I am sad see Mid size Dodge truck going gone soon. I am sure next new truck lifestyle" pickup is weaker have no frame on body! EWWWWW!

Too bad,it was a great truck,but the 2005-2011 Dakota had a major cost increase,cost as much and in some cases more than a Full size Ram !

For the small-mid size truck market the Dakota was the best in the pack,over 300 h.p 4.7 V-8 and low to mid 6 sec 0-60 with the 4.7,full size cargo and towing in a smaller package and better looking than a odd looking female friendly Tacoma !

As the owner of the 2nd gen (2003), it will be a sad day, Like all the other (small) trucks today, there is not enough of a price difference in purchase and fuel to make any sense to not get a full size truck. That and the fact that Dodge realy screwed the pooch on this 3rd gen. expecialy at first, not so bad after they re-did to front end, but not enough of a diff. between 2 and 4wd types, the 2nd gen. was a lot more poppular, and they even disc. the reg cab! my 03 4X4 has been a realy nice little truck, fast, powerfull, handles great, and is very good off-road! and I mean rock climbing, mud running, on the beach, an all around fun truck, I have hauled over 2,000lbs. of bottled water, for a couple af yrs. at one point, have trailered 100's of miles, while carying 1,000+lbs., I have never needed towing, only water pump (under warranty), and replaced the ball-joints, in 96,000 so far, + reg. maint. Accel tune-up parts 3 times, and sythetic oil + fluids every 5,000mls. (oil) I plan to keep it for a long time it is now the 3rd veh. in the house hold, I only use it in very bad weather, and when the salt is on the roads, have been on the beach a LOT, and have no rust problems, anywhere, I allways rinse it off top to bottom after every trip to the beach. I have been so satified that I was planning to get a new one , but hated the style, or lack of, at the time they were even offering life-time warranty! and you could get the 4.7 w/6spd! 3:92 posi, or the H.O. 4.7 w/ auto. Everything about this truck is quality, the paint still shines, not wear in the interior (seat covers), dash is still like new, rollup windows no problem, I guess the only gripe I could ever come up with is interior space (reg cab), and mileage, I get better mpg with the 5.3 Chevy and Ford Ecco-Boost. oh well fairthy well Dakota, or till we meet gen. 4?

Chrysler needs to change the name of the replacement pickup take it from a tundra owner when other truck brand owners call our TRD a turd. Chrysler I beg you not to call it "lifestyle" because it will not be too long before other brand owners will slap alternative in front of the name trust me make it harder for people to bash it not easier.

This sounds like the begining of the end to all the small pick-up trucks in America .
I hope not!

The room and payload of a compact with all the fuel sipping efficiency of a Full size. Adios.

A sad time indeed. I was always fond of the Dakota. The first, and only (until Colorado a couple of years ago), mid-size pickup with a V8. I really like the 1998-200? 5.9 R/Ts.

Dodge Dakota, you will be missed! Thank you Dodge for not being afraid to be a game changer. For bringing us specialty/niche vehicles for true automotive enthusiasts. Vehicles such as (late-models); the mini-van, Dakota, Viper, V10 powered heavy duty pickups, S.R.T. family, Power Wagon, and Challenger to name a few.

American design, engineering, and manufacturing at it's finest!

I guess the Dakota was too similar in spec to the newly introduced Tradesmen, to survive as a separate model.
@Jessman GM is bringing in or building a new Colorado.with CAFE rising fuel and other costs, maybe the other manufacturers MAY introduce smaller traditional style Pickups rather than some peculiar "lifestyle vehicle"

I'm sad to see it go as well, I've never like the current version but the late 90's and early 2000's models looked the best. I think if Chrysler would have kept the truck up to date it would be doing a lot better, but with fuel economy no better then a Ram and an interior from the 80's, with the ugly looks it couldn't hang on. Why not give it the ram treatment, coil rear springs, update the interior and a high tech V6 with a six speed tranny.

Build the replacement pickup on the new Dodge Durango chassis. Sell a 4x4 version as a Jeep.

I bought a 2wd with the 5.2 when they just came out with the v8 option. I loved it, very fast and good on gas and plenty of cargo room with the 8ft box. The intro of the gen3 killed it. A Durango based truck is on allpar. We will have to wait and see I guess.

The last pickup truck I bought was back in 1983. That truck was the Mitsubishi version of the RAM D-50; compact, economical and fun as well as useful. I haven't bought any of these 'mid-sized' pickups because they're simply too big for my needs or my desires. In fact, there is only one mid-sized truck I might buy, and that would be the Jeep Gladiator--based on the Wrangler style.

