I'm driving the 2016 Prius next week. What do you want to know?

What...you want me to get my hands dirty. My cell is my spare.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

Well, I don't strap it down, I usually put it where the donut goes instead of the donut. A problem with the Prius has been that means changing the stuff under the cargo space floor (the hidden compartment), so I've not done that with my Prius (yet).

 

That's a good spare! That's what my wife uses. One time she shredded the tire and completely rimmed it before stopping. Later, she told me she just thought the car was acting a little funny!

Another time she "heard a helicopter flying overhead," and noticed that whenever she stopped at a stop sign, the helicopter stopped too. Fortunately another driver pulled up alongside her and shouted, "Lady, you're driving on a flat tire!"

I've not been able to get the shredded flat tires fixed - I've had to buy new ones each time. When I've asked how she doesn't notice, she says that she's just focused on driving, and doesn't notice things like that very well.

 

at least a donut is better than a can of goop and a compressor, in that situation.

 

Just saying could it be a reason for no spare tire. I know all the stuff about cutting down on weight, space, ect

Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement, Platinum No deductible 8yr / 75,000 miles ... *Unlimited towing to nearest Toyota dealership

 

absolutely. first pip, then lift back. i think some models have it and some don't.

there's nothing like waiting for a tow, riding with the driver to a dealer, finding a ride home if the dealers closed, instead of all the aggravation of jacking up the car, installing the spare, and being on your way.

 

I'm assumin' sarcasm.

 

just 'tween you and me.

 

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had a flat before.

 

Option 1:
Let's see...it's Saturday night around 11:00 PM, your driving 100 miles point A to B and you get a flat. Wait...I have the Platinum plan so I take my new high dollar Samsung XYZ smart phone out and call the number in my new car guide flyer...if I can find it. Finally about 20 minutes later I get someone on the phone that says a truck will call me when I'm next...but they don't know who it will be. So another 30 mins to an hour later a tow company calls and says the truck will be there in about an hour. So here they come and they are taking me to the nearest Toyota Dealership here in the middle of no where (per their contract) and of course they are closed. So now what...they don't open until 07:00 Monday morning and you have no other option but to leave it unless you want to pay someone...a lot!...and besides the car rental places are closed and nobody can pick you up for another hour.

Option 2:
Same scenario. You get out of your car and install your full size or doughnut spare and return home or continue on...depending on the specifics of the trip.

Hummm...which do I choose?

 

when you have to ride with the tow driver, who gets to sit next to him, you, or the missus?

 

Yes, it's true that a flat an an inopportune time could be quite inconvenient.

However, such a situation occurring on a regular car operated mostly in the city, will likely occur on average less than once in an average person's lifetime.

 

Really.......

 

absolutely, just check the stats.

 

What’s worse than a flat tire? The sinking realization that you have no way to fix it. That’s the situation more American motorists may find themselves in as 36 percent of 2015 models are sold without a spare tire, according to new research from AAA. That’s a steep rise from 2006 when just five percent of nameplates omitted a spare. As fuel-economy standards rise to 54.5 mpg for 2025, automakers are desperate to reduce weight and the spare tire is arguably the lowest-hanging fruit. Replacing a spare tire with a four-pound inflator kit can cut as much as 30 pounds from a vehicle’s curb weight, and the donut can be removed without the extensive engineering or major investment other weight-saving technologies require.

AAA identified 136 models that don’t include a spare tire as standard equipment, although some of those vehicles do offer one as an option. Every major automaker, from Acura to Volvo, sells at least one car without a fifth wheel and tire. The list is heavy with sports cars, coupes, and hybrids, where space is at a premium, and German luxury cars and crossovers, which often use run-flat tires.

I googled that but we could also loose 30 lb of weight and balance this thing out and you could buy you a tar.

 

Will AWD be offered in the USA?

 

There is one consolation to counter the trend of disappearing donuts. Modern tire technology means flats are fairly uncommon these days. Tire manufacturer Michelin estimates that drivers average more than 70,000 miles between flat tires. AAA quote

 

that's why i pack a spare.

 

Really? I've got 400,000 on four cars without a single one.

 

I've had 4 or 5 leaks in that many miles, plugged most of them. Took a tire to shop once, they patched it but missed the hole, had to take it back