So, when did they stop putting spare tires in cars?

Buy a Dodge Challenger. You can get 6 tire/wheel sets. 4 wide street tires and 2 narrow tires for the front when you go to the strip!
 
I work in sales yes, but not automotive sales.

Perhaps the idea doesn’t seem so foreign to me because I like B-segment cars. In a lot of them the question becomes “where are you gonna put a spare?” Then when you look at the optional spare, it takes up cargo space, and in my cars case it cost over $400. To reiterate, $400 for a spare tire is what four years of Triple A roadside assistance insurance costs. With tows being pricey I’d be buying the Triple A anyway.

Again though, I researched all this in the process of shopping. I car shopped for a year and a half before finally making the purchase.

This whole “cars have always come with them” argument just doesn’t float with me if somebody knows exactly what they’re buying. Who spends thousands of dollars without knowing exactly what they’re buying?

When it comes to a watch, amplifier or someone spending thousands of dollars will generally know exactly what they are buying.

When you're talking about cars, which are not luxury, status or recreational items (I'm talking about regular cars not exotics or sports or whatever might be considered an "enthusiast" car), many people walk onto a dealer with certain assumptions. Most people don't do ANY research at all. They just want a good car to take them to work and not break down.
 
. Most people don't do ANY research at all. They just want a good car to take them to work and not break down.

My dear wife is looking for a car and her method is mostly to go to used car lots and walk around looking at them. I just bought one myself and it required a lot of reading and watching online video reviews from Motor Week. I don't see how you can really know anything without some research.

Anyhoo...for years I've gone to the junkyard for a used full sized wheel and put a used tire on it (either bought from a tire shop or the best one of the 4 I'm replacing at new tire time), and that's my spare. I also keep a full sized (20-24") breaker bar in the trunk with the proper socket for the car. They're only $9.99 at Harbor Freight with a coupon, plus the cost of a decent socket. Pays for itself the first time you use it to change a tire. Even a not-so-strong person can change a tire with a breaker bar.

My new ride is a 2015 Honda Civic. It has a donut - I know because I inspected the entire car including the trunk before buying. Fortunately it has a spare wheel well deep enough to hold a full size spare - they filled up the space with a chunk of foam. So I'm off to the junkyard. :thumbsup:

Teach your kids, and get your spouse a breaker bar and socket and show them how it's done.
 
Enthusiasts aside a car is, in general, a big purchase for anybody. I’ve never understood why somebody wouldn’t do their own research, or how somebody out of the blue just decides to buy a car. I know it happens, but I sure as hell don’t get it. I don’t think irresponsible behavior on the part of the consumer should be pandered to and promoted. This represents the lowest common denominator of car buyers.
 
On pricey cars, the run-flat tires are an excuse not to offer a spare. Quite frankly I would prefer a spare (since I have had a couple of blowouts in my day--no inflator can fill a tire where half the sidewall has blown apart), but it's a trend, and it'll continue. If nobody would buy a car without a spare, then I guess nobody will own a car in 50 years time. Just sayin'. ;)
Sorry but you would be wrong. Compared to the cost of some of the current technologies to squeeze an additional .05 mpg out of a current production vehicle, eliminating the unneeded weight of a spare tire was a no brainer.
And it's not just the weight of the spare tire and jack--it's a nibble out of a bigger slice of pie. The more nibbles they can do on a particular model, the more they can get closer to eeking out a 1.00 MPG increase in mileage. And that is partly due to the MPG standards the government forces on the automakers. The move to small turbocharged likewise results in a weight savings. Again it might only be half a mile per gallon but, all of those weight savings add up. I think of it like scraping up $
My new ride is a 2015 Honda Civic. It has a donut - I know because I inspected the entire car including the trunk before buying. Fortunately it has a spare wheel well deep enough to hold a full size spare - they filled up the space with a chunk of foam.
Did you measure the depth? I'm good with the mini spare, but I noticed in my old CR-V that while the space underneath the picnic table was quite deep, it was not quite deep enough to hold a full-sized spare. (The full-size spare was on the rear door, but they had an "Executive" model in Japan where they eliminated the rear door spare and used a mini spare in the "trunk".) It did hold my Bazooka sub nicely, though. :D My newer CR-Vs have the deep well with the foam--I should measure to see what really would fit in there.
 
