A puncture now equals a breakdown !

flaneurs_lobster

Was getting my annual MOT/service on my 4yo motor and the mechanic said that "all five tyres are fine".

"Five?".

Chickereeeee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81980935#Comment_81980935

What like the Fiat Tipo?

While most new cars don't offer a spare wheel as standard, many more offer it as an option. Like my Volvo V90 or my wife's Fiesta.

Iceweasel

Many manufactures DO have their own dedicated breakdown service and make a point of emphasising it as part of their new / used car warranty.

Very reassuring.

Often it is part of their European-wide dealership that provides it - that is the case with Audi, BMW, M-Benz, Volkswagen, & Volvo. Not a re-badged AA /RAC thing at all.

Normally for three years with new cars and one year extendable for used cars.

Most German dealerships will have the appropriate tyre sizes in stock.

Others Margues such as Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, & Tesla include / offer differing lengths of time and coverage - they are often provided by the AA, RAC, or other 3rd party provider.

subjecttocontract

Ive had a spare wheel for every car I've ever owned. My wife went for lunch last week with a couple of girlfriends in their car. They got 3 miles down the road and got a puncture. No spare wheel, just a plug kit that didn't work. Took over 2 hours for someone to come out and get them mobile.......they had to cancel their lunch plans. With a spare wheel you're on your way in around 10 or 15 minutes and if you're female you can often persuade someone else to change the wheel for you. Repair kit s ? No thank you.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981011#Comment_81981011

See that girls? No need for expensive breakdown cover! Just show a bit of leg and some dribbling bloke will sort out your car for you.

It's breakdown advice from the Benny Hill Show.

Exodi

Monanore

Electric Most cars now can’t don't usually have a spare wheel or a spacesaver.

I fixed that for you. I believe I've had maybe 5 company cars over the past 10 years (3 ICE, 1 PHEV, 1EV), and I can only remember 1 having a spare tyre. Sometimes you can pay to have it as an optional extra as part of a lease.

Monanore

I'm interested in is how well the different makers' breakdown services have treated them and dealt with the problem. That would help decide which make of car to buy and which to avoid, given that a puncture situation is far more likely than an actual breakdown these days. Is that pointless ?

I don't know what you mean by "makers' breakdown services" (I presume a re-badged AA/RAC policy offered with new cars to encourage sales) but personally, I still think yes. That's an extremely specific thing to factor into a car purchasing decision, I could count the punctures I've had in my entire life on one hand. I tend to buy cars on the make, model, price, etc as opposed to a potential response to a hypothetical breakdown. Also let's forget that the most common type of puncture is a slow one which effectively acts as notice and prevents a breakdown situation. I've personally never had a blowout but appreciate that not everyone is so lucky.

If it helps one sleep, you can also purchase a spare wheel kit (including jack) for most cars for less than ~£200.

If you don't want an EV, you don't have to buy one.

fatbelly

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981022#Comment_81981022

You get it done really quickly to the tune of Yakkity Sax

Bettie

last time I changed a wheel it was a bu**er getting the nuts off. Jumping on the jack handle with all my weight ..8 stone I eventually did it without having to call a man.

Iceweasel

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81981073#Comment_81981073

That's almost certainly because some male 'gorilla' of a mechanic overtightened them.

SiliconChip

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81980935#Comment_81980935

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. My last 2 cars, a Fiesta bought new in late 2015 and a 2021 Yaris hybrid bought second hand in 2024, both came with a space saver spare, and I have actually used the spare on both cars, fortunately when I noticed a flat tyre at home so I was able to use my trolley jack to do the change before driving to my local tyre fitter to have the full size tyre repaired. Clearly neither vehicle meets your description of "very top end" and "the level where the person buying them will have a driver and the car is already huge so the proportional space lost is tiny", and in both cases the boot comes with a spare wheel well to store it so no real loss of space.

The only car I can remember not having a spare was a Porsche Boxster which really didn't have enough space for a spare wheel (or very much luggage!), it did come with a foam repair kit but fortunately I never had to use it.