No spare wheel in your new car?

2010

tomstickland wrote: »

If you think it's a scam go and buy a spare wheel from the scrap yard.

I think the point here is, if you are spending thousands of pounds on a new car you should at least expect a spare wheel with a brand new tyre on it included in the price.

tomstickland

Why? Do you expect the CD player to have CDs in it?

If you are spending thousands of pounds on a new car then an extra £100 for a complete spare wheel is a small percentage if you're not happy with a can of tyre weld.

There is no "rip off" occuring.

rev_henry

tomstickland wrote: »

Tyres cost me £50 fitted all in. That's cheap enough considering the rareness of a flat.
If you think it's a scam go and buy a spare wheel from the scrap yard.

That's all very well but where do you then put it if the car isn't designed to actually take one?
Ford's free option thing seems fair enough to me, provided everyone is told about it at point of sale (which I doubt). If you want the wheel you ask and get for free, if you don't you don't get and Ford saves a few quid.

redux

tomstickland wrote: »

If you think it's a scam go and buy a spare wheel from the scrap yard.

Even a new steel one is only about £20.

I bought my second spare when there was a Michelin offer of £10 refund per tyre. So I count that wheel as £10.

2010

lilac_lady wrote: »

The new Ford Fiesta has an optional spare wheel at a cost of £30....to the customer of course. the other option is - no spare wheel.

Thanks for that,you are quite correct, after looking up new car prices,I do see it as an optional extra at £28 at this site, when you click on "details" for any of the models.

http://www.autobytel.co.uk/NewCars/NewSearchResults.aspx?Make=FORD&Model=FIESTA&Fuel=PETROL



Wheels - Spare
Steel space saver spare wheel

---

£28

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a "space saver" and an ordinary spare wheel?

BillScarab

This is common to lots of manufacturers these days. I think Skoda charge £50 for a spare wheel if you order it with the car.

The main reason they do isn't to save the environment or save money it's because if it helps them knock a coupleof percentage points off the CO2 emiisions it will cost less to tax so will appeal to people more.

I've just ordered a new car and didn't specify a spare as I'd rather have the boot space. I can't remember the last time I had a puncture so will probably get wone int he first week!

EDIT: the difference between a space save and a normal spare is that a normal spare is the same size as the wheels on the car. A space saver is the same diameter but much narrower so can only be used for short distances and at lower speeds (up to 50mph normally I think).

2010

tomstickland wrote: »

Why? Do you expect the CD player to have CDs in it?

If you are spending thousands of pounds on a new car then an extra £100 for a complete spare wheel is a small percentage if you're not happy with a can of tyre weld.

There is no "rip off" occuring.

Your logic seems to be askew here, when for 50 odd years spare wheels have been free but now suddenly it`s an extra for no other reason than penny-pinching profit.
You get a puncture, you jack the car up and put the spare on.

daveyjp

Did the OP daughter read the specification of the car and options list before parting with their cash? I suspect new car fever took over and they didn't dwell on the details. They are now a cost option on many new cars, a dealer wouldn't lose a sale over the cost of one so I'd make it part of the deal.

There are plenty of new cars which don't come with spares (Mini, Hondas, Toyotas, Ford, Audi to name a few) yet our Toyota Aygo - one of the smallest cars on the market - has a full sized one under the boot floor.

Inactive

tomstickland wrote: »

Why? Do you expect the CD player to have CDs in it?

I would sooner have a full size spare than a CD Player.;)

I expect a full size spare, I would not buy a car without one, nor would I pay extra for what is essentially a necessary item IMO.

2010

BillScarab wrote: »

I've just ordered a new car and didn't specify a spare as I'd rather have the boot space. I can't remember the last time I had a puncture so will probably get wone int he first week!

EDIT: the difference between a space save and a normal spare is that a normal spare is the same size as the wheels on the car. A space saver is the same diameter but much narrower so can only be used for short distances and at lower speeds (up to 50mph normally I think).

Thanks BillScarab for the explaination of what appears to me to be a bit useless spacesaving,I`d rather have a full size wheel.

I certainly hope that you DON`T get a puncture in the first week because it`ll cost you at least £20 for the repair.(another racket) funny how they all charge about the same price,where`s the competition?