The Best Tires for a Chevy Tracker

Formerly known as the "Geo Tracker," Chevrolet's inexpensive mini-SUV shares almost every one of its mechanical components with the Suzuki Samurai. While many off-roaders might dismiss Chevy's mighty mouse as a lame duck, the Tracker's true believers know it to be as capable and versatile as any Jeep. However, all the versatility in the world will do you little good without the right tires.

Kumho Solus KR21

Priced from $62, as of March 2010, Kumho's Solus serves as a great stock replacement tire for those that don't plan on doing any off-roading. The Solus provides good dry road traction, decent cornering stability and low noise. Wet traction leaves a little to be desired when compared to competitive offerings, such as the Dunlop Signature and General Altimax, but the Kumho's other fine highway manners earn it high marks. The only major drawback to this tire is wear, which is usually a result of under-inflation.

General Grabber A/T

At a paltry $80 a tire, why wouldn't you buy a Grabber? These tires are a perfect replacement for those worn all-seasons on your 4WD Tracker; off-road capability is very good for a tire in this price range, and on-road handling (in the dry and wet) is excellent for an off-road-oriented tire. The Grabber is often used as a stock replacement tire for 4WD Explorers and Excursions, and will lend some serious attitude to the Tracker's tiny frame.

Firestone Destination MT

The darling of reviewers and customizers alike, the $185 Firestone Destination rings in at a $100 discount relative to other all-terrain mud tires. The Destination is a bit noisy on the road, carries no tread wear warranty and you won't have a prayer of making them fit without at least a 3-inch lift, but they offer massive traction in the rough stuff. The Destination's over-the-sidewall lugs make it ideal for rock-crawling and mudding alike. If you care about noise and road manners, go for the cheaper Pirelli Scorpion ATRs, just don't expect them to deliver the kind of off-road performance that the Destinations will.

BF Goodrich Krawler MT

If you're the kind of person whose Tracker already has a small-block Chevy, an Atlas II transfer case, a set of Dana 60s and 35 feet of lift, then the Krawler is your tire. As the name implies, this ridiculously expensive tire ($560 apiece average price) will crawl up and down the walls of Hades, nevermind a few rocks. Of course, you don't really need a big engine to go rock-crawling; the tiny four-cylinder will work OK if you've got extremely low gears. However, it's guaranteed to be a dog on the freeway.

Mud Tires

If you're looking for a more mud-specialized tire, you might want to consider the similarly priced ($600 average) Crusher Mud Tire from Dick Cepek or the insane Gateway Tire Buckshot. Anything by Dick Cepek is bound to be quality, and the Buckshot is essentially a bias-ply tractor tire. Don't labor under the delusion that your stock Suzuki four-cylinder is going to drive either the Crusher or Buckshot; thick mud and huge tires like these take big power and a heavy foot.