Manufacture

• The V-6 engine-equipped Dodge Dakotas for the 2006 model year had three trims: the ST, SLT and Laramie. Each trim had different combinations of cab size, Club Cab and Quad Cab, and drivetrains, two/rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The trucks had rack-and-pinion steering; front ventilated disc and rear drum brakes; and a suspension that consisted of front wishbone design with stabilizer bar and coil springs, and rear beam design with stabilizer bar and leaf springs.
  
  

Engine Output

• The V-6 engine of the 2006 Dodge Dakota generated 210 horsepower at 5,200 revolutions per minute and 235 ft. lbs. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Ram, however, had two optional V-8 engines available: one that had 230 horses and 290 ft. lbs of torque, and another that had 260 horses and 310 ft. lbs of torque.
  
  

Fuel Economy

• Fuel economy was best on the V-6 engine-equipped versions of the 2006 Dodge Dakota. Armed with a six-speed manual transmission, such vehicles could get up to 16 miles per gallon for city driving and 22 mpg for highway driving. By comparison, the V-8 engine-equipped trucks got as much as 15 mpg for city driving and 20 mpg for highway driving.
  
  

Reception

• Most car journalists focused a lot more of the introduction of the V-8 engine to the Dodge Dakota lineup--a first for the midsize pickup truck category. Compared to the new engines, Royal Ford of boston.com wrote that the V-6 felt slower to perform. Recognizing its lesser amount of power, car editors at Edmunds.com skipped it in favor of the V-8 engine-equipped Dakotas as being more suitable for towing.
  
  

Price

• Since there were several possibilities in regard to trim combinations, the 2006 Dodge Dakota had a wide manufacturer's suggested retail price range. The ST Club Cab 2WD had the lowest MSRP at $17,482, while the Laramie Club Cab 4WD cost much more, with the peak MSRP of $29,790. As of 2010, Kelley Blue Book estimates the price range value of used 2006 Dakotas at around $11,000 to $13,000.