1997 Dodge Dakota // Motoring TV Classics

Every now and then Graeme gets an urge to climb into a pick-up truck and that was the case 23 years ago with the Dakota.
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16mm Film Reel Sound Effect from freesound - freesound.org/s/198838/
(The segment originally aired on Motoring TV 1997 Episode #14)

[@iMernerner]

Most handsome Dakota. One of the most handsome pickup

[@joelhenderson4450]

These were great rigs. Nothing out there today to fill its brief.

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

Maybe not with a V8, but there's still mid size pickups like the V6 (and reasonably powerful 4 cylinder) Tacoma, Canyon/Colorado, 4 cyl. EcoBoost Ranger, the V6 Frontier, Gladiator, and Ridgeline. Some of those can even be had with a diesel, which the Dakota never had. Today's smaller engines are more powerful and torquey than yesterday's V8 engines.

[@SouthshoreVice]

1 out of every 5 of these has a black primer paintjob and monster energy stickers now

[@adamoneale4396]

Hey, thanks. I've been looking for ideas

[@bradenlove8968]

Mine has a monster sticker from the previous owner

[@BabyJesus420]

i got a 97 with a vape shop sticker from last owner smh

[@fredkemp1444]

I have had four 2wd Dakotas. 97,98,02,and 03. All with the V6. Great driving, easy to maintain. I love them. Currently have a rusty 1998 with 191,000 miles on the odometer runs awesome. Sold my 03 running great with 275,000 miles. I am hoping in the near future to find a nice rust free 1998 to purchase.

[@bigfootswatching9986]

I have a super nice 99 5.2 Dakota 4wd Ext less than 101k on it.

[@TheDudeVT]

I just got a 2003 Dakota 4.7 V8 4 door quad cab with 75K on it! It was my grandfather's and he traded my Mazda 3 car for the truck!

[@fateunknown834]

I love my Dakota. I have a 2003 4 door with the 4.7. Brought up to Ohio from Florida with a 60k jasper motor. Zero rust in pristine condition

[@jakey20022]

DODGE stuffed the 5.9 liter in an R/T package 2wd sport truck that was plain and simple FAST 😁😁😁😁

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

Yeah, those old skool compact and mid size 2WD sport trucks were pretty cool and ahead of their time, like the Dakota R/T, GMC Cyclone, and of course, the full size F150 Lightening, Chevy 454 SS...

[@MidnightPolaris800]

I loved my 98 rt single cab and many other dakotas i had

[@MandusahRamirez]

I still see a lot of these on the road

[@trevormay6651]

I got one

[@movementonwheels]

Yes they are more common than the s10

[@c0ldb0i16]

I have a 97 Dakota 4x4 5.2 v8 317000 km on her and still take it on road trips from bc to Saskatchewan! Never skips a beat! Starts every time! Has a small rear main seal leak but that’s expected for an older truck. I’m completely in love with it! The 5.2 sounds so good and isn’t completely terrible on gas. Even with the kilometres I’d still drive it anywhere knowing it won’t break down

[@jakey20022]

When everyone else was building midsize trucks with v6s Dodge was putting in v8s and the 360 cubic inch 5.9 liter in their midsize truck.

[@Thatlowdsg]

When he says over 20mpg he isn't kidding. After owning a 98' 3.9 for half a year I am surprised how good of mpg it gets.

[@reallyrandomrides1296]

I always thought that was a nice looking, good sized pickup, although it used almost as much gas as the full sized Ram. Nice that you could still get a bench seat with column shift for best use of space and seating. I still see a lot of this generation Dakota on the road, though most are beat up and often rusted out. Crazy how mid-sized pickups were so popular, then became unpopular, though Toyota is killing it with their mid-size Tacoma these days, but there are still people buying the Frontier, Gladiator, Canyon/Colorado, Ranger and Ridgeline, so I guess they're making a comeback.

[@esperago]

About the gas... yep. And this reviewer guy is wrong about the gas mileage between the V6 and V8 engines. Theoretically, the 6 uses less BUT in reality, the 6 is underpowered, which means two main things: 1) for stop and go city driving, to get the truck up to speed with driving like a grannie, you have to put the pedal down, which means significant gas usage. 2) when towing or hauling, the V6 has to work so hard that it burns way to much gas and would have been more reasonable to get the V8, struggle less and have a much smoother experience with very much the same gas mileage. Those are my thoughts. I drove a 1998 V6 Dakota for about four years, from 1998 onward.

[@Alvin_Schnitzelnazi]

@@esperago Interesting! Does that also apply to the 3.7?

[@chucktaylor4384]

It burns less fuel than the V8!?!? What truck they driving!! I get 17 GALLONS to the mile in mine lol

[@smob6969]

86. Makes me 35. And I owned currently a 97 Dakota 5.2. Sir that gas mileage is nonexistent 😆. And you put cold air throttle body spacer flowmaster exhaust over sized tires yeah like 14. 24 years old though. A/c works the heat works power windows and locks works. Really wish it had 4 disk brake. And a 5 speed 4x4.

[@jasonstewart8973]

Thats what i like man just pull it down an go

[@benjaminvasey8441]

The things he mentioned need to be fixed, Dodge fixed in later years. I have a 2004 4x4 and it has rack and pinion steering, brake discs on all four corners, shift lock, and the 4.7 v8 is necessary with a quad cab

[@eazy-ttj2798]

My dakota 5.2 hauls ass especially with a new race exhaust

[@yukmouth1324]

What does it mean when the "security" light stays on and truck will not start? There is no spark 97 Dakota 5.2L 4x4

[@sgarn1]

$28K new? They did not hold their value at all. Nice little trucks though

[@dabnisbrickey6527]

They're almost 30 years old?

[@rainmaker3700]

28K?? LOL I paid $23,500 for my 2001 Quad Cab, someone got bent over! ;)

[@Just1American1966]

Many factors play parts in pricing. Market location (which can affect delivery fees) and options such as 2WD vs 4WD, V8 vs V6, and trim packages (ST, SLT, etc) all affected prices. The 28K price sounds about right for a west-coast state and a Quad Cab SLT equipped with both 4WD and the 5.2L engine.