Enthusiasts aside a car is, in general, a big purchase for anybody. I’ve never understood why somebody wouldn’t do their own research, or how somebody out of the blue just decides to buy a car. I know it happens, but I sure as hell don’t get it. I don’t think irresponsible behavior on the part of the consumer should be pandered to and promoted. This represents the lowest common denominator of car buyers.
We also have to consider that many drivers out there are not us. They haven't changed a spare in their entire lives on the road--they'll call roadside assistance instead. The last three cars we've had, the mini spares had never been touched, and these were several years old. For auto manufacturers to do away with something that apparently many people do not use, it actually makes sense and it will be more commonplace as time goes on. I may not like not having an actual spare (due to past blowouts I've had) yet I can also adapt to it, and it definitely is not a deal breaker. I am also in future years not going to drive around a 30 or 40 year old POS just because of a frickin' spare tire issue. For me, reliability, safety and resale value trump the inclusion of a spare when I'm considering an automobile purchase. And since I limit the models I look at, I pretty much know anyway what the car has in terms of equipment.
 
Well depending on what you are shopping/driving--what are you going to do with the dead/damaged tire/rim when you put on the temporary "donut" should you have one? Modern vehicles are using larger and larger diameter and much wider low-profile tires, and if you pull one off, where are you going to put it?
 
Well depending on what you are shopping/driving--what are you going to do with the dead/damaged tire/rim when you put on the temporary "donut" should you have one? Modern vehicles are using larger and larger diameter and much wider low-profile tires, and if you pull one off, where are you going to put it?

Well, it should fit in the trunk. The kind of car that has the really big tires are usually SUV types and they have plenty of room or sports cars and they have run-flat or those goop cans. Your average Toyota Tercel won't have a 20 inch rim.
 
I drove Detroit to Denver and back twice this year and once you get to western Kansas and Nebraska don't be surprised to lose your connectivity. Don't count on your road service being a phone call away and be ready for a long wait if something goes wrong.

Actually, I always carry a full toolbox to deal with whatever happens and have replaced starters, hoses, fans, belts and idler pulleys, as well as numerous flat tires over the last 50 years. I'll always have a spare in my car, as I'd rather change it and go on than wait for someone to bail me out...
 
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Did you measure the depth? I'm good with the mini spare, but I noticed in my old CR-V that while the space underneath the picnic table was quite deep, it was not quite deep enough to hold a full-sized spare. (The full-size spare was on the rear door, but they had an "Executive" model in Japan where they eliminated the rear door spare and used a mini spare in the "trunk".) It did hold my Bazooka sub nicely, though. :D My newer CR-Vs have the deep well with the foam--I should measure to see what really would fit in there.

I haven't actually, I'll do that. Maybe the manual will say something (yes, I read them). My old Mazda MX-6 had a donut and a full size wheel stuck up so there was a bump in the floor. Actually the wife's '02 Accord has the same problem. At first we put some inch-thick foam blocks around the outside of the wheel well so that thin carpet-covered Masonite cover had something to support it around the outside. Then we figured out the panel was flexible enough to bend down around the edges so now it's just a humpy floor.

I just feel a lot better with a real spare, since I drive on the highway a lot. That way I don't have to poke along at the recommended 55 mph max donut speed. If it takes a couple days to get the tire replaced, I can just keep driving it.
 
I haven't actually, I'll do that. Maybe the manual will say something (yes, I read them). My old Mazda MX-6 had a donut and a full size wheel stuck up so there was a bump in the floor. Actually the wife's '02 Accord has the same problem. At first we put some inch-thick foam blocks around the outside of the wheel well so that thin carpet-covered Masonite cover had something to support it around the outside. Then we figured out the panel was flexible enough to bend down around the edges so now it's just a humpy floor.

I just feel a lot better with a real spare, since I drive on the highway a lot. That way I don't have to poke along at the recommended 55 mph max donut speed. If it takes a couple days to get the tire replaced, I can just keep driving it.

