| From | Message |
AnyIdea
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/05/2005
18:49:57
|
 Subject: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Im planning to buy either a dakota or a tacoma what do you recommend
|
Guess
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/05/2005
19:50:25
|  RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Since this is a Dakota site, guess which one?
|
killurself
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/05/2005
19:54:27
|  RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
yeah thats the idea kid go to a completely bias site and ask a reall informative question.
you could at least specify cc, 4x4 , auto , v8 ,4 banger!
|
Hammerdak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/05/2005
20:14:59
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Look at them both in the configuration that you expect to be buying them in.
Compare price and warranty.
Test drive both and park both in your drive or garage or where ever you park daily.
Make sure the truck fits all aspects of your needs.
( I could not go full-size without redoing my driveway to get the second car past and into the garage..something most people don't consider during a test drive)
Remember Toyota parts are more expensive but I'd expect you will not need as many as with the Dakota.
That's a tough call because you can't see the future any better than I can.
If you plan on reselling in under 6 years the Toy will hold it's value better.
If you plan to drive it "forever" the Dodge will probably have better used-parts availability 10 plus years down the road.
See ....it's really an easy decision ...isn't it?
|
GraphiteDak
GenIII
2/06/2005
00:48:13
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
What made me think of the Dakota was that I saw a Quad Cab fit inside a standard two car garage at a customer's house. She showed me how the rear doors opened a full 90 degrees and how roomy it was for what you would think, seeing how most mid sized trucks are typically (S-10, Ranger, Toyota).
Plus what else gives you a 1/2 ton drive train (V8, tranny, rear diff) in a more compact size?
Today we towed our ATV's to go riding. Got two more for the kids. Now I'm pulling 4 of them. Three in the trailer and one in the bed.
Said to the wife that i could "feel" the added weight. Still not a problem though.
She says a typical blonde comment "...see. You should have got a full size Dodge 4 door". I'm like. "How would that help? The Hemi wasn't really out and the Cummins doesn't come in a 1/2 ton so I'd have the SAME power" LOL!
The truck has no problem towing what so ever. I can always do better than the speed limit on any hill.
|
Kowalski
GenIII
2/06/2005
09:23:16
|  RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
I've had both, you can see my choice...
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
MythBuster
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
10:45:26
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
I don’t buy into the urban legend that Toyota trucks are all that much better than Dodge trucks when it comes to quality. I know statistics show Japanese vehicles to me less troublesome overall compared to domestics, but that is misleading. Why? Because the majority of Jap vehicles sold here are usually basic, no frills models. 5 speed, crank windows, manual everything as opposed to domestic vehicles which are usually more loaded. Therefore there is simply less to go wrong with a more basic vehicle. Kind of like a Cadillac vs. a Corrola….which one is going to have a heated seat or power trunk go out or climate control go on the fritz?
If Toyota’s are so good then why do they have a service department at their dealers? Should be no need for them. According to legend I’d expect to go into a Toyota service garage and see all the mechanics sitting around playing cards or something.
I work with a guy that drives a Tacoma and his wiper motor went out. He couldn’t find one anywhere but at the Toyota dealer…cost him $450. He also needed a leaking water pump replaced last summer…$750 (timing belt runs the pump).
Another guy I work with drives a Tundra and a universal joint went out…he wouldn’t tell how much it cost him so it must him been high. He’s driving it right now with a cracked exhaust manifold (out of warranty), sounds like crap. The Toyota dealer told him it’d cost about $600 to replace it. Point is, you can have problems with all types of vehicles. There is nothing “magical” about Toyotas, some are good, some are bad, just like anything else.
And before someone jumps in and says so and so got a billion miles out of their Toyota without even needing an oil change or something, the highest mileage car in North America ever documented was a 1963 Dodge taxi : http://www.allpar.com/model/fury.html
I personally got 302,000 mi out of my old 1990 Dodge Dynasty (3.3) without ever having to tear into the motor before it finally succumbed to the road salt here in NW PA. I did it by changing the oil every 3k miles and changing the trans fluid (type 7176) every 30k.
I did a quick check of TSB’s on some 2002 trucks for an example. I was surprised to find that the Dakota appears to have less TSB’s than any I checked.
