1997 Dodge Dakota 4wd-regular-cab Base 0-60 Times, Top Speed, Specs, Quarter Mile, and Wallpapers

The 1997 Dodge Dakota 4wd-regular-cab Base is a 4-wheel drive Pick-Up. It can accommodate up to 3 passengers. It has 4 Doors and is powered by a 5.2L V8 OHV 16 valves engine which outputs 230 hp @ 4400 rpm and is paired with 4 speed automatic gearbox. The 1997 Dodge Dakota 4wd-regular-cab Base has cargo capacity of Liters and the vehicle weighs kg. In terms of ride assists, the 1997 Dodge Dakota 4wd-regular-cab Base has stability control and traction control in addition to anti-lock brake system (ABS). The vehicle has an optional 5.2L V8 OHV 16 valves engine as well It offers and. Safety features also include None and None. The front suspension is while the rear suspension is. The car also features a It has as standard. Electronic features include Cruise Control. For convenience, the car has Power windows and Power door locks. There is also a remote keyless entry feature. Moreover, the car has. The steering wheel has audio control buttons. In terms of performance, the car has 251 N.m of torque and a top speed of 225 km/h. The 1997 Dodge Dakota 4wd-regular-cab Base accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and hits quarter mile at 14.4 seconds. Fuel consumption is 18 L/100km in the city and 11.7 L/100km in the highway. The car price starts at $ 21,140

1997 Dodge Dakota Used Price Estimates

Frankly, the Dakota was getting about as stale as Halloween candy on April Fool's Day. The exterior was still ruggedly handsome, but the interior was an ergonomic throwback to 1980. SLT models had horrific fake wood that looked like it had been ripped from a '70s tract home basement. Seat comfort was marginal. The best thing the Dakota had going for it was an optional 5.2-liter V8 engine and class-leading bed size.

Now that Chrysler in flush with cash, the Dakota has received a complete makeover for 1997. The most obvious difference is the styling of the new truck. Call it mini-Ram, inside and out. The exterior isn't as attractive as the Ram, mostly because the front end doesn't gel right thanks to a multitude of cutlines around the grille and headlight assemblies. From certain angles, the ellipsoidal grille looks tacked on rather than integrated with the lights and front bumper, giving the truck an oddly proportioned appearance.

Inside, user-friendly controls and displays pass the same work-glove ease-of-operation test that the Ram does. Seats are king-of-the-road high, and infinitely more comfortable. Club Cab models will carry up to six people. Dual airbags are standard, but it is important to note that the passenger airbag cannot be switched off. This means that rear-facing child safety seats can never be used in the front seat of a 1997 Dakota. Babies and young children will need to ride on the rear bench of the Club Cab model. Can't afford a Club Cab? Shop for a Ford Ranger or a Mazda B-Series. They've had passenger airbags since 1995, and they offer a switch to turn off the airbag. Kinda makes you wonder what Chrysler was thinking.

Here's another mystery. The Club Cab offers no third door option. Seems odd from the company that pioneered the fourth sliding door on minivans and is planning a four-door full-size Ram Club Cab for 1998. To get this convenience, you've got to buy a Chevy S-10 or GMC Sonoma. Press materials indicate that the new Dakota is equipped with side door guard beams, but makes no mention that these beams pass 1999 side-impact standards for trucks. Why didn't engineers just but the stronger beams in from the get-go, rather than wait a couple of years? Dodge had a chance to build the perfect compact pickup, and blew it.

Still, it's a nice piece of work. Base, Sport and SLT models are available. Regular cab 2WD models feature a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine that provides 120 horsepower. Club Cab and 4WD models get a 3.9-liter V6 good for 175 horsepower and 225 foot-pounds of torque. Optional on all models is a 5.2-liter V8 engine that makes 230 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs. of torque at 3,200 rpm. Crammed into a regular cab shortbed with 2WD, the V8 transforms the Dakota into a storming sport truck.

Overall, the new Dakota is quite satisfying. However, we can't help but think some short-sighted thinking and cost-cutting went into the design because of the lack of several major safety and convenience features. Makes us wonder about the integrity of the stuff that isn't quite so obvious.