Ditto. My 2006 Lexus has a full sized spare on a regular rim. So if I get a flat, I just switch the tires and keep driving wherever. Then the flat tire becomes the spare. Only if I get a flat near the time of replacement (I usually do all 4) will I switch back to the original tire. Otherwise, if tread depths are similar, the blown tire gets repaired (and cleaned) and stays in the trunk!
 
And again, you assume that all cars come with run flat tech and road service. Did you forget that I mentioned that before?
No I don't, and never did. I've taken one and two-year-old Korean cars in trade and always found that to be the case. This thread came as no surprise to me. I do find it funny on the Hyundai site they offer an "accessory" spare kit with jack and wheel available through the local dealerships for $202.00. The tire is not included!

spare%20tire%20kit.jpg


Factory approved, space‐saving Spare Tire Kit. Includes wheel, jack, lug wrench, hold‐down clamp and foam tool case. Fits in trunk. Spare tire not included.

Notes: Eco Model Only / Tire Sz T125/80D15 (Sold Separately)
Item#: F3F40 AU000
 
When it comes to a watch, amplifier or someone spending thousands of dollars will generally know exactly what they are buying.

When you're talking about cars, which are not luxury, status or recreational items (I'm talking about regular cars not exotics or sports or whatever might be considered an "enthusiast" car), many people walk onto a dealer with certain assumptions. Most people don't do ANY research at all. They just want a good car to take them to work and not break down.

Precisely. We needed two new delivery vehicles, Hyundai Accents seemed reasonably priced with decent reliability. I prefer not to speak to car salespeople for reasons that are well known. Working through Costco, I got a per-negotiated price, vehicle VIN's and descriptions (stickers) were emailed to me. Very little work on my part except to sign the paperwork. That is effortless shopping.

On my three personal vehicles, one has a full size but w/o TPM sensor, the second a compact inflatable spare and the third is run flat. And yes, I have and use AAA.
I have had two blowouts with newer tires and if you are ever in this situation, SIL is the operative word. A matching tire is not always readily available.
So why should I not be concerned with cars being sold without a usable spare, and/or not told about it at the time of purchase?

I do not expect car sales people to agree with me since I have no interest in your opinion. I was simply responding to an OP who happened to be a consumer.
 
I was telling my boys about this thread and up came one of 'Daddy's' old-skool pick up scenarios'.

How many of us pulled over to help a helpless young thing (the pretty ones of course) back in the day with changing her flat? I know I did, and it led to many an enjoyable meal or drink... ;)

No spare tires, means my boys won't be able to rescue all those cute girls that can't undo their nuts to change a tire. :)
 
I have worked with a lot of dealers making commercials for them and as a consequence of that I got to meet a lot of the salesmen and managers. They all had one thing in common. A disdain for the customer. A real kind of inexplicable hatred. As if somehow, the customer was trying to cheat them out of house and home. I'm not "making an interpretation" here but recalling the vitriol that they spewed. I never understood it.

I would always think that if instead of blaming the customer for being uninformed, maybe trying to help them and using the vast amount of knowledge they had to assure a good value for the customer and a fair price for the salesperson (because after all, the person is probably making the biggest monetary commitment they will ever make besides buying a house) would have made everything much easier.

And then they have to run the gauntlet of financing. And lately the useless third party extended warranty (manufacturer extended warranties are awesome and a great value on a luxury or any type of higher end vehicle). I laughed at a guy trying to sell my 83 year old mother (who still drives very well thank you) a third party extended warranty on a Hyundai that still had 7 years left on its original warranty! To the tune of $3500! Thankfully I was there. I'll bet the loss of that sale was because I'm an informed asshole. So either way, informed or uninformed the customer is an asshole. Thank God for the internet.

Should I mention the $400+ per hour charge for labor at the Lexus dealer in North Miami? I'll bet objecting to that is also "so unfair" and all my fault for "being uninformed" and not doing my homework.

And that's why not telling the customer there's no spare tire is bullshit. :)
 
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