No Spare Tire

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

 

I can’t recall a statement like that from Toyota. The 5th Gen Prius owners manual even has a section on the use of the spare, with the proviso “if equipped” or another, similar phrase.

The plug-in version does encroach on spare tire well IIRC, but not so for hybrid version, including those with AWD.

My take: the reason they cut the spare is much $impler.

Best case scenario, assuming you’re within cell phone range: tow truck (eventually) arrives, gets you and your car somewhere, sometime. It’s almost certain to delay and inconvenience you, considerably more than 1/2 hour to swap in the spare.

 

When the 4th Gen Prius came out, there was actually room for a full size spare because that was sold in Israel, IIRC. I wonder what Toyota sells there for 5th Gen. I do not recall what they sold there for the Prius Prime.

 

Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.
Especially where there's no cell service in the middle of nowhere.

 

I’m sure that’s a rhetorical question, but what the heck: under the hatch floor.

 

To make room under the hatch floor could be as simple as making the floor higher.

I agree that the space beneath the current floor doesn't appear to be optimised. Yet cars far smaller than the Prius have had spares historically, so leaving the spare out of the equipment can't be just a matter of insufficient room.

 

Apologies, missed that you have the plug-in.

 

Yeah you could have a blowout or nick a curb and ruin the tire on the road, and then you need roadside assistance. But the most likely scenario is a leak from a puncture, in which case the TPMS will go off before you actually get a flat. Having a tire inflator that plugs into the cig lighter will allow you to top off tires till you can get to a tire place to address the leak. Such as Slime 40051 - look it up on Amazon. This is different than the provided repair kit, which shoots gunk into the tire, and I would not recommend.

 

I believe on the RAV4 PHEV, the traction battery is located outside the passenger compartment. I think it is liquid cooled.Engineering always has potential solutions.

 

I've had a couple of flats with our 2010.

First was a slow leak, due to finishing nail. Dealership said it was too close to edge of tread to patch. I believe they're only allowed to do inside/outside plug repair, which does need more room. I got-and-used a plug repair kit (old-school, outside-only), used that tire for maybe another 8 years.

Then maybe a year later, parked at a mall, noticed a tire near-flat: it had picked up a small bolt. This was snow tires, without TPMS. Put on the spare, drove home, plug repaired the flat indoors (it was near-zero that day), aired it up with bicycle pump. Drove on that one for another 7~8 years as well.

 

Complete flat tire on the road without warning - unlikely. That's why I'm also fine and happy to have no spare.

Slow leak that sets off TPMS before your tire goes flat, requiring topping off your air - way more likely to happen at some point. It's happened to me at least 5 times over the years.

 

It would be nice if they just offered a spare in the parts department for a reasonable price, instead of making customers search high and low for the correct size at a decent price