2008 Dodge Dakota Exterior Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 48 Dakota reviews and test drives.
Exterior - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Dodge Dakota's styling is more appealing thanks to this year's redesign, but the truck still trails the Nissan Frontier and Chevrolet Colorado for visual appeal. Car and Driver calls it "a more fetching, more refined, and decidedly handsomer mug, one that recalls the cheeky smugness of the first- and second-generation Dakotas."
The most extensive difference with the new model is the front end, which Car and Driver describes as a "dramatic transformation." BusinessWeek likes the Dakota's "highly distinctive front end, with an in-your-face grille featuring a big ram emblem in the middle" and compares it favorably to the Tacoma's blander face. Kelley Blue Book describes the exterior changes this way: "While maintaining the aggressive styling that has become a Dodge trademark, the 2008 Dakota is angular where its previous generation was rounded."
There are minor differences between the Dakota's many trim levels, "but none is ugly, and all are much, much better than the '07 models they replace," says Car and Driver. That reviewer prefers the Dakota Sport, "which is available with trick black-painted 18-inch wheels that could have come right off a SEMA show rack." While the Extended Cab models of the Dodge Dakota feature two small rear-hinged doors, Crew Cabs are outfitted with four independent, standard-size doors.
