TRX4 - Dodge Dakota 2010

Text and images by Michael A. Marrs

It could be considered the natural evolution of the pickup – the trucks get bigger and bigger until they almost seem ‘a waste’ for small jobs, having lost cost efficiency. Perhap for such reasons, the door was opened for the compact truck to develop a stronghold on the market place by having a reduced initial cost, and providing more fuel efficiency for those smaller jobs. And while the development of the ‘mini’ truck was well received by the market place, it was not long until evolution in the market began to look for something to fill the gap created between full size and compact truck. It was in this void that Dodge originally stepped up with the 1987 model Dakota – creating the first mid-size truck.

With a reputation developed over the years as a working man’s truck, the Ram – the truck company formerly known as Dodge Ram – not only led the mid-sized market creation for pickups, but maintained that same reputation for building a rugged vehicle in a smaller-than-big-yet- bigger-than-small package. It is a package that has continued to evolve during the years, providing more choices in options, sizes, and power along the way. There was even a run at the high performance truck market with the creation of the Dodge Dakota R/T.

For the 2010 model year, the Dakota comes only in two body designs, with the extended cab having two trim levels, and the crew cab having an additional two. There are two engine choices for the Dakota, as well as two transmission choices, so the choices are ‘simple’.

It even gets simpler with our test Dakota Crew Cab TRX4 4X4. This trim level comes with a standard package that includes the 4.7L engine which is the only engine under the Chrysler banner that actually mimics the 5.7L HEMI. With two spark plugs per cylinder, the engine is able to generate 302 horsepower, along with 329 lb.-ft of torque, and is proclaimed to provide better fuel economy.  On regular fuel, the TRX4 4X4 is rated at 14 mpg city, and 19 mpg highway. It should also be noted that this engine is capable of running on E85 ethanol fuel which allows the Flexible Fuel Vehicle designation to be applied. The 4.7L engine is combined with a 5-speed automatic that is the only choice for the TRX, and this configuration will handle up to 7,280 pounds towing, which provides best in class capabilities.

Along with the standard power train, the test TRX4 4X4 vehicle comes with several 4X4 related add-ons, both standard and optional. There are two skid plates, one to protect the electric Shift-on-the-fly Part Time transfer case, as well as a second plate to protect the fuel tank. There are heavy duty shock absorbers on all four corners, some heavy duty engine cooling provisions, and even a power steering cooler. The test vehicle also included several related options such as the trailer tow package, power 6×9 side mirrors, front tow hooks, and a Class IV trailer hitch. The TRX4 rolls on a set of 16X8 cast aluminum wheels from the factory that are wrapped in P265/70R16 off-road style rubber. There is a pair of fog lamps, and a black headlight bezel surrounded by chrome that contributes to the big aggressive look of the Dakota front end.

The interior of the TRX4 is also nicely packaged, with much of it in a seemingly sparse industrialized scheme that is in alignment with the Ram working truck design. However, other mid-size trucks have taken a more ‘soft’ approach to interior design and material…thoughts of SUV interior touches should come to mind. Ram does likes to boast about the biggest cab interior for a mid-size truck, with 37.1 cubic-feet of space available in the crew cab, which once again provides a best in class status. The power front buckets provide a truck like view that is comfortable and feels like a solid base for the driver and passenger. There is a center floor console that has removable cup holders that expose an electronics storage area for all those USB type carry on items. The rear seating area has a 60/40 split bench arrangement, with a unique under seat storage system that can be configured several different ways to accommodate ‘stuff’. On the dash, the white faced gauges are large round units located directly in front of the driver, and very easy to see. There is also plenty of interior storage, with an open storage area located above the glove box for those quick throw downs, or even an order of french fries for anyone that called shotgun. The dash center stack houses the optional media center package the test vehicle was equipped with – CD/DVD/HDD/NAV Radio, along with a 30 GB hard drive. Tied into this is the optional Premium Sound Group that provides 6 Alpine speakers, and a 276-Watt amp that will let the audio system provide some quality sounds within the cab, as well as some just plain ‘ol loud sound when required. The audio system includes the steering wheel mounted controls, which seems to becoming standard Detroit features. In the Dakota however, the audio controls are on the back side of the steering wheel. Out’a sight, out’a mind until an errant figure stretch on the leather wrapped steering wheel found something new. This arrangement is easy finger access on each side once it is actually located, without changing the grip, but it does reading the directions and a little experimentation to be consistent. You can’t see what is what – volume, channel, up, down. More than once, an attempt to crank up the volume for a late night sing along, found Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefers suddenly sounding like the Grateful Dead.

The standard safety equipment on the TRX4 mimics the Ram reputation with Advanced Multistage Front Airbags, Tire Pressure Monitoring, and Anti-lock brakes. There are several ‘security’ features on the test vehicle, with the standard Security Alarm and the Sentry key Theft Deterrent System getting supplemented with the optional Extra Security Package – which is where the Supplemental Side-curtain front and rear airbags are hidden for some reason.

The TRX4 4X4 provides an option to a full sized truck, with power for towing, power for off-road, and plenty of power for road tunes. The interior is large enough that even when the shotgun rider is along, and the rear seat is filled with precious cargo, a family day trip to the coast is fully within the realm of possibilities. As tested, the Dakota Crew Cab TRX4 4X4 has a base price of $31,365, and with options, rolls out at $35,935.00 in a brilliant Mango Tango Pearl color.