Tuesday, January 6th, 2009
By all available indications, the best 4×4 Dodge truck is the Dakota in all of its incarnations. The Dodge Dakota has been a favorite since its inception. For purposes of this article, we are going to discuss the specifications of the 2007 Dodge Dakota truck, which is a favorite because it is the only pickup truck in its class which offers a V8 engine. Those who drive and rely on pickup trucks appreciate this because, in general, especially for people who have to use a truck for their jobs, they are hauling and towing a lot of heavy loads. A powerful engine comes in handy for this, but according to numerous reviews of the 2007 Dakota, this vehicle is advantageous for many more reasons.
The 2007 Dakota is considered a high quality Dodge truck 4×4 in part because of its engine; even standard, it comes with a 3.7 liter Magnum V6 engine which features two hundred and ten horsepower at 5200 rpm, with two hundred and thirty five pounds per feet of torque at 4000 rpm. There is also the option for the High Output 4.7 liter V8 engine, which is considered one of the best engines currently on the market. It creates two hundred and sixty horsepower and three hundred and ten pounds per feet of torque. Given the fact that most truck fans utilize their trucks to haul heavy loads and to tow strenuous items, this kind of engine power is not only required but thought to be the highest possible standard. It offers fifteen miles per gallon for city driving and nineteen miles per gallon for highway driving.
The 2007 Dodge Dakota is also praised for the way it handles and its braking capabilities. It comes with rack and pinion steering as well as highly developed hydroformed rails on the chassis. This allows for a solid driving experience and maneuverability, which again, makes it a good choice of Dodge truck 4×4 for those drivers who rely on their trucks to tow or haul extremely heavy loads and cargo. It has also been ranked on several lists as producing the best gas mileage for a mid sized pickup truck. In general, it is always in the ranking on top five lists, usually falling somewhere between the number two position and the number four positions. The Environmental Protection Agency plays an important role in determining gas mileage, as does the amount of miles per gallon a truck gets for city and highway driving.
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Friday, October 10th, 2008
By all available indications, the best 4×4 is the Dakota in all of its incarnations. The Dodge Dakota has been a favorite since its inception. 2007 Dodge Dakota truck, which is a favorite because it is the only pickup truck in its class which offers a V8 engine. Those who drive and rely on pickup trucks appreciate this because, in general, especially for people who have to use a truck for their jobs, they are hauling and towing a lot of heavy loads. A powerful engine comes in handy for this, but according to numerous reviews of the 2007 Dakota, this vehicle is advantageous for many more reasons.
The 2007 Dodge Dakota is considered a high quality 4×4 pickup trucks for sale in part because of its engine; even standard, it comes with a 3.7 liter Magnum V6 engine which features two hundred and ten horsepower at 5200 rpm, with two hundred and thirty five pounds per feet of torque at 4000 rpm. There is also the option for the High Output 4.7 liter V8 engine, which is considered one of the best engines currently on the market. It creates two hundred and sixty horsepower and three hundred and ten pounds per feet of torque. Given the fact that most truck fans utilize their trucks to haul heavy loads and to tow strenuous items, this kind of engine power is not only required but thought to be the highest possible standard. It offers fifteen miles per gallon for city driving and nineteen miles per gallon for highway driving.
The 2007 Dodge Dakota is also praised for the way it handles and its braking capabilities. It comes with rack and pinion steering as well as highly developed hydroformed rails on the chassis. This allows for a solid driving experience and maneuverability, which again, makes it a good choice of Dodge truck 4×4 for those drivers who rely on their trucks to tow or haul extremely heavy loads and cargo. It has also been ranked on several lists as producing the best gas mileage for a mid sized pickup truck. In general, it is always in the ranking on top five lists, usually falling somewhere between the number two position and the number four positions. The Environmental Protection Agency plays an important role in determining gas mileage, as does the amount of miles per gallon a truck gets for city and highway driving.
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Thursday, September 11th, 2008
The gas prices are going on increasing and the economy is also faltering and there seems to be no end to this. An increasing number of states are already seeing prices that are in danger of skyrocketing right past five dollars per gallon. As such, it is vitally important to find the pickup truck that give us the best mileage; our wallets practically demand it. Truthfully, whether you want to buy a car, a truck, or an SUV, getting the best gas mileage for your money is crucial. This is especially true for pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles, however, because they generally haul heavier loads. Trying to haul anything heavy with a truck that gets poor gas mileage is financially disastrous, so you simply have to take the time to find a vehicle with good mileage.
