What good is a pick up if it won’t do any work for you? Not much really, but the Dakota SXT extended cab that we’ve had for the past week in The Garage was more than happy to do what little work we asked it to when we made a trip to the local Home Depot.

Ok, so we didn’t really make it work too hard. Truth be told, it hurt me more loading 10, 44 pound bags of salt than it did the Dakota. With 440 pounds hanging out over the rear axle, the truck didn’t even flinch. We purposely loaded the bags right at the back of the bed to see how the truck handled. Somehow, I think the truck barely noticed it. There was no lightness in the front end and on road manners didn’t change a bit. If anything, the truck felt a bit more planted. With that weight way over the stern, there was no need to engage 4 wheel drive on the slushy roads.

I’d love to spend some time with this truck during racing season and see how it handles a trailer. With a 7,100 pound tow rating, this thing is tough enough for most small contractors, boaters or regional racers.