Why doesn't npx work with @vue/cli?

[neverendingqs]

I was able to find a comment on a related issue that suggests this should work: #112 (comment)

The following commands

$ npx @vue/cli
$ mono
$ mono-sgen

result in the same output:

Usage is: mono [options] program [program-options]

Development:
    --aot[=<options>]      Compiles the assembly to native code
    --debug[=<options>]    Enable debugging support, use --help-debug for details
    --debugger-agent=options Enable the debugger agent
    --profile[=profiler]   Runs in profiling mode with the specified profiler module
    --trace[=EXPR]         Enable tracing, use --help-trace for details
    --jitmap               Output a jit method map to /tmp/perf-PID.map
    --help-devel           Shows more options available to developers

Runtime:
    --config FILE          Loads FILE as the Mono config
    --verbose, -v          Increases the verbosity level
    --help, -h             Show usage information
    --version, -V          Show version information
    --runtime=VERSION      Use the VERSION runtime, instead of autodetecting
    --optimize=OPT         Turns on or off a specific optimization
                           Use --list-opt to get a list of optimizations
    --security[=mode]      Turns on the unsupported security manager (off by default)
                           mode is one of cas, core-clr, verifiable or validil
    --attach=OPTIONS       Pass OPTIONS to the attach agent in the runtime.
                           Currently the only supported option is 'disable'.
    --llvm, --nollvm       Controls whenever the runtime uses LLVM to compile code.
    --gc=[sgen,boehm]      Select SGen or Boehm GC (runs mono or mono-sgen)

However, I am able to run the CLI when I install it globally:

$ npm install -g @vue/cli
$ vue
Usage: vue <command> [options]

Options:
  -V, --version                              output the version number
  -h, --help                                 output usage information

Commands:
  create [options] <app-name>                create a new project powered by vue-cli-service
...

Interestingly enough, the following runs as expected:

$ npx create-react-app
npx: installed 91 in 3.993s
Please specify the project directory:
  create-react-app <project-directory>

For example:
  create-react-app my-react-app

Run create-react-app --help to see all options.

Using -p also works as expected:

$ npx -p @vue/cli vue
Usage: vue <command> [options]

Options:
  -V, --version                              output the version number
  -h, --help                                 output usage information

Commands:
  create [options] <app-name>                create a new project powered by vue-cli-service
...

but it re-installs the package each time (probably because of #214).

System:

$ nvm --version
0.34.0
$ npm --version
6.4.1
$ node --version
v10.15.1
$ cat /etc/os-release
NAME="Linux Mint"
VERSION="18.3 (Sylvia)"
ID=linuxmint
ID_LIKE=ubuntu
PRETTY_NAME="Linux Mint 18.3"
VERSION_ID="18.3"
HOME_URL="http://www.linuxmint.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="http://forums.linuxmint.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="http://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/"
VERSION_CODENAME=sylvia
UBUNTU_CODENAME=xenial