I got this truck about three weeks ago and I think it all ready deserve's a good review. I got this truck from a friend of my grandpa, his grandson had busted out the cab glass and passenger side window, so he decided that he would give it to me for free questioning if it still runs. It had sat for two years, so I pulled it home, hooked up a battery not expecting anything but trouble and to my surprise with two year old gas it fired right up. I've now drove it about 700 miles, and can say there are no problems with 189,000 miles on it. I can say it gets about 20 in town 25+ on the highway, I have either 323/355 gears the owners manual didn't give the exact gears but it has plenty of power.
Favorite Features
I like the power, like I said I have 323/355 gear ratio, I like how smoothly the transmission shifts out with 189,000 miles, tires are cheap, cost to repair anything on these old dodges are cheap, for an Example I owned a 1987 Bought a good starter for 55 dollars, a radiator for 125, the 87 was hard to work on but in this 1995 there appears to be much more space to work on any problem everything is spaced apart so working on it shouldn't be a problem. The seating is nice and comfortable I'm 18 and 5,10 150 lbs, but my dad is 6,4 280 and said he had plenty of leg room, The SLT model has cruise power mirrors and power windows which from what I've heard don't have problems.
Suggested Improvements
Well as far as Improvements I think dodge made a mistake making the 4X4 V6 dakota with a 383 gear ratio "Which I don't have" I knew someone with the 383 gears and he said it had no power bad fuel economy and destroyed transmission "He went through 3" Other than that though I have drove a lot of trucks Chevy GMC Ford, toyota, and I can say Dakota's from 1985-1997 are gem's dodge has a bad reputation because of there newer model trucks and I can say I wouldn't drive a new one, but I'll take advantage of first, second, and third generation dodge trucks any day, I've owned three of these trucks one first gen, one second, gen and now one third, and they all run well.