Warning: No Spare Wheels with new Kia Rio

Unsatisfied

Well, it surprised me. I know punctures are uncommon but I think they are more likely than any other kind of failure and something that can be easily ameliorated if the wheel is to hand. Let's face it, if you need to call a breakdown van the most likely time it will happen will be at say 3am on a filthy Sunday morning in December when you are freezing your kahhoonas and there is a major incident elsewhere that is sucking-in all breakdown resources in the area ... at least that is how it would happen for me!

Gloomendoom

GlynD wrote: »

Now that's odd. The memsahib had an MGF with a spacesaver wheel but it had a little tyre fitted to it. I think the last one I had a full sized spare for was a Merc 320. Never needed it but it could certainly go through tyre, especially rear ones - very torquey car.

I expressed surprise when we first looked at the car and the salesman said that it was because Sportages are used by a lot of caravaners... and a space saver is useless if you have a puncture while towing.

OddballJamie

Unsatisfied wrote: »

Well, it surprised me. I know punctures are uncommon but I think they are more likely than any other kind of failure and something that can be easily ameliorated if the wheel is to hand. Let's face it, if you need to call a breakdown van the most likely time it will happen will be at say 3am on a filthy Sunday morning in December when you are freezing your kahhoonas and there is a major incident elsewhere that is sucking-in all breakdown resources in the area ... at least that is how it would happen for me!

If it's 3am in the freezing cold and I get a flat, first thing I'm doing is calling the AA and I've got a space saver. (I'll throw it in the bushes if they ask) .

Gloomendoom

Unsatisfied wrote: »

Well, it surprised me. I know punctures are uncommon but I think they are more likely than any other kind of failure and something that can be easily ameliorated if the wheel is to hand. Let's face it, if you need to call a breakdown van the most likely time it will happen will be at say 3am on a filthy Sunday morning in December when you are freezing your kahhoonas and there is a major incident elsewhere that is sucking-in all breakdown resources in the area ... at least that is how it would happen for me!

Just buy a space saver or a full size wheel (if it will fit) and stick in the boot. You will need jack and tools too.

jase1

Hyundai and Kia are actually one of the better manufacturers for including spare wheels. It's a pity that even they seem to be bowing to pressure on this one.

Unsatisfied

I will be buying the stuff but it is over £300 - there is no spacesaver available, so it will have to be an alloy wheel. Just wish I had been told about it when I was buying it that's all.

Iceweasel

As said, no spare has become the normal thing these days.

I have run-flats which are good for 50 miles or so, at reduced speed of course, when punctured, on my BMW but for longer journeys I carry a spacesaver.

But the spacesaver still takes up too much space in the boot as there is no wheel-well under the floor.

I normally carry a Mobility Kit which consists of the bottle of latex 'goo' and a very good quality small compressor which I can use to adjust the tyre pressures from time to time.

I also have an aerosol can of the tyre-weld stuff.

A full size spare would be no good to me as it would be much too big and anyhow my rear wheels are a good bit wider than the fronts.

motorguy

Unsatisfied wrote: »

I will be buying the stuff but it is over £300 - there is no spacesaver available, so it will have to be an alloy wheel. Just wish I had been told about it when I was buying it that's all.

Get a spare wheel from a scrapyard, along with a jack and wheel brace.

You should have change out of £50.

Weird_Nev

As cars are being fitted with bigger and bigger wheels, packaging has become a real problem. They just end up taking more space out of your cabin/loadspace. They're also very tricky to design crumple zones around, since you can't rely on them staying where they should be in a collision.
They're also expensive, so a car manufacturer can make a big saving by deleting them across the range.

I've driven a fair few miles in my time, and I've yet to be stranded by a flat tyre. I've had slow punctures that I've driven to a tyre place to get sorted, only twice I think. The important thing is a cursory glance at your tyres before starting your journey, to stop you driving on a deflated tyre that becomes a blow out. That and not ramming kerbs.

Honestly, I drive quite a bit off road now, over jagged rocks and stuff. It's amazing what a tyre can cope with without damage if you just drive with a bit of compassion for them.

Bongles

Weird_Nev wrote: »

As cars are being fitted with bigger and bigger wheels, packaging has become a real problem. They just end up taking more space out of your cabin/loadspace. They're also very tricky to design crumple zones around, since you can't rely on them staying where they should be in a collision.
They're also expensive, so a car manufacturer can make a big saving by deleting them across the range.

And in the relentless quest for ever better mpg and CO2 figures, the weight saving is probably attractive too.