks loose, allowing more drift in the corners than bargained for.
Putting the SVT through the slalom, the heavy front and a carefree rearend allowed for more slip than we'd like during extreme cornering, but were quite controllable through judicious throttle input. Its 60.61 speed is inspiring for a full-size pickup, though the SVT's obviously not as nimble as the R/T or TRD. We found far better balance than expected, but this is still a full-size pickup truck.
Dodge Dakota 5.9 R/T
From the Logbook
"For a daily driver, the Dodge R/T has the best interior of the bunch. Tons of cubby space for personal items, cushy seats, and a good, thick-grip wheel." |
To say we were surprised when the sleeper R/T posted the fastest 600-ft slalom time of 63.23 would be a gross understatement. "The faster you go, the more you commit, the better the R/T responds," wrote Walton. "You can manhandle this truck, and it doesn't bite back. There's tons of grip, quick steering, and it doesn't threaten to spin out on the dash to the last cone."
In the canyons, the Dodge doesn't throw any curveballs: It's sure-footed, rotates easily, is extremely predictable, and takes well to steering input via throttle. With a suspension this secure, we would normally expect a bone-jarring ride; however, the Dakota is compliant on rough two-lanes, with good communication through the wheel and responsive steering. Given the 5.9's torque, we were a bit disappointed with the tranny's inability to hold gears on grades, as it continually up- and downshifted to keep the truck at speed.
On truck-traveled highways, the Dakota R/T does experience a decent amount of rear-axle hop, but it's easily quelled on smooth pavement.