It took us some time recalibrating our ride height (your eyes are about 7.5 feet above ground level) as well as judging the width of the lanes, but a quick look into the huge sideview mirrors told us we had room to spare before our tires touched the white lines. In fact, the CXT doesn't drive any wider than a typical dualie and is less than six inches longer than any given longbed crew cab. However, the perks of the CXT are better than in a one-ton. We happened to have our truck during a small Southern California heat wave and loved the high seating position. We saw more cleavage on our drive home than in the last 10 years. Lots of convertibles around town made the trip even more enjoyable.
On the inside, the cabin structure and layout are exactly what you'd find in a commercial rig (gauges, curved dash, big-bus steering wheel); however, right off the line, International sends all CXTs to the interior supplier, who pads and improves the overall feel and look with upgraded materials. You can add a 10.5-inch drop-down DVD player, leather seats, wood trim, a storage unit that cools and heats, and even a pullout bed in the rear seating area. And don't forget the dump-bed option we mentioned earlier.
With just 200 or 300 units as the target for the first full year of production, these modest numbers don't come close to the 35,000 Hummers sold last year or the 300,000 Super Dutys that'll be sold this year. But the CXT will impress the neighbors and intimidate anyone you don't like. Expect the CXT to stay the largest production pickup in the world for a long time, but keep your eyes open for other plus-size vehicles from International (and other manufacturers) in the years to come.