Poll on "Tire Repair Kit"

No, I didn't see a 500 dollar option listed anywhere and I didn't ask for the original quote on an Eco. Actually didn't know what the difference was until I started reading on here and assumed because it has the selectable modes it was Eco.

 

Yup, it's confusing: there's "ECO" mode, a button on the dash which mainly shifts the gas pedal responsiveness. And there's a level known as "Eco", or "2 Eco":

* Has the "Eco" badge on back bumper
* Has newer lith/ion battery (unlike regular 2 which has older style battery, per all gen 3)
* Omits spare
* Omits rear wiper
* Has special, extra LRR tires
* Somehow achieves about +4 mpg in the tests

 

Interesting, is the new battery lighter? I see the technical specs between the two show the Eco at 3010lbs and the Two at 3075lbs. Can't see a space saver spare, jack and a rear wiper weighing 65lbs.

 

I agree. Even though I carry a plug kit and 12v pump I still keep spares in all my vehicles and the air pressure gets checked every time I change the oil. I can count on one hand the number of flats I've had in the last 30 years and all but one was repaired with a plug. Only one time I shredded a tire and ruined the wheel. That was when I was on my way to LAX at 1am on a Sunday to pick up the wife and ran over something on the freeway at 75MPH. Managed to limp off the freeway and into a gas station smack in the middle of Compton of all places, not cool for a pale face like me. Thankfully a cop saw what happened, pulled in behind me and stayed while I changed the tire. That was all it took to convince me to always have a spare.

 

I have the opposite conclusion. The poll does not show that "the "majority" is not concerned about the issue". It shows that a majority of respondents is concerned. My reasoning is:

• Only one answer clearly fits "not concerned" and it and it has 37% of the votes meaning that 63% of respondents are concerned enough to do something about it.
• People can be concerned, buy it anyway for other reasons and choose to live with the problem (not a poll option)
• People can buy it planning to take other action not covered by the poll
• Concerned people can fail to respond to the poll because no available response is correct for their views.

 

Yes, Toyota uses a Li-ion pack with about the same usable capacity as the NiMH one. Since Li-ion has a wider percentage range of usable charge, it means they can use a smaller and lighter pack overall.

The Eco trim also has higher recommended tire pressures. Bumping your tires up to those levels will yield an improvement in your fuel economy too.

I'd say there are two answers that have people unconcerned. I selected the plug kit one because I have one in my current car with a spare. If it can fix the flat, it is easier than switching wheels, and maybe possible to do so without jacking up the car. I'd use it over the goo, because it avoids the potential issues of the goo.

 

With our third gen I have a temp spare and a plug repair kit. If I got a flat I'd first swap over to the temp spare, drive home, then take the flat inside, plug repair in more comfortable conditions. I've gone through that scenario once now. Still, I keep the plug repair kit in the car, in the under the hatch floor tray: just belts-and-braces.

 

I have a spare.
Every vehicle I have ever owned had a spare tire, either a full size or a temporary.
I understand why people like them, and want them. BUT...

I speculate that eventually most vehicles won't come with spare tires.
For various reasons.
We live in an age of cell phones and road side assistance, in most modern developed countries the chances of being totally stranded without a spare are slim. I also feel that perhaps unfortunately, a growing percentage of younger people simply do not grow up with the mechanical skills needed to change a tire. Not to mention the inherent danger that can come with trying to change a tire on a busy roadside, even if you do know how to do it.
Plus for manufacturers, No Spare Tire, provides the possibility of more storage area, and less weight, along with I would guess a cost savings, as I'd think no "spare option" is as expensive as providing a spare tire and tools to use it.

I'm also sure some vehicles will continue to have spares for a long time, but I think the majority trend for most common personal passenger vehicles is going to be more and more no spare tire.

Therefore if I was looking at a Prius, or any "next" personal vehicle, the lack of a spare tire would NOT be a deal killer to me. Even if it did mean the possibility of a long wait for a tow truck or the rather unpleasant idea of trying to use a repair kit.

If I lived in a rural area, or traveled frequently in parts where getting assistance was problematic? I might adapt. But in North America, the scenario's where I would regret NOT having a spare, seem that they would be rare. My barometer for potential problem is that as long as I'm traveling in "Les Schwab" country, I'm probably OK with my cell phone and a tire repair kit. I just have to get to a place to replace the tire.

I could be wrong, but I think eventually the debate about having a spare or not becomes a moot point.

 

Since we retired, we drive from Canada to the Palm Springs area and back once or twice each winter. Our routes vary and certainly include areas with no cell reception. Even on the I5 there are significant sections where you don't want to be stranded and if help is needed it may not be readily available. The sealant and plug solutions will solve some problems but there is a lot more comfort in having a spare, and even more if it is full size.

 

If you want the spare for long trips and other non-daily driving concerns. I'd suggest a hitch mounted tire mount. It will hurt fuel economy, but likely less than a hitch bike mount, and it could hold a full size spare without any loss of interior space.

 

I love seeing people going 70 mph on one of those temporaries.

Whether you have a spare or not everyone should carry a pump.

 

I had a Chevy Volt and used the included air pump and slime to fix a flat. It got me home, barely, and I took the wheel to a local service station to repair the flat. They could not get the wheel to balance after repairing with a plug. They had to dismount the tire and clean out the slime. It was OK after that. So, if you have a flat and only the repair kit, I would try to fill the tire and try to make it home, or to a service facility, without adding the slime. If the leak is small enough that should work. Luckily, I want a flat floor in the cargo area, so my new Prius will have a spare. Hopefully the Prius will include an air pump, like the Volt, and not just a can of "flat fix".

 

Just another reason NOT to buy/lease a Gen 4.

I have had 2 flats with my prior Priuses (a Gen 2 and Gen 3). One flat was discovered in garage, where I could remove it and take it to shop for repair. The other was on the highway where there was no place to pull over for about 1/2 mile; tire was shredded. No way to repair it.

Could add a spare, like I do in my BMW 335i, but, while I only use the BMW occasionally and can "spare" the trunk space in it, I would use my Gen 4 as a daily driver and a spare would not only get in the way but it would use up a lot of the available space.

So, if I still want to get another Prius, looks like I'm limited to a 2015 Gen 3, which would be fine w/me, especially if I can work a deal w/a dealer who wants to stop paying his flooring costs for the Gen 3's still sitting on his lot.

 

You can't go far wrong with a gen 3; in your shoes I would do the same.

Still, there are some 4th gen models with spares, it's 50/50. Look in this thread for more info:

Visual Tables of Gen4 Package Combinations | PriusChat

I think the writing is on wall, sadly: seems like the spare tire is an endangered specie.

 

Thanks for the info Mendel.

Looks like the 2 and 3/3T have the spare. The Gen 4/2 is just the same as a Gen 3 battery wise. So, looks like it's just a Gen 4/3 or 3T for me BUT there is still the matter of the butt ugly interior . . .

yeah there's a $200 (or $400 according to 1 person) cover-up apparently available but no one should have to pay for that!

 

we all have tough decisions to make in life. this one is pretty easy, no matter which side of the coin you're on. i buy the car i want, and don't let little details bother me.

 

Level 2 doesn't have the gloss white trim pieces. Also kinda basic though, only drivers door touch-to-unlock I think.

 

yeah, that's a bummer.