I think the big difference is – as noted above – the CXT is clearly a toy because the towing hitch is optional. Look at that marketing brochure. “Comfort,” “convenience,” the cab’s “HVAC” system, and so on are listed as key selling points of the CXT. International’s website has several categories of truck: “medium duty,” “heavy duty,” and “severe service.” The CXT is not in any of these categories.
Ford’s website lists the F-650 as a “commerical truck” and focuses on the different kinds of engines and bodies you can assemble it with to maximize your fleet’s profit margin: different transmissions for different purposes, customize this machine so it will do your work better than anything else on the market.
Sure, you could take an F-650 and trick it out to be a God-sized pickup with pimpin’ rims and so on, but you can do that to any truck. Mr. Burress is 6’5" according to the NFL website. Given how long his legs are, and the fact that pretty much any car is a trivial expense for him, an F-650 is a little silly, but it doesn’t piss me off like the CXT does. And I can’t honestly say that I’d drive a Honda Accord if I were his size.
Hell, he might have something worked out with his accountant where his home has a few animals on the land; this would make his property a “farm,” and as long as he keeps the mileage low, the truck may qualify as a fleet vehicle or a farm truck, which saves him a ton of insurance.
It turns out that for the 2001 model year, Ford offered a vehicle similar to the CXT called the F-650 SuperCrewzer, pitched mainly as a heavy-duty personal tow vehicle. Same marketing concept; crew cab, stump-pulling diesel engine, just under the maximum weight allowed for a non-commercial licence but unlike the CXT only two-wheel drive. About 300 were built, and price was around $95K new. Just guessing, but this may be what Burress was driving.
Actually, the official site makes it clear that the CXT is derived from the “severe service” line.
While there may be a small market for these, the unwieldy nature of the beast will squash any interest by casual users. They might get a following in western states for long distance hauling in comfort, but that’s probably. The Ford truck never caught on, and there aren’t too many folks in a Unimog.
Of course, someone will make a stretch version of this, and soon it’ll be the “in” thing for going to the prom.
I predicted in this thread that the logical progression would be for uber SUV’s to come onto the market, and for SUV’s to become compacts. I thought my prediction might take a bit longer to begin coming true.
That ‘Big Truck, Small Penis’ website is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. Every one of those trucks was probably owned by a contractor, repairman, farmer or someone who gets practical everyday use out of it and will now have to waste time scraping off a pointless, immature sticker. Mostly, the people who buy pickups buy them because they need them.
Those stickers would be a lot better for putting on Escalades, H2’s, Excursions or any number of the frivolous SUVs out there. But pickup trucks?
Observe the icy roads and rural looking towns in those pictures. I don’t have anything against those people. Hell, one of those pictures could even be in Pocatello, Idaho, where my mom works. She lives out in the Fort Hall reservation though, and a good truck is a valuable asset. Granted, hers is a little more beat up looking, but it’s about the same size.
Ford F-150’s and Chevy Silverado’s are what contractors and landscapers drive around. Not what SUV owners drive around. You don’t take the kids to soccer practice in them.
On top of that, some contractors keep their vehicles clean just like anyone else, particularly wood workers. Plumbers usually have white vans, and landscapers seem to have dinged up dirty trucks.
Anyway, I drove a Ford F-550 while working as a landscaper one summer (similar to the F-650). It’s basically a dump truck with a big diesel engine. Anyone thinking this would make a good passenger car is a moron. Maybe that “KrewzKab” thing is different, but it definitely looks built for someone hauling horses or cars on a regular basis. It’s 8 feet wide fachrissakes.
Honestly, I bet that this vehicle would make a great tow vehicle for a large 5th wheel-style RV, which it should be able to pull. Although it’s a bit expensive, I would imagine that it plus a large 5th wheeler would be less expensive than a comparably-sized class-A RV, particularly a bus-based unit. (I know that bus-style RVs start at about $250K and go well up from there.)
Although, I must say that I’m somewhat surprised that it can “only” tow 6 tons- a properly equipped Jeep Grand Cherokee (which weighs about 1/4th as much) can tow over 3 tons.
Unlike the H2, at least this one’s usable for something.
The very first fire truck I ever drove was on an F-650 frame, it was monster thing, i couldn’t see driving it for any reason other than work related ones, and I LOVE huge ass trucks. Fact, I drove one of these bad boys to work in the late 90’s, and had a hell of a time with it, but even I think the CXT is a horrid idea, not to mention the sub 8 mpg :rolleyes: it’s gone too far.