Otherwise, give me a '59 El Camino

thank god

I had a 92 and it was a ok truck.
As it approached the 70k mile zone it did what most american vehicles of that area did. The gauges pretty much quit working along with most of the buttons on the radio and I couldn't lock the drivers door anymore.
Otherwise the powertrain to that point was good.
My last American branded vehicle.

I liked the size of it and it seemed to be reasonably priced vehicle back then.

My 2000 4X4 Dakota was the best US made truck I've
driven. I would put 2300 lbs of coffee in the bed, daily through the harvest season with no problems. I would have gotten another one until I saw the Monstrosity that Dodge came out with in 05. I hope that some day, a US company will put out a good small truck again.

Yep, I too hope one of the American companies build another small/midsize truck "with ground clearance". I think that was the biggest thing with this last generation of Dakota's they lowered the 4x4 to the same heigth as the 2 wheel drive version. Just need a smal v6 to pull 3-4000 lb trailer and be able to put a camper top on it to put all my hunting and fishing gear in the bed safely.

What???? you mean that people dont want a truck that costs nearly as much as a full size truck yet has worse gas mileage and lower payload/towing????

Seriously tho, I think the Dakota is/was a good idea, it just needed to be updated through the years as technology improved (pentastar v6+ 6 speed trans as a minimum, maby throw a modern 4 banger in the base models) Also this truck suffered from crappy automatic transmissions. I know 4 people who have had Dakotas, they were a '92, '95, 03, and 05, all of them had a trans go out on them early (pre 100k miles). Also the ball joints + rack and pinions were problem prone as well. Overall, great idea, poor execution. Hopefully Chrysler can get it right in the future

'' the Dakota was the best in the pack,over 300 h.p 4.7 V-8 and low to mid 6 sec 0-60 with the 4.7''

''Quote Xs29L''

I'm not sure were you got you're facts from, but according to the road test I've read the Dakota equipped with the 4.7L V8 can't run 0-60 faster than about 8 1/2 seconds. I'm not bashing the Dakota or anything, just stating a fact...Maybe a Regular cab 4.7L V8 Dakota could run mid 7's or so in 0-60, but the fact is these Dakota's were heavy for their class. Probably the heaviest in the midsize class. And the 4.7L only made what 239hp? something along those lines. To much truck not enough horsepower.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/trucks/112_0707_2008_dodge_dakota/interior.html

According to: www.zeroto60times.com, the 1998 Dakota R/T 5.9L (245 h.p./345 lb.-ft. tq.) was the quickest of all Dakotas. Zero to 60 in 6.9 sec. and the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds.

Even though I like the Dodge Dakota, a lot, I have always had a little "grudge" with the brand. All because of Chrysler's decision to eliminate it's competition, from within the company, by pulling the plug on the Jeep Comanche. The Jeep should have remained!

@xs29L,

Are you kidding, the new Dakota looks like something Barbie would drive if it's not a Jeep...

I will miss beating Dodge Dakota's with the 5.9 with my Tacoma in rear-drive street tire class:

http://www.scca-milwaukee.org/solo/2006/Event7_fin_NoPro.htm

By the way thanks Mitsubishi for creating the predecessor of the Dakota, without your help, their would be no Dakota!

I drove one of those little Mitsubishi's in the Marines that was re-badged as a Dodge Dakota...

It is not necessarily the end of "small pick-ups." It's just, that, well, full size trucks can be bought with more capabilities at the same price.

Re: Mitsubishi

Don't forget the Mitsubishi recall coverup during the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance. Sounds like the way Toyota acted recently.

Recall cover up

Shortly after the deal was finalised, Mitsubishi became embroiled in accusations that it had covered up complaints from customers about defects in their vehicles.[15] A police raid on its headquarters in July 2000 uncovered hidden documents stashed in a locker, and soon after over 500,000 vehicles were recalled for repairs. Mitsubishi's shares fell by 13 percent as these revelations became public,[15] and over the summer, further investigations took a similar toll on the company's stock. By the end of August, following a second police raid, the total number of vehicles recalled had reached one million, while the share price had fallen by almost 30 percent.[16][17] As a result of the collapse in the value of Mitsubishi, DaimlerChrysler renegotiated a €200 million reduction price of its stock purchase, while Kawasoe was forced to step down as chairman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi_alliance#Recall_cover_up

@Oxi was that a street stock class? Noticed a diverse number of entries.

If you hate mid-size trucks, give me a hec yeah.

When Chrysler hooked up with Mitsubishi in 2005 that's when the quality of the Dakota took a nose dive and it grew to a bloated size. It was all downhill from there and was a fail.

