By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
The comparison between the 3.9L and the 4.7L ..Well lets just say ,It's no comparison.
Allen
Ed
Dakota?
Has anyone taken out a ext. warranty from a third
party provider as discussed in another part of the Edmunds website under "CarBuying Tips.com"?
Although it might be too early to tell, has anyone had good / bad experiences with either the dealer offered or the third party warranty's coverage and "ease of use"?
Any thoughts on any of the above?
Bookitty
Please post or "E"mail if you feel more comfortable with that. Thank you.
Bookitty
Not only is the V8 a GREAT engine with an exciting powerband... when driven with care, the MPG is no less than the V6! But the V6 will NEVER sound this good
Just wondering... has ANYONE ever seen/driven the V4 powered Dakota? (Or is it in the brochure just to meet EPA guidelines?)
By the way, you must be talking (18 mpg) about the 4X4. My 4.7/2wd/3.55/auto sticker has 15 / 20. I'm addressing (as are all of us) the fuel consumption issue with the 4.7.
That works out to be something a long way the wrong side of $2 US per gallon.
Thank God the truck runs on regular.
BTW,My original append was indeed refering to the 4X4.
Likewise, My original question was asking if anyone has ever seen a 2000 Dakota with the 2.5L i4 engine? I realize it is only available in the 2WD but still.... would this engine provide enough power to even take the trash to the dump on weekends?
Bookitty
KnK
I too ordered a 4.7, 5 speed (3.92 implied), 4 wheel ABS, LSD and changed to the 5 speed because of the concern with the multi-speed auto. Maybe I jumped the gun by switching to the 5 speed, 'cause it sure is nice to have to shift when you're ... not by yourself. Know what I mean, Veron (rest his soul).
Bookitty
Did you consider asking for an extended warranty or tonneau cover, nerf bars, etc. for your pain? $700 worth of products or so is nice way to say they are sorry.
Good Luck
Kurt
If they won't help, you can have their 5-star rating for breakfast. And should.
Get back with us soon. Several hundred very PISSED OFF Quad owners can (& will) help you get this rectified. We will make their life a LIVING HELL. You've got my word on it.
"and the hell hounds thus loosed, did reign their mighty terror down upon the jackals most foul"
Bookitty
Bookitty
Sharing the pain,
Robert
Allen
Bookitty (Quadwaiter)
Dakota's... (for those first-time truck owners)
You must feel cheated in many ways...If DamlierChrystler does not compensate you in some way for the 'pain and suffering', they are truly not worthy of their glorified 5-star rating system.
It is rare that a company has such beautiful vehicles with customers lining up for their products. I am convinced that this poor customer satisfaction is DEEPLY rooted into DC corporate culture.
The Honda/Porsche/BMW/MercediesBenz/Range Rover
Dealer in town here is completely the opposite. Every time we have the slightest concern for our 1991 Cvic 4x4, we are treated as if a red carpet was beneath out feet. We got tires (and 4wheel alignment), fluid changes, touch-up paint and even FREE State inspections for life.
Bought the Club Cab because we are expecting our first child and needed some more room. Was not sure I could deal with a truck as a daily driver as my present car is a '96 Corvette and I have always had "drivers cars." Happy to say that the Dak is satisfying enough that I will put the Corvette up for sale.
The only problems encountered thus far:
1.) Takes a firm application of the brake pedal to disengage the cruise control
2.) Sometimes the "R" posiion on the automatic actually is neutral. Have to go to "N" and then back to "R" to get reverse.
Both of these should be minor adjustments.
Locating a 4.7 liter Club Cab was not easy. There does not seem to be many at the dealers here in GA. I was lucky with this truck. Has everything I wanted except it does not have the 4-wheel antilock brakes. Oh well.
Chrysler (DC) has really come a long way in 10-years. My wife drives a '97 Town and Country LXi that has been nearly faultless.
Just want to say that I appreciate people's comments here in the Town Hall. I picked up a lot of good info before making my final decision on which truck to buy. Thanks again to everybody.
jh
I still can't believe it.
