The Jeep Cherokee is unlike most of its competitors in the compact crossover segment and in true Jeep fashion boasts plenty more capability.

While it might not be a leader in things like cargo room or fuel economy, it’s head-and-shoulders above the competition when it comes to off-road capability. Would you expect anything less from a Jeep?

Still, we suspect most drivers aren’t going to be hard-core off-roaders so we’ve compiled a list below of replacement tire options that are focused more on daily driving. (Though not all of them are, so keep reading).

Jeep Cherokee Tire Size

• 225/65/17
• 225/55/18
• 225/60/18
• 235/50/19
• 245/65/17

Available in a wide selection of trim levels, the Jeep Cherokee has an equally broad selection of tire sizes, depending on if you’ve selected a standard model, something high-end, or something with real off-road capability. The tires on this list should all be compatible with the sizes listed above.

Best Jeep Cherokee Tire

Michelin Defender T+H

A first rate tire with excellent driving dynamics and braking capability in the dry and wet the Michelin Defender T+H is an easy choice as our number one pick. It’s designed with the latest low rolling resistance technology in mind to reduce CO2 emissions and save you money at the pump. As well as solid handling dynamics, you’ll find this tire quiet and comfortable. Plus, it comes with a very impressive 80,000 mile tread life warranty.

There are some very similar tires out there when it comes to specs and even driving performance, but we love that Michelins tend to perform well even after years of use when the tread is wearing down.

And for a tire that’s going to last you a long, long time, that’s important.

     

Best Jeep Cherokee Tire (alternative)

Firestone Destination LE3

Chances are your Cherokee came equipped from the factory with a set of Firestone Destination LE 2 tires and as the old saying goes: if it ain’t broke. In other words, if you’re happy with how those tires performed, there’s not a lot of reason to go elsewhere. And based on feedback from current owners, that’s the case, with a 4.9 out of 5 rating!

True, some of the tires on this list offer a longer milage guarantee, but you’ll also pay for that and the Destination LE 2 is surprisingly affordable.

Handling and braking are above average and by all accounts this tire is quiet and comfortable too. There’s some extra siping and curved slots in the tread pattern to give it a slight increase in wet and winter weather grip.

We should also point out that Firestone recently launched a new Destination LE 3. With similar capability it boasts a milage guarantee that’s 10,000 miles longer. So if you can get the new LE 3s for the same price as the LE 2s, this tire becomes substantially more attractive.

     

Longest Lasting Tire for Jeep Cherokee

Hankook Kinergy PT

Designed for long life around town or on the highway the Hankook Kinergy PT is built to last 90,000 miles and the vast majority of owners are extremely impressed. With a specific tread compound designed to wear slowly, the tire makes use of a tread design to optimize grip. It’s not exactly sports, but it is by all accounts a decent handling tire. Wet weather grip is good too! And maybe best of all (yes, better than the 90,000 mile warranty) is that it’s also quite affordable.

     

Best All-Season Tire for Jeep Cherokee

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

One of the most versatile tires on the market, you’ll pay a bit more for this tire, bit in many ways it’s worth it. Not only re you paying for better all-yer performance and safety, you’re also paying to avoid the hassle of swapping tires in the winter. That’s because the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is rated for true winter use and features the three-peak mountain snowflake logo on the sidewall to prove it.

On top of all that it’s a solid performer in the dry due to tread blocks that lock together under cornering or braking, creating a more stable tread and a larger contact patch.

As for wet weather performance, the circumferential channels that run around the tire have been designed to become wider as they wear away. So when the tire loses some of its water evacuation capabilities for a deeper tread, it gains back that capability in a wider channel. This allows it to maintain wet weather grip of the life of the tire.

Speaking of the life of the tire, it’s rated at 60,000 miles, which means you’ll get about a year less of use out of them compared to some of the top performers on this list, but you won’t have to worry about swapping on winter tires, or buying any at all!

