[Marc]

Does your car come with a spare wheel?

Just 3% of new cars being sold in the UK come with a spare wheel as standard, according to new RAC research.

In a review of more than 300 models, across 28 brands, a total of eight came with a spare.

The RAC study found that manufacturers are looking to ditch the spare wheel in order to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, to help them become more fuel efficient and reduce emissions.

Does your car come with a spare? I bet there's some people who aren't 100% sure anymore!

[Rolebama]

Originally my car came with 'run-flats', but coupled with the stupidly low profile tyres, it was not a particularly comfortabe ride. I bought five wheels and tyres of a more sensible sidewall depth, and transformed it.
Where I had two wheels buckled on a pothole in Beds, I have heard that some cars with alloys had them broken, which made me more appreciative of carrying a spare.

[Drivingforfun]

Just a can of slime to squirt into the tyre.

I did want a spare but there is nowhere special for it to go, except for the boot - where it would use up two thirds of the space. I don't want a space saver as they are limited in both speed and distance capability - same as the can of slime - so might as well just use the slime to drive to a garage.

[Santa]

My spare is a space-saver, and I have used it twice in the seven years I have owned the car.

I would be concerned about the "slime" because there are limits on the holes it can repair. It would be no use on a ripped sidewall for example.

The downside of having a spare wheel, full-size or space saver, is that you are using fuel to lug 40kg or so for thousands of miles - just in case.

[Drivingforfun]

That is a good point, Santa.

I may enquire into a space saver, then. I have a "second boot" under the boot floor which is about 8 inches deep, would be ideal if a space saver fitted in there.

I wonder how much fuel economy you lose by having a spare wheel? I get 36 mpg in my car and have figured, based on my mileage, I'd spend £25 per year per 1% additional fuel used, so should be negligible hopefully?

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by Rolebama

Originally my car came with 'run-flats', but coupled with the stupidly low profile tyres, it was not a particularly comfortabe ride. I bought five wheels and tyres of a more sensible sidewall depth, and transformed it.
Where I had two wheels buckled on a pothole in Beds, I have heard that some cars with alloys had them broken, which made me more appreciative of carrying a spare.

More appreciative if you were carrying two ...

[Rolebama]

It is my personal experience that none of the slime-types work on cars. Brilliant on pushbikes with tubes though.