Allen-
2 wheel drive................................
sittin' in my driveway.
renegade69
I run the crap out of mine. And it's great! I thought I had slippage that finally wound up being the usual (to most newer auto trannies) cold start & warm-up 'slop' that many makes have. It's gone in 60 seconds - to borrow a phrase. I've done everything conceivable, except for the 'time factor,' to figure out if this tranny's for real. It is. And then some. I've done significant research in this and other areas of purchase for this product. And as I've said many times "I'm not a Dodge Boy!" Wouldn't normally even consider one; though my family has an "85 Prospector that has had about 100 bucks of repairs in over 200k miles of real tough usage. I like Chevies; I like Fords. But I like the Quad for its near total innovative bullseye. Unlike the Nissan CC (too small), Ford SuperCrew (too big) and their Sport-Trac (too 'odd'?). All of these trucks are too 'something,' but the Dakota Quad is just right - for me. The folks that buy the other products surely have similar 'bullseyes' for their needs. And I'm sure they're right for them. But I've not heard of any shortages on the other side of the fence. Hmmm.
If you're worried about it, get the extended warranty from D/C or wherever, before the 3/36 runs out. You'll save enough (I did) using our sources of purchase to buy the thing.
So I think you can trust us on the 4.7/auto issue - lots and lots of us. If not, go with YOUR first impression & use your good judgment for whatever you buy to drive. More important factors apply.
Hauls serious [non-permissible content removed]; as it is loosening up at 3K miles, it just gets down on 87 octane; rides nicely. Fat little 255's on it and the light bed rating for ride; it's my daily driver. The weekend is a 99 C5 vette convertible; the truck is just a perfect size. Easy, and I mean easy step in; unlike F150 and the V8 Tundra; and the piece de restiance is that 4.7; man what a motor. Regards.
natdmann - that's exactly what I'm doing (in reverse) - changing the 3.55 for a 3.21. Will keep ya'll posted when they do the change. By the way, you 'nailed your post.' Perfect info. ;-)
Anyway, if someone has their owners manual in front of them, could you publish the gear ratios for the Multi-speed? I guess there's a 1st, 2nd low, 2nd high, 3rd, and a 4th / Overdrive? Wanted to see how it compares to the 5 speed manual.
ever since. The all-galvanized body was impervious to rusting. (Only MercedsBenz offers that today)
The inline6 engine used in todays cherokees is a direct decendant to the 258 CubicInch one in the AMC Eagle and before that the 232 in the AMC Gremlins. (One of the very best engines ever made.{STILL MADE})
I'll have to ask Ernie on Monday which one I'm getting by default. Are the Wide and Close linked to the purchase of a 3.55 or 3.92 rear axle?
In general, the gear ratios don't seem much different but DC must offer them for a reason. What's the reason?
If the front axles aren't locked, what's going on up there? I know when I test drove a Dakota while in 4WD, the turning radius increased a lot. The truck was parked on snow up an embankment and I guess the dealer backed up there while in 4WD. I pulled out of the lot and start to cut across a lane of traffic. Caught me off guard with the engine roaring, going slow, taking such a wide turn that I was afraid I was going to either get hit by the on-coming traffic or hit the guard rail on the other side of the road. (4WD Green Horn) I saw some recommendation to stay out of 4WD on dry roads especially when turning unless you want to bust up the drive train. Again, I have no experience, just trying to think through what's going on.
