No spare wheel?

Richard53

My wife has just picked up a new car, and I was horrified to find that it doesn't have a spare wheel, just an inflation kit. I told the salesman that he should have pointed this out to us at an earlier stage in the proceedings, but he said it was common practice these days and not something he felt it worth mentioning. I didn't think to ask, he didn't think to tell me - score draw, I suppose. Apparently a 'proper' spare wheel is available as an optional accessory, but at quite a high price. We agreed to take the car as it is, and he is looking out for a spare wheel kit if he gets a similar car in part ex. Fair enough.

But then I got to thinking - perhaps it's not such a bad idea. It saves a lot of weight, of course, and in theory if it's quicker and easier than changing a wheel, then in a roadside situation it should be safer too. The limited speed and mileage before getting a repair isn't really an issue for us either, as if I get a puncture a tyre repair place is probably going to be my next stop. The only major downside I can see is that in the event of major damage which actually split the tyre, you would be stuffed, but that's what the RAC is for.

Have I missed any significant issues here, and what are people's thoughts? Worth chasing the salesman for a proper spare, or leave things as they are? (The guy is very willing to give us a spare wheel kit if we are willing to wait, so that's not a problem.)

anotherbaldrick

Your big problem is if you hit debris in the road or kerb the wheel and shred the tyre. If this happens you are not going anywhere with only a pressure gunge kit in the boot, even getting the AA out will not get you mobile. There are manufacturers who give you a skinny spare as standard (VW for one ) and I am staying with them . Just don't fancy being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a destroyed wheel and unable to get going because the manufacturer was parcemonious with equipment.

facade

Get the proper full size spare wheel.

My car came with some ridiculous bicycle wheel instead of a spare.
Due to some loophole in The Law, it is actually possible to fit this and use it to complete a journey (very gingerly, at reduced speed for a small mileage).
However, it is an offence to make a new journey with it fitted, so you can't actually go to get the tyre repaired.
You can't go to work using it and wait until a convenient time (e.g. Saturday) to get the tyre repaired.
Also what do you do until Tuesday when the tyre place have had the replacement tyre delivered? (All deliveries of everything happen on Tuesdays)

Imagine how much worse it would be trying to get sealant to work (I've tried a few times, it never works, only reduces the leak). As you say, you split a sidewall, on a Sunday afternoon, get the RAC to transport you home, and then what? How do you get to work on Monday? How do you get to the tyre place?

I had to use The Other Car for 3 days waiting for a new tyre, and to go and take the tyre to be fitted when I had a tyre fail.


I would never even consider a car without a proper full sized spare wheel again, it cost me £90 for a wheel & tyre from the scrapyard, and the only way to get it into the wheel well is to deflate it and carry an electric pump.

vikingaero

Depends on the car and your/her driving habits. If it is a second car then not having a spare isn't a major problem. If you drive locally and close to urban areas then getting a tyre replaced is OK.

What about looking on eBay for a steel wheel and tyre?

If you live in a rural location or drive long distances then not having a spare could be a problem. I went on holiday a few years ago and stayed in Fort William. I was about two hours away on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula when I hit a pothole in the rain. No gunk would repair the tyre. But I had a spacesaver spare which was on the car in 15 minutes and I was able to drive back to Fort William and get a new tyre. For me the value of my leisure time exceeds that of a £100 wheel, tyre and fuel used to carry it for x years especially if I can get mobile in 15 minutes with a proper or spacesaver spare.

Ultrasonic

Richard53 wrote: »

It saves a lot of weight

What does a wheel weigh? 10 kg or so? Fuel economy savings from that are going to be minute. I bet car manufacturers save far more by not providing spares, or selling them as optional extras.

Call me old fashioned but I'd like a spare, and a proper spare at that, not a space saver.

You've probably already read it but there's another thread here that suggests it's harder to find somewhere to get a tyres repaired following one type of emergency repair spray.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Be interesting to see if the salesman is true to his word now he's been paid, they usually forget promises made whilst stalking prey once their hunger has been sated.
Time will tell....similar behaviour to politicians and promises before and after elections.

You may not be worried about a spare but when you come to sell you might be, because some of us will never ever buy a car new or used without a spare wheel.

Gloomendoom

My parents have just ordered a Nissan Qashquai.

No spare wheel supplied although a spare wheel kit is a dealer fit option. The kit includes a jack, a wheel brace and, of course, a spare wheel. No tyre.

!!!!!!?

martinthebandit

The wife's car has an inflation kit instead of a spare and frankly, as there is no way she would even attempt to change a wheel I see it as a plus,

StrongWork

Ultrasonic wrote: »

What does a wheel weigh? 10 kg or so? Fuel economy savings from that are going to be minute. I bet car manufacturers save far more by not providing spares, or selling them as optional extras.

Call me old fashioned but I'd like a spare, and a proper spare at that, not a space saver.

Absolutely agree. Many new cars don't have a spare wheel now. Of course, they can be ordered as an additional cost option!!

Tbh, I don't see what the problem is with having a proper full size spare. I've been fortunate enough to only ever have one puncture in my driving career and that was sorted at the side of the road with the supplied jack.

tberry6686

buying a new car that comes with a spare wheel of any sort is now becoming unusual.
The reasons cited by car manufacturers are
1. Cost - modern alloys cost a small fortune £500 per rim is not uncommon.
2. weight - all to do with the fuel economy figures when people are looking more and more closely at the costs of car ownership.
3. accident damage ratings - most spares are in the boot in a wheel well. This makes it harder to build in crumple zones etc for rear end protection,
4. Allows a bigger boot - important when you consider the size of the boots in some modern cars. You would struggle to get a couple of bags of shopping and a spare wheel in some.

Whether no spare is a good idea or not (for me it makes sense as my cars have different sized tyres on the front and back) is down to personal circumstances.

Richard53

Thanks for these replies, which confirm pretty much my own instincts. When we had to leave the dealership without a spare, I started to think of the positives, but now I agree the negatives outweigh them. I don't think I had thought through the consequences of getting home via the RAC and then being left with a 3-wheeled car. The car is her car (rather than 'our' second car) and she relies on it. We live in a very rural area as well.

I don't want to go for a full-size spare. The boot space is small enough as it is, and a full-size spare would take up a lot of room (and look pretty clumsy). I would be (reluctantly) happy with a space-saver spare, which is what has been offered to us. Apparently the Ford spare wheel kit fits exactly into the well which is currently filled with the inflation kit, so that's OK. Of course, the kit includes jack and wheelbrace, which I would have to source separately (and find space to store) if I got a steel wheel from ebay.

Probably the Ford wheel kit would be a reasonable compromise, and I will make sure we get one asap. (I didn't realise that you couldn't start a new journey with a space-saver, though. I guess we would have to wing it if that happened.)

Thanks all.