The 2011 Ram Dakota. Image: Chrysler Group, LLC
If you like your utility not too big, but not too small, you’re about to have one less choice on the market. The last Dodge (actually, Ram) Dakota pickups will roll off of Chrysler’s Warren Truck Plant Line tomorrow, ending a production run of some 24 years. Spotty build quality and mechanical issues plagued the Dakota over much of its life, and owners seem to be divided into two camps: those who experienced no problems with their trucks and those who experienced nothing but problems from their trucks.
Despite this, Dodge once sold as many as 177,000 Dakota pickups annually, but sales have fallen off in recent years. In 2010, Ram sold just under 13,000 Dakota pickups, and the overall compact pickup truck market now accounts for less than five percent of new vehicle sales in the United States. Buyers seem to favor full-size trucks, which often cost the same (or even less) than their smaller brothers, while yielding greater versatility.
That’s not to say that Dodge is abandoning the compact truck market like Ford did with the demise of its Ranger pickup. Chrysler is planning a “lifestyle vehicle,” featuring unibody construction, to supplement the range of trucks available from Ram dealers.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Source: Detroit News, via Left Lane News
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
