FuelEconomy.gov official ratings posted - 58 City/53 Hwy Prius Eco - 54 City / 50 Hwy for Prius

It's readily available on Toyota techinfo David, is that where you got it?

 

(blush) I don't remember. I think I just clicked on a link in a posting. But probably yes.

 

So do I but deleting the spare tire is a deal-breaker for me. I like the Two Eco otherwise but unless you can opt. to replace the tire repair kit and put a spare back in, I'd not go for this one. No spare tire is just too risky.

 

The risk, for the general population, is quite low.
Crossing a street probably has a higher risk.

You may have particular conditions where you are prone to flat tires.
I have had three tire issues in the last 25 years. All three caused slow leaks which resulted in me driving in to get the tire fixed/replaced.
I prefer saving fuel over having a spare just in case the "what if" situation arises.

I would have been better served carrying a spare alternator belt or something such as that

 

as roger goodell said, 'sitting on your couch is riskier than playing pro football'.

 

The risk is fairly low but peace of mind is important to me so a real ready to go spare tire is far more assuring than a tire repair kit that may not work anyway. Toyota should offer the option of replacing that kit with a compact spare. All you need to see the logic is to have a flat in a really bad neighborhood or road.

 

Good idea. Offer an option to swap over to a spare equipped model, with all that entails: different foam inserts, possibly a different deck, and at a reasonable cost, say keep it under $300.

Now if the vast majority of customers are opting for that swap, do the right thing: make the spare standard on all levels, asap.

 

By the way, the weight of the spare is so small, it's not significant to me. You do as you want but Toyota should offer a choice. EPA FE numbers bragging counts for a lot but a lot of buyers want more more practicality and peace of mind. In my book, deleting the spare is a bad idea that will only come back to bite buyers in the butt.

 

Sure, and plugging that half inch hole in your insulation provides very little added efficiency. But over time, it adds up.
I have no problem with Toyota making it an option, as long as they don't make it standard.
Can't you buy one?

What if you have a second flat in a really bad neighborhood? Perhaps you should carry two spare tire

 

^ The odds of having a single flat are by far the best bet. If you've just got a couple of flats, odds are you've actually got four flats, ran over a spike strip, lol.

 

Sure, but where do you draw the line?
The odds, in my experience, of breaking a belt are greater than getting a flat, so should people be carrying spare belts?
BTW, I know people that have had two flats in one day, and it wasn't a spike strip

All I'm saying is the odds, with modern tires, of getting a flat are, for most people, very small. Not worth carrying around the weight of the spare, spare wheel, jack and reducing the aerodynamic drag of the car, or reducing the cargo capacity.

 

Belts and flat tyres. This topic is fuel economy. Oh, and there is no belt on a GIII or GIV.

??????

 

No offense but that is just absurd. Never had a belt break but have had innumerable flats, many of the unfixable variety (sidewall puncture, blowout etc.) I have kids and where as they all can and do change flats, no one is going to change a belt on the fly.

 

A timing belt is quieter, and can provide an efficiency gain over the chain.

Guess they never sold any of these then.
Emergency Fan Belt Repair Kit

None of the flats I have had during my driving years were unrepairable, and many were still drivable after just being pumped back up with the little compressor I keep onboard. Tires are just better than they used to be. Just like the accessory belts that many cars still use.

 

Yes, and the focus is the unnecessary loss of efficiency due to a spare tire/wheel/jack.
In the last 30 years, I have had one flat and two broken belts that have put me at the side of the road.
The other tire damage incidents I have had have both been slow leaks which I was able to drive on to a tire shop (one required a fill, but no goo).

Now, I'm not saying that some people may drive in areas where they get more flats, or through areas where it would be hazardous for them to stop to fix a flat/wait for AAA.
What I am saying is this is not a common thing now-a-days.

 

Exactly, an option. According to an article in Car and Driver, deleting the spare saves 65 lbs. I didn't think it weighed that much but Toyota could offer a lightweight compact spare made from lighter alloys or possibly carbon fiber. Maybe then you'd have a spare weighing less than half of what C&D says the typical Prius spare does. That would be a good compromise to offer that as an option to replace the tire repair kit at extra cost for buyers like me. In your case, I suggest having a good road service membership like AAA in case you've a flat the tire repair kit can't fix, like a badly shredded tire. But I feel comfortable having just one spare tire, thank you.

 

That doesn't sound right. The models without spare still come with a jack and it's peripherals, I believe. And they've got the pump and sealant. FWIW, I just weighed a 15" Corolla steel rim with a 195/65R15 snow tire, it came in at 35 lb. I'd speculate the temp spare is around 25 lb., 30 at most. Can't weigh it directly, my better half is off with the car.

 

I think you're right. I think C&D's estimate is way off. No way my own Gen 3 16" spare tire weighs more than 40 lbs., if that.

 

I question the point of buying a Two Eco for the better MPG due to reduced weight then ADDING the weight back. Why not just buy the Two?

 

This is true; it's not common. However, at a cost of maybe 1/4 to 1/3 MPG, if that, I'd rather have that extra tire in case one of the other ones is shredded beyond the ability to repair with that kit. Things happen and you can't avoid all contingencies. That small loss of MPG is a small price to pay for peace of mind and more convenience in just such an event. I hit a pothole once with a nearly new tire and bubbled it into undrivability. Without that spare, I'd have needed to call AAA and wait longer on the road shoulder for them with a flatbed. So I don't ever want to be without one. If you want to take a chance, that is your perogative. If I can buy I spare and put it into the well with the Two Eco, I'm fine with that but if not, I'd just have to look at the other models.