Did You Know: Many New Cars Don't Come With Normal Spare Tires?
Did You Know: Many New Cars Don't Come With Normal Spare Tires?
It’s True!
Now, for the most part, you’ll find that it’s smaller, more compact cars that ultimately don’t come with a spare. The reason is that between forty or fifty pounds are tied up in such spares, and that hurts gas mileage. Also, many tires are designed to “run flat” for a few miles, allowing you to get to a tire place. Thirdly, it saves the manufacturer money.
What will usually come in the “spare tire area” if your vehicle doesn’t include a spare is an air pressure and sealant kit. Unless you get substantial damage to your vehicle, you’ll be able to fix the issue quick and get back to the road, or at least find your way to a tire shop.
This is going to be the case with about one in three vehicles that are new. This has been a trend which started around 2006, when 1 in 20 new cars didn’t come with a spare. Gradually, that number has dialed up to 28 out of 100 cars without spares as of 2017. So what does this mean to you as a driver?
For one thing, you’re going to have to find out how those pressure and patch kits work—here’s a link to help give you an idea. Alternatively, you can just go out and buy a tire that fits your make or model, as well as a jack, and keep them where the air pressure patch kit normally rests under the rug cover in the back of the car.
Making Leverage Lemonade Out Of Non-Spare Lemons
The following AAA article from 2017 lists a few popular makes and models that don’t have a spare tire. Here’s what you’re going to want to do: when you’re buying a new car, don’t just assume there will be a spare tire. Check for it, and if you don’t see one, ask the dealer what gives. Sometimes they can throw one in, sometimes they won’t.
This shouldn’t be a dealbreaker, but it can be a bargaining point at a dealership. You’ll have less success at a used car lot because they won’t generally have those parts available. Or perhaps you’ll have more, if you take on a strained expression and squint your eyes, scratching your chin and looking unhappy. This could be a good way to get $100 knocked off the asking price.
Getting The Best Bang For Your Buck
Modernity is fraught with changes, some for the better, some for the worse. New cars are faster, sleeker, smarter, and last longer. But they’re lighter, more delicate, and a lot of them don’t even include spare tires. This does seem to be the case with technology: there’s always some sort of tradeoff.
So understand what the situation is regarding the vehicle you’re considering the purchase of, and determine whether you want to try and get a discount from the seller, buy your own additional spare, learn how to use an air compressor and sealant, or some combination of all three. For more info on trends in the auto industry, check out our blog at Anybody’s Autos!