In the world of pickup trucks, there are small ones and standard ones. In both cases, gas mileage is determined in large part by standards and guidelines imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as how many miles they get per gallon of gas for highway driving and city driving. If you are trying to find the best gas mileage pickup truck for a small truck, the top five are as follows: Ford Ranger, for a variety of years, is usually ranked as the highest, it is a two wheel drive truck with a 4 cyl, 2.3 liter engine. Next up is the Mazda B2300, followed by the Toyota Tacoma with a 4 cyl, 2.7 liter engine. The fourth ranked small pickup truck with the best gas mileage is the Chevrolet Colorado with a 2.9 liter engine, followed by the GMC Canyon, which has similar specs.
For standard pickups, a lot of the top ranked manufacturers are decidedly different. In the top spot is the Dodge Dakota with a 6 cylinder, 3.7 liter engine, followed by the Mitsubishi Raider, also a 6 cylinder with a 3.7 liter engine. In third place is the Chevrolet Silverado; it has an 8 cyl, 5.3 liter engine. Following that is the GMC Sierra, which has a 4.3 liter engine, and last, there is the Honda Ridgeline, which is a four wheel drive truck with a 6 cylinder, 3.5 liter engine. Basically, in order to find the best gas mileage pickup truck, you simply have to be informed. Do some research on the Internet and practice comparison shopping.
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Monday, September 1st, 2008
The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is a four-door, five-passenger, midsize pickup truck. It was unique when it first appeared in 2000, but today it must compete with midsize four-door pickups from every major player. Essentially a Ford Explorer with a pickup bed, the Sport Trac offers plenty of room inside for people and out back for cargo. It comes standard with a 4.0-liter V6 that makes 210 horsepower, and a 292-hp V8 is optional. Both engines are available with rear- or four-wheel drive. With the V8, the Sport Trac offers power near the top of the class. The power is delivered smoothly, but isn’t as responsive in passing maneuvers as some might wish. The Sport Trac’s high ride height means the ride quality gets a bit busy over potholed or broken pavement, but otherwise, the ride is smooth, thanks in part to an independent rear suspension that also aids handling. Directional stability is good, steering response is quick, and body lean is well controlled for a heavy vehicle.
Inside, the Sport Trac has easy-to-read instruments and nice materials. Unfortunately, the door pulls are strangely positioned, making them hard to operate for some. Room, on the other hand, is plentiful front and rear. The bed offers decent room and some unique storage bins, but those who haul a lot of cargo regularly will want a more traditional pickup. After benefiting from a redesign for 2007, the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac adds more standard features and additional optional equipment. The most notable new feature, available on late-2008 models, is Ford’s Sync communications and entertainment system. New standard features include fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power rear window, a drop-in storage bin, and side curtain airbags. The optional navigation system offers voice activation for 2008.
This limited edition 4×4 pickup truck comes standard with automatic headlights, six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, leather-wrapped shift knob, keyless entry keypad, auto-dimming rearview mirror. Sundry exterior trim pieces that are painted black on the XLT change to body color or silver on the Limited. The 2008 Sport Trac is considerably longer than the Explorer. Wheelbase and overall length are both almost 17 inches longer. Thus, while the Explorer is the more people-oriented of the two, the Sport Trac’s longer wheelbase promises a less choppy, more controlled ride. Curious. The Dodge Dakota Quad Cab is the only other midsize pickup to exceed the Sport Trac in wheelbase and overall length, and by less than an inch in wheelbase. Of the remaining four-door, short-bed, midsize pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado, the Honda Ridgeline, the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma measure between three and four inches shorter overall.
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Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
For a V-8 full-sized pick-up truck this may not have been so much a chore, but we were using a compact-pickup with a small V-8 in its place. People were a bit skeptical at first, to say the least, to tow a rig over 1200 miles in something less than a full-size. However, The Dodge Dakota, which comes with a 5.2 Liter “Magnum” V-8 performs admirably in the worst conditions. Flat-towing any vehicle is hard enough, but put it on a rented U-Haul flatbed trailer, the pounds add up quickly. Take it through the steepest of mountain grades, through the spans of an open and barren desert and through blizzard like conditions with frozen and icy roads. It responds really well.
The interior of this Sport model Club Cab is a bit lackluster with no power options except for steering and brakes (power windows, locks and keyless remote entry available by option), but the other options makes it well worth its weight in gold. A 230 horsepower, 300 lb-ft of torque Magnum 5.2 Liter mill and a 6-speaker Chrysler / Infinity sound system that absolutely “booms” makes any long trip comfortable and blithe. The interior fit and finish is a perfect ten and the large knobs on the dash are well placed and accommodates the largest, gloved hands.