In comparing the 2010 Dodge Dakota to a typical sedan, a sophisticated driver may notice a small amount of rear-axle ride harshness over uneven pavement. Others may feel the Dakota rides as well as most cars. And, with a few hundred pounds loaded in the cargo box, there will be little difference between a current sedan and the Dakota. Steering and braking are predictable in response and feel, and the Dakota owner will likely have no complaints about how it rides smoothly down the road and handles responsively around corners. The optional V8 makes easy the sometimes challenging task of passing slow-moving traffic on rural two-lane highways.

Available V8 EngineWe really like the Dakota's 302-horsepower V8. But most will be more than satisfied with the standard and more practical 210-horsepower V6.Ride and HandlingThe Dakota's ride comfort, even when it's unloaded, is more than capable for a truck and, perhaps surprisingly, essentially as good as many cars.

If you're moving from, say, a fairly recent sedan to a pickup, you'll be hard pressed to find deficiencies in the Dakota. The black-on-white instrument panel is easy to read, although the plastics that make up much of the interior feel hard and somewhat low-budget. Clever storage devices, such as the Crate 'N Go under-seat storage system and the center console modular cup holder inserts designed to accommodate iPods or cell phones, abound throughout the Dakota's roomy cabin (30-cubic feet inside the Extended Cab and 37.1 cubic-feet in the Crew Cab).

No longer will the observant confuse a Dakota with a Ram. Forward of the front-door hinge, the 2010 Dakota is completely different than either its predecessors or its bigger sibling. While maintaining the aggressive styling that has become a Dodge trademark, the 2010 Dakota is angular where previous generations were rounded. Unique to this class, the Dakota Extended Cab features "Full Swing" rear doors that open nearly 170-degrees. A dual-position tail gate can be secured in mid-position to act as a support for extra long cargo extending beyond the Dakota's six-foot six-inch bed.

The 2010 Dodge Dakota is available in four trim levels and two body styles: The Extended Cab, which has rear-hinged aft doors, and the Crew Cab, which has four conventional doors. All but the TRX4 are available in rear- or four-wheel drive. The ST comes standard with a 210-horsepower V6 coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission. Big Horn and Lone Star standard equipment includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control and power windows. The TRX4 has four-wheel drive, additional skid plate protection, off-road wheel and tire setup, a sliding rear window and SIRIUS Satellite Radio standard, while the potent V8 is an option. The luxury-minded Laramie has a chromed grille, heated leather seats, premium audio, remote start and chrome rear bumper.

The top option on the 2010 Dakota is the V8 engine, followed by a traditional four-wheel-drive system with hi/low transfer case allowing for four settings: Neutral; 2WD; 4WD high, locked and 4WD low, locked. The available communication system features, among many other things, a voice-activated navigation system and a 30-gigabyte hard drive to which you can load music, photos and movies (the latter won't play while the truck is moving.). The available cargo box rail with movable tie-down cleats will come in handy when friends need help moving.

The 2010 Dodge Dakota's optional 302-horspower 4.7-liter V8 turns out almost a third more horsepower than the first generation 4.7-liter unit and, with 329 pound-feet, 13 percent more torque. On top of that, the new V8 gets better fuel mileage and will operate on E85 ethanol-based fuel. The V8 comes fitted only with a five-speed automatic. While it's easy to become infatuated with the Dakota's optional V8, the standard 3.7-liter V6 will provide a rewarding, long-term relationship for most. With 210 horsepower and 235 pound-feet of torque, it should easily deal with most light-to-moderate trailer-towing and load-hauling duty.3.7-liter V6210 horsepower @ 5200 rpm235 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/20 (2WD), 14/18 (4WD)4.7-liter V8302 horsepower @ 5650 rpm329 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3950 rpmEPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/19 (2WD, gasoline), 9/13 (4WD, E85), 14/19 (4WD, gasoline), 9/12 (4WD, E85)

The lowest-priced Dodge Dakota, the ST Extended Cab with rear-wheel drive and a 210-horsepower V6, has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of around $ 23,500, and the ST Crew Cab starts at almost $ 26,000. Each of the other Dakota trim levels increases in steady increments. A fully-optioned Laramie Crew Cab, complete with the 302-horsepower V8, tops out close to $ 39,000. The Dakota compares very favorably to similarly-equipped versions of the Toyota Tacoma, although its resale values fall far short of the Toyota. A V6 Tacoma Access Cab starts at about $ 25,000. To get the best deal on your Dakota, be sure to check Kelley Blue Book prices to see what buyers are actually paying in your area.

1997 Dodge Dakota Consumer Reviews