dodge dakota vs. ford ranger

[Awk08]

i've got abot $5000 to play with, and am not seeing anything fuel effecient in that price range, just full size trucks

but heres a few 6 cyl. 4x4's i may be interested in and still leave me money left over for more blasty parts and possibly a new mathews bow,

but i have been a chevy man for many many years and don't know sh*t about dakotas or rangers, except i had my dads ranger after he passed and some oil pump shaft broke and fried the (2.3l) ????
and the s10's with 4.3's get horrible gas milage

so help a brutha out decide which one here, and i know, i know they're both old, but look to be in damn good shape for the winters we have around here

i like the fact the dakota is a one owner,
but don't like all the towing accessories on the ranger, what has it been towing all over the place ???

i can prolly get the dakota for $2500,
and the ranger is advertised at $3500

 

[02yamaturd]

I'd go with the dakota.....I have one and love it, kinda a bit newer being a 2001 and quite a bit worse on gas with the 4.7 v8....but i still love it...

 

[sicivicdude]

They both look like they're in excellent shape but it really comes down to riding in both of them and feeling if there's anything wrong with either one.

The dodge's were known way back when as having weak transmissions. The problem was a casting issue. Apparently the foundry that cast the housings didn't clean all of the sand out of the casting before they were machined and assembled. There were recalls and TSB's about it but as old as that dakota is, those problems have been straightened out.

The SOHC 4.0L ford engines are known for the timing chain tensioner to let loose after lots of miles and the timing chain being able to slap (loud enough to just sound like a little "clack") and eventually rub a hole through the back of the timing chain cover into the coolant jacket. A quick check under the hood will reveal if it's a SOHC engine or not because I'm not sure what years and models the SOHC 4.0's came in. The pushroc 4.0L ford's were pretty good engines.

If I had a preference, barring any major defects in either vehicle, I would probably go with the dodge just because of price. I don't think a '96 Ford ranger is worth $3,500 ($2,500 is more the right price range for that milage and vintage)

 

[Awk08]

i like that word "vintage"
kinda like myself, i'm not old, i'm vintage !!!!!!!!!

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaaaaa

 

[xKroniK13x]

I don't know much about either, but my dad had a ranger with over 210000 miles on it. That says something about lasting.

 

[98blaster+4]

its you choice bro but i would try and find a truck with a stick . you'll get way better milage with a stick. and i had a 4.3 s10 and the only time i didnt get good gas was when i was rompin the piss outta the thing. otherwise i got mid 20 if i took it easy.
if you find a v8 dakota you'd get better gas than the 6. less power will take more gas to move. v8 paired with lighter than fullsize will get slightly better mileage, plus when you wanna tow anything the power is on tap.

 

[blasterdemon7]

On the Dakota motors, you have to keep the oil changed and oil pan clean. The oil pump pick up screen sits so close to the bottom of the pan that a little oil sludge will give pressor problems. There also known for clear coat fade. Mine did it in a month on the roof even being well waxed. Gas milage. Is not great. Power is not great. Nice ride for a pickup but not a heavy hauler. That's my opinion on my 99 Dakota. As for the ranger, never owned one so I'm not going to give an opinion on it.

 

[slickerthanyou]

I'm a ford truck man so i'd be biased brutha, All the dodges are gas hogs and tranny issues as has been said but every vehicle has it problems especially when ya buy used! The ford has towpackage already installed so that's a plus. How many miles on the dodge? Anything over 100,000 and no rebuild or partial rebuild is gonna be a nickle and dime thing. Just remember ya usually never know how well the vehicle was taken care of. Good luck bro!

 

[darederek]

can you find any dodges like a year newer with the v8? i really like the dakotas. any of the other less than full size trucks are just tiny. personally the like 97 to like 02 dakotas are perfect

 

[darederek]

98 dodge dakota extended cab v8

Dodge Dakota Pickup

1997 Dodge Dakota SLT 4x4

theres some in ur price range to take a lookin

(that being the price range allowing for a bow and blasty parts I:I)

 

[Awk08]

went and looked at the dakota, it has been well maintained, not a hint of any oil leaks on the motor, and i've been around my buddies used dealership and auctions long enuf to know if it had been steamed, it hasnt been
it has 102,000 on it, and as i stated in the begining it is a new truck, 1 owner trade in, this used dealer got it from the new car dealer
my guess is an old fart owned it, it's that clean inside

the bad, but not so much........ the driver side front fender is rotted bad under the fender flare, new fenders are cheap these days, and my buddy has a shop, so no biggie, the rest of it seems pretty solid

still lookin though, i'd really like to find a 4 cylinder stick ?????
i don't need tons of power, my blasty only weighs 300lbs

 

[darederek]

1998 Dodge Dakota Ext Cab / Manual / 4 Cylinder

theres that one only problem is that it is only 2wd

 

[Awk08]

thanx for the links derek,
but looks like only that one in WV is 4x4, which it must be

that last one in cranberry is a damn nice truck !!!! but only 2wd

 

[blasterdemon7]

Make sure you get a 4x4 Dakota.my 2 wheel drive can't even get out of the parking spot if I get 3 inches of snow. It could really use a posi rear. I've even loaded the back and it still sucks.

 

[bagds101]

i had a 98 chevy s10 with the 4.3 v6 and i could get 300+ miles to a full tank. they arent horrible on gas. but between the dakota and the ranger...... it would be hard for me to choose. im a chevy guy so choosing between a dodge and a ford is tough. but just look at some things when you go look at the trucks. oil leaks, knocking noises, are they hard to start, does the suspension make noise when you drive it, look for stuff in the engine thats been rigged... if the truck has high miles, there might be a chance someone drove it hard in its life.

 

[blasterdemon7]

I got my Dakota because I liked the look, it's in great shape and only cost me $400.

 

[244blackblastard]

Have a buddy right now trying to sell his ford ranger 4x4 around same vintage in nice shape. reason for selling is it's bad on gas. The most he gets in highway is 17-18 mpg and city is like 12-14. He's tried to get higher mpg by replacing air filter, pcv etc but doesn't really change anything. I own a dodge ram ext 4x4 and get the same as him so if mpg is a concern I would skip the ranger.

 

[Awk08]

oh snap......i may have to forget gas milage, this is a nice lookin truck for the money....................

2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Truck $3,495 - Leesburg Auto Import - Leesburg, VA 20175 Dealer

 

[Awk08]

and this ones right up the road from me..................

Cars for Sale: 1999 Ford Ranger 4x4 SuperCab in Windber, PA 15963: Truck Details - 301557733 - AutoTrader.com


thoughts ???????????????

 

[sicivicdude]

Is that ram 1500 a 5.9? Expect about 13 MPG's.