The cloth high-back bucket seats, floor and overhead consoles and a near perfectly engineered dash puts the icing on the cake and allows us to forget the power goodies typically associated with a decked vehicle. Lastly, the interior room is a real bonus. Front seat people enjoy lots of legroom, head and hip room and elbowroom. The back seat section in the Dakota is really large. But not large enough to accommodate two full size men, but still large. The exterior is a typical Dodge. Smooth geometric lines coupled with an aggressive stance and its now classic grill and front fenders is a real bonus to the Dodge Ram lovers.
Driving the Dakota Sport on the road is a real treat. The V8 produces a good amount of power, although a 5.9 Liter is on the top of any ones wish list and the LT 31×10.50R15 tires gripped the road well. Torsion bar suspension with a front stabilizer bar keeps the body from rolling out when it is thrown into a turn at high speeds. The truck has a bit of understeer but is easily correctable by feathering the accelerator. The slush box, a four-speed automatic (44RE model) shifts way too much in any driving conditions and is helped only a bit by taking it out of overdrive. Towing this 4×4 pickup truck to Moab actually goes well. Dont keep any doubts with this compact pick up because the V8 really comes through with its 300 lb ft of torque. It is able to maintain 50 m.p.h. or better ascending the steepest grades. It also has great control towing such a heavy load at all speeds and in turns.
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Monday, August 25th, 2008
4×4 Pickup Trucks commonly are a light duty truck which has an open cargo area, as the name suggests it is basically used for pick up delivery of cargo. http://www.4×4pickuptrucksforsale.com offers you the best pickup trucks in the industry with all major and famous brands. The vast database of the site is sure to let you select an amazing collection of pick up trucks you ever thought of. The first ever category of such trucks was invented in the year 1925 and it was named as Ford Model T Runabout by Henry Ford.
The various types of 4×4 pickup trucks are Compact pickup truck, North American full size pickup trucks, mid size pickup trucks, Latin pickup trucks, European pickup trucks and so on and so forth. The compact 4×4 pickup trucks are widely used across the globe because it is one of the few pickup trucks that offer 2 axle heavy trucks. The compact trucks for the year 2006 in the U.S. market are Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series. The European market is loaded with compact pickup trucks as they are most used in rural areas over there. Most of these compact trucks use Diesel engines that help to economize. The full size pick up trucks are characterized by large beds having capacity to tow heavy loads with much ease, the examples of this trucks are GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota square off and general motors. The light duty models can carry the load up to 10,500 pounds.
The full size pick up trucks are available in the 3 sizes these are 0.5 Ton, 0.75 Ton and 1 Ton. Some of the trucks in this category are Dodge Ram, Lincoln Mark LT, Toyota Tundra, Ford F-Series and Nissan Titan. The Mid size pickup trucks are most common in north of America they are generally used as passenger cars, these were mostly used by construction workers as the times passed it was also used by housewives and other office workers. The first truck ever built up in this category was Dodge Dakota which was manufactured in the year 1987 having V6 engines. The other pickup vehicles in this category would include Dodge Dakota, Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier and Honda Ridgeline. The Latin American pickup trucks are common and are termed as compact.
The most common mode of transport in countries like U.S., Australia and Canada, used 4×4 pick up trucks have become very popular with the users as it gives comfort and versatility and the money spent to buy it is really worth. Pick up trucks have long been also modified by local police and its agencies because the type of versatility it offers, these pickup trucks are used in terrain areas and also mountainous areas having muddy like conditions.
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Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
To get the highest towing capacity possible, a special towing package usually has to be installed on the pickup truck. This could include heavy-duty cooling components to reduce the risk of overheating, heavy-duty brakes, a transmission oil cooler and a heavy-duty suspension. Automatic transmissions on heavy-duty trucks often include a Tow/Haul mode, which alters the shift pattern for greater efficiency when pulling a trailer or boat. Ford’s F-Series Super Duty trucks now offer a Tow Command System, which includes an integrated electric trailer-brake controller. All large trailers must have their own brakes, which are typically actuated by the driver using a separate control unit. Ford claims that its integrated system works with a “special trailer-brake strategy” when the antilock braking system detects poor traction.
