The big American truck. There’s nothing like it. Think about it: A vehicle that can go on- and off-road through snow, mud, or rocks, that seats five in comfort, and that can be equipped with options that were on Cadillac’s “someday” list a decade or so ago.

And pickups can still be had fairly cheap. You can get a base Chevy Silverado with two doors, rubber floor covering, and an AM/FM radio for $22,595. But that’s a government fleet special. What people, private citizens, especially out West, really buy are trucks like our tester — the loaded four-door, usually with four-wheel drive.

The Silverado LTZ has it all, combining all-terrain tires, rancho shocks, and skid plates with dual-zone climate control, leather trim, a killer audio system, and a moonroof. It’s like a doomsday prepper camp with room service from the Ritz-Carlton.

If you’re contemplating whether you should have a truck like this, the answer is probably no. If you should, you probably already do. If you’re not this type of person, the idea of dropping nearly 50 large for a truck probably has you wondering who those people are.

The real question is: If you’re an owner of this type of truck, should you buy a 2013 Silverado?

This is the seventh year of this generation Silverado. Ford and Ram (the truck company formerly known as Dodge) have updated their big pickups in the past couple of years. And we’ll need to wait until next year for Chevy’s turn.

In its final year, despite being equipped with creature comforts and lots of bling, the 2013 Silverado we tested left us with three words to describe it: cumbersome, rough, and thirsty. Turns out those EPA mileage estimates are, well, estimates. We just barely squeaked out 15 mpg with a half-and-half mix of city and highway driving.

If you’re a brand loyalist, you might want to wait for the ’14 Silverado. Just keep in mind that first-year GM products historically aren’t the most reliable, while the ones from the final year tend to be just about bulletproof. Though, it’s a sure bet that Chevy’s targets include making up lost ground in overall refinement. They’ll also have to take Ram’s big strides in fuel economy seriously.