Best Used Dodge Compact Truck - Dakota

Domestic automakers have always done their best to provide an option for loyal buyers who require the functionality offered by a pickup truck but who simply can’t justify purchasing such a large, expensive to operate vehicle. Compact and mini-trucks first gained popularity in the 1980s with some car companies choosing the develop their own small truck platforms and others instead deciding to import these types of vehicles from foreign subsidiaries.

Dodge’s first real smaller-than-full-size offering was the Ram 50, a re-badged Mitsubishi mini-truck that provided a good-sized open cargo bed, available four-wheel drive and an economical 4-cylinder engine. While the Ram 50 worked fine as a stop-gap measure, Dodge realized that in order to compete with popular vehicles like the Ford Ranger they would have to engineer their own proprietary compact truck. In order to one-up the other small trucks on the market, Dodge released the 1987 Dakota as a mid-size truck, one which competed in the compact segment but which was longer, larger and more powerful than any of the other vehicles on sale at the time. The Dakota was also the first small truck to be available with a V-8 engine, providing the truck with level of exclusivity that separated it from its weaker competition.

The Dakota would continue to evolve throughout the 1990s and 2000s, gradually increasing in size, power and utility. Eventually, most other truck manufacturers caught on to the idea that the use of modern platforms would enable them to provide more interior room and better cargo capacity while still remaining within the compact class. The Dakota would see an influx of larger compact challengers as the 2000s wore on, particularly from Japanese companies like Nissan and Toyota, but the vehicle continued to hold its own as the brawny truck to beat in its class. This was largely thanks to Dodge’s commitment to continually update the vehicle’s aggressive styling as well as refine the engines offered for the platform.

This article takes a look at the most attractive generation of the best used compact truck from Dodge, the 1997 – 2004 Dodge Dakota. During this period of time the Dakota was still small enough to be considered a compact yet managed to offer extraordinary capabilities that vaulted it to the top of its class, making it a great option for those who don’t want to step up into a full-size truck.

1997 – 2004 Dodge Dakota

The 1997 – 2004 Dodge Dakota looks like nothing else in the compact truck market. Bearing an exterior appearance cribbed in large part from the big rig-inspired full-size Dodge Ram pickup, the Dakota’s styling adds in a dash of aerodynamics to give it a swept, bold fascia and muscular fender flanks. The Dodge Dakota is larger in every dimension than the small trucks it ostensibly competes with, and this is never clearer than when it is parked beside any of the offerings from Ford, GMC or Chevrolet.

Matching the long boxes and big cabs of the 1997 – 2004 Dodge Dakota’s many configurations are a range of powerful engines that also stand out when compared to other compact trucks. While a 4-cylinder motor was initially offered, it proved unpopular and was phased out in favor of V-6 and V-8 options. A 3.9-liter 6-cylinder engine that produced 175 horsepower was the most common engine option until it was replaced with a 210 horsepower 3.7-liter unit for the final year of production. The Dakota could also be outfitted with a 225 horsepower 5.2-liter V-8, but in 2000 this motor was superseded by a 230 horsepower 4.7-liter 8-cylinder that bore a more modern design. A special R/T edition of the truck was available from 1998 to 2003 bearing the same 5.9-liter V-8 engine that could be found in the full-size Dodge pickup, giving the Dakota a blistering 250 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque. A 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission can be fitted to any engine, and four-wheel drive is also an option.

The interior of the pickup can be equipped with roll-up windows and manual door locks or it can be decked out complete with a great CD player, Infinity sound system and an overheard information center, depending upon the whims of the buyer. Passenger room is good and the Crew Cab configuration provides real-world seating for adult passengers in the rear of the passenger compartment.

The 1997 – 2004 Dodge Dakota represents an outstanding value in the used compact truck segment thanks to its fantastic power and handsome styling.