Certain versions of GM’s full-size pickups can be equipped with Quadrasteer four-wheel steering, which can make highway maneuvers easier and safer, especially under high wind conditions. Quadrasteer also makes it easier to back up and take corners with a trailer under tow. Once you’ve tried Quadrasteer, there’s a good chance you won’t be satisfied with a pickup that doesn’t have it. In February 2005, however, Automotive News reported that GM will drop Quadrasteer as an option after the 2005 model year, citing slow sales. Compact pickups have lower towing capacities — not specifically due to their size, but because they can’t hold the biggest and most-powerful engines. Like their larger siblings, these pickups have a variety of towing-capacity ratings depending on their powertrains, cab style and bed length.
Larger than a traditional compact truck, Dodge’s Dakota can tow up to 7,150 pounds, while Nissan’s Frontier can be equipped to tow as much as 6,500 pounds. Ford’s compact Ranger has a maximum towing capacity of 5,980 pounds. Toyota’s 2005 Tacoma can be fitted to tow up to 6,500 pounds. Maximum towing capacities for the Chevrolet Colorado and its GMC Canyon cousin are lower, topping out at an even 2 tons with the 3.5-liter inline-five-cylinder and an automatic transmission. When choosing a pickup based on its towing prowess, you need to allow some leeway. If the heaviest trailer you expect to tow weighs 6,000 pounds, it’s wise to select a truck with a capacity somewhere beyond that figure.
Still, it doesn’t pay to buy more truck than you expect to need. Heavier-duty trucks are almost sure to burn more fuel and may be less pleasing to drive during those periods when no trailer is attached. Compact models can be a lot more satisfying for regular driving. If you never intend to pull a fifth-wheel camper trailer, why buy an oversized truck that can handle such a task? And if you’re not going to tow anything heavier than a snowmobile or small utility trailer, a compact pickup might be sufficient. At the other end of the spectrum, if you have to haul a trailer that weighs even more than the one-ton pickups can handle, there are options.
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Thursday, August 14th, 2008
There are 11 compact and not-so-compact pickup truck nameplates in the U.S. for the 2008 model year. The models range from Ford Ranger with regular cab and two-wheel drive, to the top-of-the-line Honda Ridgeline RTL with four-wheel drive. Buyers of the “less-than-full-size” trucks get considerable payload and towing capacity—up to 1,720 and 7,160 pounds, respectively. But they generally pay lower prices than buyers of comparably equipped, large trucks. Some benefits of these smaller trucks are the same as for larger trucks. Compact and midsize trucks ride higher off the pavement than do cars, so drivers and passengers tend to enjoy good views out of their vehicles. Owners have easygoing cargo space in their pickup beds that they can spray down and clean with hoses. And these smaller trucks—smaller being a relative term here—can be more nimble and easier to park than their larger brethren.
Trucks in this segment are offered in 2×4 and 4×4 pickups, with regular, extended and double cabs, and with a variety of engines. For example, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are available with a 5-cylinder engine, while the Dodge Dakota can be had with a V8 that can run on E85 ethanol-containing gasoline. Buyers of the modestly sized trucks in this class can get some of the best fuel economy around. For example, the 2008 Ford Ranger Regular Cab with two-wheel drive and 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder engine mated to a manual transmission has a government fuel economy rating as high as that for some cars: 21 miles per gallon in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway. The Ranger and its twin, Mazda B2300 Regular Cab truck in two-wheel drive, rank as the most fuel-efficient pickups in the U.S. for the 2008 model year.
There are plenty of features and amenities in the compact and midsize-truck segment. Honda’s first truck for the U.S.—the midsize Ridgeline—has a lockable trunk set into the floor of the pickup bed. The 2008 Dodge Dakota has a standard, dual-position tailgate that helps carry loads of various lengths. And Nissan’s Frontier can be had with a Long Bed that adds 13 inches to the normal bed length for a total of 73 inches, even at the back of a Crew Cab model. Many of the smallest pickups, which used to be commonly known as “compact trucks,” also have changed and grown noticeably larger. For example, in the 2004 model year, Chevrolet replaced its long-running S-10 small pickup with the Chevy Colorado, and officials immediately called the larger, roomier Colorado a “midsize pickup.”
The Colorado’s twin vehicle—the GMC Canyon, which replaced the GMC Sonoma—also was upgraded in size, style and comfort and referred to as a “midsize pickup.” Both are offered with a 185-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine with 190 lb-ft of torque at 2800 rpm, and a 242-horsepower 5-cylinder engine with 242 lb-ft of torque at 4600 rpm. Dodge’s Dakota pushes the “midsize” label even farther. Its Quad Cab version is the only one in the segment with seating for up to six people. The Dakota’s top engine is a hale and healthy, 302-horsepower 4.7-liter Magnum high-output V8. And Mitsubishi sells a version of the Dakota under the Mitsubishi Raider name.
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