1997 Dodge Dakota SLT review from North America
"This truck is sweet"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brake lines, calipers, tranny is starting to act up, rust on bumper (normal for dodge) ball joints replaced when I bought it.
General comments?
This is a great truck. I love it. I take it off road almost every weekend in the summer and drive it pretty hard.
Mpg for my 5.2 is an average of 16 mpg, which the 3.9 and the 4.7 are pretty close to.
This truck only packs about 230hp, which is much different from my 420hp Cummins, but despite that 230hp it can still move. It can see 100mph easily and can smoke the tires all day long. It tows well too, just don't expect to win any races.
I only have 2 complaints:
One is the rough rear of the truck. The front end rides over bumps nicely and you can barely feel it, but when the back hits the bump, it feels like it came off the ground.
The other is the lack of aftermarket parts like suspension lifts and some other things. So far I have added a 3.5in dual exit magnaflow exhaust and it sounds great. I don't have the cat on anymore, which lets the 5.2 breath more, but even with it on it still sounds good.
I have 31 inch BFG's all terrains, which are wearing very nicely and still have lots of tread left.
Recommended reviews
| Fun to look at, Not fun to drive |
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| 1996 - Dakota Sport 3.9L V6 Magnum A good old truck with some problems |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 5.2 V8 Magnum Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 73000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 78000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge W150 |
| Date of Entry | 6th May, 2009 |