     

Cheapest Jeep Cherokee Tire

Laufenn G Fit AS

As far as cheap tires go, these aren’t too bad, particularly if you live in a more arid climate.

Laugenn is a newer discount brand under the Hankook umbrella, so while these are not tier-one tires, they are excellently engineered and backed by a world class tire manufacturer.

The computer-optimized tread pattern rides quiet and handling is actually quite good. Well, in the dry at least. Wet grip drops off somewhat and while these are all-seasons they’re grip in the cold is quite poor.

Tread life is decent (for a tire of this price) at 45,000 miles on a set.

Overall, if you understand what you’re buying here and why you’re paying so little, these can represent great value.

 

Best All-Terrain Tire for Jeep Cherokee

Falken Wildpeak AT Trail

We’re making some assumptions about you as a driver here, and we hope you don’t mind. The Cherokee isn’t an extreme off-roader and so it’s unlikely you’re using it that way. If you are, just go get yourself a set of BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA KO2s and be done with it.

If not, then the Falken Wildpeak AT Trail is probably the tire for you. You’ll see a lot of tires listed as Highway Terrain tires. These are really all-seasons with some off-road capability. The Wilpeak AT Trail is sort of the opposite: it’s an all-terrain tire with highway manners.

Built to deliver solid on-road driving dynamics and grip in both the wet and dry, it’s amazingly liveable for an AT tire. It’s also perfect for light off-roading on well-worn trails, gravel roads, etc. And it isn’t just designed to grip those surfaces well, it’s also built to last when used off-road. A 60,000 mile tread life warranty is impressive for an all-terrain tire.

     

Best All-Terrain Tire for Jeep Cherokee (alternative)

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

Cooper’s AT3 4S is a fantastic combination of on-road civility and off-road capability without pushing too far into either arena.

The five-row tread pattern with solid evacuation channels for water delivers driving characteristics very much like an all-season tire, in both the dry and the wet. Off-road grip isn’t going to blow you away, but it’s far more capable than this tire looks thanks to several features.

Many of the tread blocks include a zig-zag pattern that helps deliver extra grip on rocks, as well as provide extra churning ability when in loose dirt or mud. Ridges at the base of each tread also help force out smaller rocks caught in the tread, which can limit traction and reduce tread life.

On top of all this, these tires are also rated for true winter performance,

 

Best Winter Tire for Jeep Cherokee

Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2

While we get the appeal of true four-season tires like the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady tire on this list, you really can’t beat the overall performance and safety of a true winter tire when the temperature drops and the snow starts flying.

And amongst winter tires the Bridgestone Blizzaks stand out, especially for world-class grip on snow covered roads. The ultra-wide center section makes for an extremely stable ride and excellent responsiveness, while larger shoulder lugs help dig in, even when cornering.

Siping is critical to a winter tire’s capability to grip the snow, the the Blizzak’s are almost more sipe than tire.

We generally point out that if you’re looking for a winter tire that’s designed less for snow and more for clear and/or icy roads, the Michelin X-ice is a great pick. But for those days where the snow is piling up on the roads, you can’t beat the Blizzaks.

     

What Tires Come on the Jeep Cherokee?

Below is a list of factory-equipped tire options for the Cherokee based on the factory wheel sizes.

17-inch wheels – Firestone Destination LE2 or Firestone Destination AT (Trailhawk)

18-inch wheels – Continental Procontact TX

19-inch wheels – Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza Plus

How Long do Jeep Cherokee Tires Last?

Depending on the size and type of tire on the Jeep Cherokee, the overall tire life changes dramatically. For most models tire life is around 55,000 to 60,000 miles with the smaller 17-inch Firestone tires coming with a slightly longer 60k warranty compared to the 55k warranty of the 18-inch Continentals.

The exception here is the Trailhawk model with the Firestone Destination AT all-terrain tires which are rated for a 50,000 mile tread life.

Models equipped with the largest 19-inch size get a tire life warranty of 80,000 miles.

All of these numbers assume proper inflation and proper rotation over the life of the tire.