Dodge Dakota owners?

Good lookin' truck! Looks like it's in super shape. It will be a great canvas for your art!
I am a fan of the Dakota since we got our '04 new. Only 65,000 miles ago after more than 7 years. The V6 with a shell on the back gets 17-18 mpg at NJ highway speed, 72 mph or greater. It does a little better a 55 or so. it will be interesting to see what the B8 does. As a TV those extra horses will make a big difference.

I wish we could get the high milage towing the pod, iamsmonk! But we're stuck at the typical 10-11mpg towing at 60-63. I had hoped the shell would make a difference, but it seems that the Rpod bulk front is too much too pull through the air. A truck with a shell, a minivan and a SUV all have a similar profile going throughnthe air. Anyway, I'm stuck filing the gas tank every 150 miles like everybody else. Our shell was 1100 here in NJ where everything is higher. We got it to use to haul camping gear before the Rpod. So far, knock on wood, we haven't had anything disappear from it, even when I leave it parked for a week at the airport. With the shell we now still carry a 'camp kitchen' setup I made abou 30 years ago and have used ever since, so we don't cook in the trailer. Plus a lot of other gear that doesn't need to be stowed in the pod. Making a long story here...so enjoy your new truck... (I will say mine is quick off the line with the V6, with the V8, it should be a real rabbit!!)

You know, that's an excellent question.  For quite some time I felt I would go with an F-150.  My preference would have been another Ranger, but knew I needed the 8 cylinder engine to pull the pod where we wanted to go.  And my Ranger was such a good truck.  So I started looking for 150's.  Actually drove a couple.  Did some searching at carmax.com.  Found an F-150 there but by the time I was ready to go look at it, it was gone!  But while searching carmax.com, I kept running into this Dakota.  Seemed like everytime I did a search, this Dakota kept popping up, almost like fate or something!  So last Saturday I drove yet another 150 and the salesman was your TYPICAL car salesman.  I drove off the lot without the truck.  Wound up driving about 125 miles to look at 2 more trucks then wound up at Carmax.  The salesman said he could get the Dakota transferred from it's location (about 2 hours away) at no cost to me, within a couple of days.  I naturally said ok.  I went Tuesday and drove it.  Pretty much fell in love with it.  I loved the size, much closer to my Ranger.  I never really WANTED a full size truck but felt I NEEDED one. But the specs between the Dakota and 150 were so close it was a non factor.  The price may have been a bit higher than expected, but not much for my region.  And I honestly feel like I got a better truck for my money.  Physically it is in excellent condition.  I learned that they really go over and service there cars before they go on the lot. It came with a 5 day money back guarantee.  If I'm not happy with it for ANY reason they will give me a full refund.  It comes with a 30 warantee.  None of the dealers around here will do that for a truck that age.  They offered an extended warantee, which I bought for a very reasonable price.  They also gave me a VERY fair price for my Ranger.  It truly was the best car buying experience I've ever had.  Absolutly NO pressure.  Everyone in the store was super nice, but not overly nice, if you know what I mean.  I talked to one of the service guys about Dodge Dakotas in general and he was quite helpful and knowledgeable.  They have a service department there (which I did not know before hand) and I can take the truck back there for oil changes, tires or any other mechanical problems I may have.  I really can't say enough nice things about Carmax, I know I'm begining to sound like a commercial.  Now after driving the truck back and forth to work a few days, I'm even happier with my decision to get the Dakota.  I just can't wait to pull the pod with it for the first time.  Hopefully that will be next weekend.

I had a Dakota about 8 years ago. It was a V6 and a good truck. It never gave me problems. I'm sure the V8 makes it a great tow vehicle. I would also think because it's a little smaller than a full-size that you'll get a little better gas mileage during regular driving.