Was the International MXT 4×4 pickup truck simply too big or too expensive to last? Take a look at this rare truck Roman and Tommy caught on the highway in Colorado.
International MXT
The MXT was produced between 2006-2008, and it is perhaps the coolest of all giant International CXT and RXT medium duty pickup trucks. The MXT is based on special frame that allows for a lower overall height than a standard International class-5 truck. While it is lower than other International trucks, the truck still stands at 91 inches tall. For reference, a 2020 Ford Super Duty Tremor is 83 inches tall. The new Tremor is a lifted Ford Super Duty on 35-inch tires.
Getting back to the MXT. The truck offers a spacious crew cab configuration, and all-wheel-drive capability. The truck was originally designed to be a light tactical vehicle for the military.
The MXT carries at least 10,500 lbs of curb weight. For comparison, a new 2020 HD 3500 dually 4×4 pickup truck weighs around 8,800 lbs.
The truck is rated at over 5,000 lbs of payload capacity and around 14,000 lbs of maximum towing.
Under the hood of most MXT trucks built was a Navistar 6.0-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 engine. Yep, this engine is very similar to the 6.0-liter V8 that was also available in the Ford Super Duty trucks of the same vintage. This engine was rated at around 300 horsepower. In Ford trucks, this engine had a very poor reliability record.
Some later 2008 MXT trucks were also offered with a 6.4-liter turbo-diesel V8. These diesels were mated to a heavy duty Allison 2200-series 5-speed automatic transmission.
The civilian version of the International MXT was priced near or over $100,000. Most MXT trucks currently on sale on the used market fetch between $80,000 – $125,000 depending on options and mileage.
Was the MXT simply too big or too expensive to continue and survive the recession in 2008-2009?
Here is a giant Freightliner truck. This time it’s a new 2020 M2 Summit Hauler Sports chassis.