Toyota has more than Dodge and look at the Chevy trucks, check out them if you think we have it bad. But according to legend, Toyota shouldn’t have had any TSB’s…
2002 Dodge Dakota - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/17/021796EQ.html
2002 Dodge Ram - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/17/021778EQ.html
2002 Toyota Tundra - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/60/026023AD.html
2002 Toyota Tacoma - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/60/026049AC.html
2002 Chevy 1500 - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/11/021136GC.html
2002 Chevy S10 - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/11/021113GO.html
2002 Ford F150 - http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/022076DA.html
2002 Ford Sport Trac -http://www.alldata.com/TSB/20/022071DC.html
|
Justi
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
11:02:06
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Hey Mythbuster. I'm not saying I agree or disagree with anything you're saying, but I will say excellent post. You stated your opinion and then backed up it with examples and reference data. Actually enjoyed your post, thanks for it.
As far as Dakotas. I have an '03 QC 4x4 w/ 4.7 and 5 speed auto. I've had a few very minor problems (bad intermediate shaft, door seals were replaced, etc.) and the engine has a whine when cold that I simply can't get rid of. Dodge service (at my dealer anyway) isn't very impressive. They have no desire to get rid of the whine and any other repairs are like pulling teeth. THAT SAID, I still love my truck. There isn't a single time I park it that I don't turn around to check it out and admire it's good looks and aggressive stance. The room I have available in it compared to an S-10, Ranger, Colorado, etc is unparralelled. I sold a 94 4x4 F150 to buy this and the smaller yet still functional Dakota is a joy to drive and fit anywhere. So, would I buy another Dakota? I don't know. If not it would be more due to Dodge Service than any actual faults with their vehicles. But I do know that I'll keep this one a very long time and enjoy it with no regrets.
|
Patriot QC
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
15:54:32
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
My theory on Toyotas dependability record is this: When was the last time that you saw a Tacoma doing any real work? People buy the Toy truck knowing that it's limits are far below that of a Dakota in the realm of heavy towing/hauling. The same can be said of the Tundra and now, the Titan in relation to the Ram/Chevy/Ford brands. I wanna see a fifth-wheel on the back of one of these "full size" trucks. When that starts to happen, you can rest assured that their dependability record will be tarnished. Out the window will go their 200K+ mile trouble free bragging rights. People buy domestic when they have a big job to do. Bottom line!
|
scott1981
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
16:44:11
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
myth,
Great post! made me feel better about my dakota. Sometimes all the people on this board downing the dakota make me worried about its reliablity myself. then again mine has been trouble free for almost 10k miles and a blast to drive on and offroad
|
dodge man
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
17:07:41
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
would that whine be the clutch fan?
|
MythBuster
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/06/2005
19:51:54
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Patriot QC…you make a very good point. I live in rural NW PA and there are a lot of farmers around here. I have yet to see one using a Toyota on a farm. When it comes to pulling horse trailers or stacking the beds full of hay bails while pulling a hay wagon or any real work like that all I see are Fords, Chevy’s and Dodges. In fact, the Cummins powered Dodges seem to be a favorite of many farmers when real pulling is needed. When was the last time anyone has seen a “full sized” Japanese trucks converted to a tow truck or a tilt bed or being used by the forest or a street/highway dept? I think most Japanese truck buyers are city or suburban dwellers and the most work they seem to do is hauling 3 bags of wood mulch or maybe a coffee table on an occasional basis.
Justi….As for Dodge dealer’s service I know many of them suck, but so do many other types of dealers. I’m fortunate enough to have a decent one in my area. I will add that back in the late 80’s I bought a new Chevy and the GM dealer I bought it from was absolutely horrific to deal with. That was my last GM product so I understand where you are coming from.
Scott1981…Glad to hear you are enjoying your Dak. You have to remember that most people who post to these types of boards are having problems and that’s why they are here complaining. Doesn’t matter what type of board you go to, most people aren’t going to go there and post to tell everyone things are going great. This will give you a perception sometimes that a product is problem prone when in all reality you’re not hearing from the vast majority that are satisfied with it.
BTW…I noticed a typo in my earlier post, I meant to say 1963 Plymouth instead of Dodge…same thing though. If I recall that same story when it came out about 5 years ago the taxi was powered by a slant 6 engine. I imagine 2 million km’s on a taxi would have been brutal too. It’s not like they’d have been highway miles either. Stop and go traffic with lots of idling that wouldn’t have been counted on the clock, along with Quebec winters to boot.
|
see the light
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/07/2005
00:33:06
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
if you only care about a v8 or large towing capacity then buy a dak... although I would buy a full size p/u if thats all I was looking for and skip the dak with its bad service history.
