Seems that heaps of cars are sold without a spare nowadays. Our Ford Fiesta (great little car, though) has a dinky wee pump with sealant. Fine for a small leak, but useless if you have damaged the side wall. Apparently they are saving weight, but you are in strife if you get a sizeable puncture. Happened on Saturday arvo, all tyre places closed, plus the tyre has to come from Akld - unusual size with assymetric tread. No jack or wheelbrace either. Anyone else had these issues!
pebbles61,
Apr 16, 12:48am
Motorcycle riders manage without a spare lol.
But I agree, for a car it is very annoying. Sod the weight saving!
peterg1,
Apr 16, 12:54am
Agree - sod the weight saving! Went to Ford - they now sell a spare tyre kit (space saver) for $470!
motorboy2011,
Apr 16, 12:56am
I have had more mechanical engine failures and electrical faults than flat tires.
gunhand,
Apr 16, 1:05am
Cold comfort when ya stuck on the side of the roadat 2am in the dark and its pissing down with rain and ya tyres shagged. Itsbad enough changing one in those conditions as it is. But, flat tyres dont seem as common these days, but in saying that wife got a screw in her tyre last weekend, went flat in the driveway though so not so bad. I think its kinda lame not having a spare as well. They seem to be putting more pointless electronics in cars than usefull items now.
pebbles61,
Apr 16, 1:08am
$470 for a sodding space saver and I bet the car still doesn't have a decent space in the boot for it! (i.e. it just rolls around in the back)
cjohnw,
Apr 16, 1:09am
One of the very, very few advantages of run-flat tyres IMO.
a18a,
Apr 16, 1:52am
flag that. you could buy a space saver kit off me for only $400
neville48,
Apr 16, 2:00am
In the handbook of the F40 Ferrari it says in the event of a puncture, have your man fly the spare wheel to you in your helicopter, so what could be plainer and easier than that, come on Ford Fiesta owners.get with the program !
socram,
Apr 16, 2:14am
Agree.Hita sizeable object on the Waikato Expressway and wreckeda run flat tyre - split the sidewall.Home with so little drama that I didn't know how bad it was until I checked it at home.
Replacement tyre wasn't as expensive as every one told me it would be, but I did need to buy two, as they are now on directional tyres only, but in 2002 when the car was built, they weren't.
fordcrzy,
Apr 16, 2:26am
just ring up a ford wrecker and get a WQ fiesta spare wheel.
taipan4,
Apr 16, 5:16am
+ a jack LOL, and wheel brace
pebbles61,
Apr 16, 5:19am
Na just rest the car on your knee and use your fingers to get the nuts off lol
as a teen I used to lift the back corner of my Austin A35 for tyre changes, did one outside Maccas in New Lynn when we had a flat on the way back from fishing, that caused a crowd at the window, got a mate to do the spanner work while the others went & got the food. Did that a few times, & of course as a young fella it never occured to buy a jack.
elect70,
Apr 16, 9:02pm
May be Ok in Europebut here try& get puncture fixed( or any car repair )on a weekend / holidaythese days -impossible
mothergoose_nz,
Apr 16, 9:43pm
google tweels and get some of them. if you can.
rpvr,
Apr 16, 9:53pm
I always get a full size spare for import cars even if there is no room for anything but a space saver. Then at least it'sin the garage and if you can get home on the space saver and then put the full size one on, it saves being stuck over a weekend or holiday period with just the space saver. Applies for those with just the sealant pack too, if you are not too far from home you could get your spouse/friend/whatever to bring the spare out to you.
ceebee2,
Apr 16, 11:19pm
Its all to do with economy.16kg less of weight = better economy. Suzuki Sports don't have them and lots of late model BMW's don't either.The BMW's use run flats which are a unique and expensive tyre. Even GM are suggesting they might use the run flats in Commodores and no spare as an option upon buying for better economy. I used to work for an Auto Breakdown company, similar to AA that towed all these cars to the nearest service station to get the tyre repaired under their roadside braekdown scheme. Not much chop in the middle of nowhere at 3am!
pebbles61,
Apr 17, 12:44am
I'd rather use an extra 0.02mpg for the sake of a decent spare wheel.
peterg1,
Apr 17, 1:25am
They sound pretty cool, though not yet in production.
matthew111,
Apr 17, 3:03am
it is very common and to be expected these days.
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