I don't know where I've been hiding, but two friends who have bought new cars in the last few weeks/months tell me that they are no longer supplied with spare wheels, but you get an aerosol of gunge if you get a puncture. Doesn't work if you rip a tyre, I shouldn't think.
How long has this been the case?
Depends on the car, the new Mini's have always had it as an option.
The Focus hasn't had a spare at least since the MkII Facelift - none of our Econetics on the fleet have one.
Not exactly one of the "enhancements" they tell you about when you're kicking tyres in the showroom, is it?
If I persuaded myself to buy a new car I would consider buying an extra full spec wheel. Would this be stupid? (Any more stupid than buying a new car, I mean)... ;-)
Would you get that spare wheel into the boot?
I bought I Kia Ceed with one of those piddling 'space saver' spare wheels that's housed in the boot, and I thought about replacing that with a 'proper' spare - until I found out that the 'proper' one wouldn't fit without permanently removing the false boot floor that covered it (the wheel was far too wide and stuck up into the boot itself).
I've had my BMW for 12 years now - some 100,000 miles - bought at two years old. The spare is unused. ;-) Probably perished. I'd guess the cost of that invested would have paid for a breakdown service if needed.
When did you last do that?
Since they started giving free breakdown recovery with new and some used cars.
Ford
but not for Mobility contract hire.
Citroen
Vauxhall - use AA.
If they do it then pretty much everyone must, I'll let you go look for the ones that don't.
But it may not actually cover the tyre. But I'm sure they will sign up up for full cover right there (with a no wait premium). While Vauxhall Assistance aims to bring you peace-of-mind motoring, it only covers manufacturer-based or mechanical faults on your vehicle. Citroen also have manufacturer defect.
For cars where the roof folds into the boot, there's next to no space left with the roof down, so doing away with the spare makes good sense.
same problem with my 2000 Focus, silly space saver cannot be replaced with a real spare wheel (which I managed to get off freecycle) without either losing a flat boot area or adding something over the whole of the boot area which would lose even more space. Usually the wheel well is full depth and has a foam packing piece on top of the space saver to keep the boot floor flat.
about twenty years ago it started with Mercedes (first ones I knew of)
It must be a pain to lose a tyre in the middle of the night and have to wait while a mobile tyre service is found/get recovered etc. Compared to the speed of putting a spare on.
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
Point taken, and I have a breakdown service, but even at 78 years old I would like to have a spare to fit when the AA quote "One hour". :)
In message , GB writes
I tried that with the Mondeo and the rear window broke, apart from all the crumpled metal.
A large percentage of drivers ain't capable of changing a wheel these days. Sad but true.
My thoughts too. A year or two ago I hit a "traffic calming" kerb in a dimly lit dodgy area of Manchester at around midnight, and the tyre blew out, fortunately only a mile or so from home. My alternatives were to change the wheel myself and risk being mugged, or lock myself in the car and wait for the AA.
I drove home and trashed the tyre.
The tyre was likely trashed anyway if it blew after hitting a kerb.
Quite. Last time I needed them was when a fan belt broke. In central London at about midnight. After waiting 'till 02:30 for them - they said they couldn't find me, car stopped with the bonnet open on a main road, I risked driving home on the basis that while moving at about 30mph, the fan would turn the waterpump enough to prevent damage. And so it proved. Wouldn't have done that in normal traffic, though.
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes
So the aerosol can of filth wouldn't have helped me out. ;-)
Why do you call them silly? Considering how rarely one has punctures these days (assuming that one doesn't run around on bald tyres), a "get you home wheel/tyre" seems eminently sensible. It's a simple way if reducing excess weight in a car.
My Old Touran (7 seater) only had a pump and sealant bottle (which I never needed in 120,000 miles of motoring) but I was never very comfortable with the lack of a spare. My Cee'd has a space saver which seems a good compromise.
Tim
a bit annoying when away from home, on holiday or working away for instance, you are then stuck at travelling below 50 with impaired braking and roadholding and be forced to buy whatever tyre is available at whatever price.
Yep, it's horrible if it's a front puncture. Unless I only had a very short distance to travel, I would put the spacesaver on the rear.
Chris
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