However if you want a much more reliable, better made, better designed truck then by all means buy a toyota truck. much better resale value, more confidence and peace of mind. You don't have to go any further to see which is a better truck. Just check out this forum .... LOTS of posts of dak owners crying about their problems and dislikes of their dakotas.... you don't see that on toyota forums. At least not at the same level (not even close) of owners complaining about their trucks as you do here. dak owners are their own worst enemy when trying to defend their daks reputation as compared to toyota's nuff said
Signed,
a former dak owner that saw the light.....
|
GB2000
GenIII
2/07/2005
02:18:10
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Unfortunately see the light only saw the light after briefly removing his head from his @ss...notice it's back up there again.
Check this out:
Toyota Truck Forum - http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/f22
I see a lot of Toyota owners with problems too...like people have mentioned above, everything has problems. I would look into some of what Mythbuster posted. Unlike certain people here...he posted his opinions with facts. Look into some em and they can help you make your decision. Personally I would buy Dodge...but that's because I've never driven a Tacoma. Do some reading...some test driving...etc and make your decision. If you decide on a Dakota then don't forget about this website...or if you live in Ohio, feel free to join us on mine. http://www.ohiodakotas.net. Sorry...had to make a lil plug:)
Josh
|
RIC2000Quad
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/07/2005
17:38:56
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
I've had this discussion with some other people before. I'm 21 and people around my age getting trucks talk about tacomas, but 3 weeks ago I got a dakota. I sat in a tacoma and was like, this is REALLY small. Everything about it was small. My dakota quad cab can carry a full load of passengers VERY comfortably and on top of it we can load the bed down and still just cruise on down the road, just to name some things people with small trucks complain about. Everything about the dakota is bigger but still handles great, turns sharp, and kicks all on the ice during the winter, just to name a few things people with full size trucks complain about.
The dakota really is an impressive all around type of truck. If you specifically want "this or that", the tacoma will give you better mileage, but if you wanted 25-30 mpg, why would you consider a truck your choice? If you just want a truck for looks, or carrying not much of anything, I guess get a toyota; but if your're thinking about having to put any weight on it, or carry more than one passenger, get the dakota definately, well unless your passengers are really little, always.
As far as them breaking down, do normal people just not do their maintenence, or are they just the ones who post on forums, lol? Man the mileage on 3 of our vehicles read 185k, 250k, and 305k, and the are all different manufacturers and different types of vehicles. They don't ever die, the owners just get lazy, lol.
|
M. Jackson
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/07/2005
18:04:16
|  RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
I like little passengers.
|
GB2000
GenIII
2/07/2005
18:24:16
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
M. Jackson...that is so wrong...lol
|
RIC2000Quad
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/08/2005
13:07:19
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
on a side note, the dakota doesn't look as anorexic, it looks more, well fed, and like it hits the weights pretty hard. Chevy's kinda look like pudgy people. And somehow nissans manage to actually LOOK foreign. Dodge trucks are just so distinct and have to much cosmetic appeal, unless you're attracted to little passengers apparently, then the larger than normal size is a little intimidating. I'm not sure if its... a correct fit.
|
Its Simple
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/08/2005
13:54:05
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Dodge trucks are for people who have a high school diploma or less and for racist redneck trailer park dwellers, of which there are many on this board.
When one views the subject objectively, the Tacoma is a better value because it is more soundly engineered, built to higher quality standards, holds it's value and carries the legendary Toyota name.
Dakotas are owned by people who think a drop in filter and a set of AutoLite plugs will shave 8 seconds off the quarter mile. In other words, Dodges are for retards. A person who purchases a Tacoma has a life and needs the truck for a purpose in that life, not as a penis extension for some 16 year old farm hand who can't scrape together the money for a quality product.
If you have the cash and don't want to piss around with changing ball joints, warped rotors, belly pan gaskets, oil sludge and a truck that will be worth next to nothing a year after you buy it, get the Taco.
|
yup
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/08/2005
14:05:17
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Trying to justify that you bought a piece of crap toyota? Figures you would mention penis's while trying to pump up your shattered ego. Just too funny!
|
girl parts
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/08/2005
14:09:04
| RE: Dakota VS. Tacoma
IP: Logged
Message:
Taco... Another name for camel toe.
|
| | P 1 Next Page>> |
