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2005 Dodge Dakota Club Cab 4X4 Laramie Edition Road Test

A 6-Foot, 6-Inch Tanning Bed?

I love trucks, and I dont know where my fondness stems from. My family has never owned any, nor are they planning to purchase one in this lifetime. Sedans are the Straubs vehicle of choice. But I am the odd one out here, since I like going to the dentist, my favorite flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans is buttered popcorn and I live for Formula 1 races every second weekend. Im not your average female.

I recently acquired my undergraduate degree from university after a few long, stressful years and what did I do? Go out and party? No. Go shopping? No. I went out for sushi, bought myself a nice, big chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cone (I splurged

I love trucks, and I dont know where my fondness stems from. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)
because of the special occasion and because its my favorite kind of ice cream in the world), and went home and washed my 2005 Dodge Dakota Laramie Club Cab 4X4 loaner.

Yes, it was a beautiful sunny day, and the Dakota had accumulated a fine film of pollen, so I washed it. Oddly enough, I couldnt have pictured myself doing anything else. After I shammied and wiped the truck down,

The bed of the pickup doubled as my own personal beach on a particularly hot afternoon. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)
its lustrous Atlantic Blue Pearl Coat was sparkling again. And when the bed dried, I grabbed my patio furniture cushions, laid them out, and lounged in "bed" under the hot rays thinking how relieved I was not to have to study anymore, or at least not for the time being. Again, I suppose Im not the average female.

But the all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota is not your average midsize truck either. Offering not one, but two V8 engine choices, two

The all-new 2005 Dodge Dakota is not your average midsize truck. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)
cab styles, five trim levels and a list of great standard features, the completely redesigned Dakota offers a wide variety of configurations for the truck buyer. My tester was the club cab, with small rear-hinged secondary doors on each side. While both the club cab and quad cab feature four doors, the former models rear access doors can only be opened when the front doors are open, the same setup as on my Toyota Tacoma tester not too long ago.

My test Dakota came with the base V8 engine, the 4.7-liter, 16-valve, SOHC, Magnum with five-speed automatic

My test Dakota came with the 4.7-liter, 16-valve, SOHC, Magnum V8. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)
transmission that produces 230-horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. An optional 4.7-liter, High Output V8 producing 260 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque is available for those who want the extra grunt, or on the other hand, a non-Laramie version of the truck can be purchased with a base 3.7-liter V6 with 210-horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque.

I felt my testers 230 horses and 290 lb-ft of torque were all that was needed and more when it came to city driving. Being an inexperienced off-roader, I didnt venture off the paved streets, nor did I tow the boat that I dont have, so its hard for me to say how amazing this truck is

The Dakota had a nice ride on smooth, straight roads, but as soon as the pavement became uneven, or there were potholes or bumps, I felt it. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press)
at such duties without experiencing all of its capabilities first hand. But more and more people are purchasing trucks, not just as practical boat-towers, stuff-haulers or off-roaders, but for driving around the city. While I really like a good-looking, boat-hauling, off-roading truck, I am not in a field where its practicality would be put to the test on a regular basis. But as a city truck, its pretty good.

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