Thank you, Mitsubishi.

@Jim,

Who do you think created the Dakota back in the early 1980's?

That would be Mitsubishi making re-badged small Dodge pickups until Dodge could make their own...

Same with the S-10 that Isuzu helped to create and the Ranger Mazda helped to create...

Notice how Toyota and Nissan simply made their own, no help needed!

"@Oxi was that a street stock class? Noticed a diverse number of entries."

Yes street tire class, bring what you had on...

I liked 2nd gen Dakotas. The 2000 crew cab is the best looking midsuze cc to date, anywhere and 4.7 MT combination was unique and unmatched for power until the Nissan and Toyota 4L's came along. Sadly, the interior got worse in the refresh in 2000. The 3rd gen was hideous. The current truck looks much better, but the V8 MT is gone.

I guess I should turn my '94 Club Cab into a show truck. It's the only V8/5 speed in that body style that I have seen with my own eyes.

The Dakota won't be missed, not that it was wanted in the first place.

Who created the Dakota back in the early 1980's?

Chrysler.

Mitsubishi created the Ram 50 in the 80's, but Ram 50 was a compact pickup that lacked the size and features necessary to meet the demands of American buyers.

The Dakota created by Chrysler was the first mid size pickup and paved the way for today's mid-size Tacoma.

Thank you, Chrysler.

Maybe if Toyota teamed up with someone they could get their act together on the outdated Tacoma.

It's been 7 years and just a grille and headlight change. Where are the new drivetrains, engines, trans, frames, and modern aerodynamic bodies and new interiors?????

Toyota and Tacoma is slacking.

The only hope for the small truck market is for someone to get in and show Toyota how it's done. Because Toyota apparently doesn't care anymore. A grille change may work in Japan but isn't going to cut it with American truck buyers.

"Notice how Toyota and Nissan simply made their own, no help needed!"

Ford and Toyota have announced they will equally collaborate on the development of an advanced new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs - Mike Levine

http://twitter.com/#!/pickuptrucks

JJ-

It must be a policy implemented by Japanese corporations.

@Jason,

Uhh, Chrysler did not have a small pickup in their line-up so they turned to Mitsubishi to help them by building one (re-badged)until they grew up and were ready!

Learn history buddy...

Nissan needs help, from Suzuki, to sell more Frontiers.

Toyota needs help, from Subaru, to develop "sporty" cars.

@Jason,

You sound awful jealous of the Tacoma!

Toyota built their own small pickup back in 1963, decades before the U.S. could build their own by themselves and even before the U.S. had their Japnese re-badged ones on the market, Toyota built the industry's first in class 4x4 back in 1979!

The Tacoma is the industry leader because it appeals to a broad part of the market from its class leading configurations and models...

So many ways you can build a Tacoma vs the ompetition!

once again Oxi: you are wrong! like the post from Jason said, the 1st Dakota had nothing in common with the Ram 50? as Dodge called the Mitsu. made p/u, it had a cast-iron 4 cyl from the Jeep Wrangler, or the 3.9 V-6 from Dodge, that was a 318 cid with 2 cyl. cut off, same pistons, valves, con-rods,water pump, timing chain, every moving part but the crank and cam. in later gen, you could get the 5.9 V-8, then the 4.7 V-8 and finaly the 3.7 V-6. The Mitsu. had an alum. ohc 4cyl, in more than one size. You may know a lot about toys but not American trucks.

Uhh Toyota is the majority owner of Subaru!

Toyota dictates what Subaru does these days like building the best selling car the Camry at a Subaru plant in Indiana...

oh I almost forgot that Mits. actualy used the Dakota to replace the Raider at one point.

@Tim,

With Toyota still owning the majorityof the patents on hybrid systems and Ford's system is based off of Toyota's technology, ofcourse we should not be suprised by this...

This is good for auto cooperation globally...one leader helping another to keep competition flowing insteade of the GM model of getting welfare checks and using their owners to target their competition for them to help their struggling sales...

I respect Ford for this and shame companies like GM...

what the ell oxi can make all kind of claims?

what did I say about the Scout that was wrong

oxi: ever hear about the Int. Scout? small p/u in the 60's

I did try to give you more info, but was censored

To make it clear to the old 4.7 was 235/295 hp/tq and the current 4.7 is something like 300/330 so whoever said the Dakota could have 300 horses was not wrong although my 4.7 02 Dakota had only 235

moparman: mine has the same w/ 5spd. 3:92 lmt.slp. reg cab 4X4, it runs sweet!

oxi is jealous of American trucks.