Did any of you order Corvettes, Camaros or T/A's in the 70's or 80's? If you did, then you're old enough to remember the M-20 (std. 'wide' ratio) & M-21 (opt. 'close' ratio) trannies. Oh, & there was the M-22 'rockcrusher' too! Just generally speaking, the M-20 was a MUCH better & easier to shift general use & light racing (auto-x) tranny - unusually but not always bought with the L-48 2 bolt main engines. The M-21 was really in its 'zone' with the higher wound L-82 (LT-1 w/ some hydraulic lifters, 4 bolt mains, forged pistons & cold rolled cranks) performance engine that went into track bound & high optioned 'rich toy' cars of the day - that engine had a near vertical torque & hp curve. It died at redline (5,200 - 5,500 rpm if I remember the range correctly on my old L-82) - the L-48 would 'build' its speed. With the L-82's 'flat' curve, the tranny had closer ratios to keep it in the power band for as long as possible between closely spaced shifts. In other words: you shifted more often. The power curve was MATED to that tranny's close ratios. The wide ratio M-20 was the workaday & much better suited to numerous turn autocrosses. It and the turbo 350 were the ones I used to win a whole bunch of auto-x. Was I a better driver? Not on a bet. My secret was the lower end torque and w-i-d-e-r spacing of the gears in the std. M-20. I simply beat everybody because they assumed the close ratio M-21 & the L-82 was THE racing option to get. It was for Riverside or Laguna Seca, not to all of the makeshift twisty tracks set up on Goodfellow & other Air Force Bases - not to mention mall parking lots. One other HUGE benefit was that I used much, much less energy. I drove to the tracks, aired up the tires till the sidewalls 'pinged' with a rubber hammer (about 60 psi), put on my Bell Star, took off the air cleaner, put in some STYX & turned (wayyyy) up the volume, wrapped my left arm outside the door to help hold me in the seat (no side bolsters then) and took off! I used the first three gears only & shifted about 50 times a run, normally running flat-out in 2nd & 3rd a lot. The close ratio guys shifted at least twice that much & lost by a second or so - every single time. After three runs they had to have help in getting their cars on the trailer. I bought a shake & drove home (with the trophy).
Now back to our regularly scheduled program:
Anyway, I'm guessing that these days the Daks are running two different 5-spds. in order to satisfy emissions, mpg, power range and axle ratios. NOT for any racing type initiatives, but for torque curve mating with the 2 types of trannies. One other distinct possibility: towing. There may be different trannies on the option list for that particular package, although my research suggests otherwise. IT finds that the DDC is for the club cab & reg. cab versions with the 3.21 rear end ratio (3.21 not avail. w/ anti slip) or any power robbers: autos, small engines (or strangely the 5.9), etc. However, in the Quad ONLY the DDK is offered in the option book, so you're adding some mystique to the mix. Wild and wacky weights, ratios and mixes. No surprises coming form D/C these days are there?
But what the hell, I'm putting in the 3.21 anyway. My reasoning? Simple: My insurance will be at risk sooner or later without it. ;->
ps - glad to see you're a 'natural gas' too.
robert
Your post mentioned that the DDC trans was std with the Std / Club Cabs. I was looking at the article titled "Four Door Wars" in Jan 2000 Four Wheeler and the manual trans there had a 4.04:1 1st gear, etc, which indicate that its a Wide ratio version. The article notes it as a NV 3500 5 speed manual. BTW - the Quad was noted as their Truck of the Year.
Can anyone post if the DDC is the Wide or Close gear ratio unit? Please refer to #200 bpeebles for the 1st and 2nd gear ratios for those. Finally, can anyone with experience driving either a Wide or Close give us your impressions?
This 5 - 6 week order to ship time should give those like bookitty a better feeling that it will happen soon. But its got to concern those other "Quadwaiters" that ordered in Dec '99 to early Feb '00.
Another BTW - I'm starting to notice that I might be getting a little obsessed with Dakotas in general and the Quad in particular. Has anyone noticed that "look" from your wife and kids when you're hogging the computer yet again when its just a truck? Has anyone sought "professional" help yet for their "Quadaphillia"?
About gear ratios etc, I am interested in the 3.21 switch and will follow the posts to see what happens. Themacguys long post about wide-closed was enlightening and also help to solve another unrelated problem. I've been trying to figure out what the new Daimler Chrysler PT Cruiser car/hatchback/minvan reminds me of and the mention of parking lot gymkana's and auto-x courses reminded me of the Austin MiniCooper that so many of my racing buddies were fond of thirty years ago. A little off topic I realize but I am casually trying to get my wife interested in this new DC concept car so that she might better understand my Quad obsession. Besides it would look cool in the driveway next to the Quad.