Spare Tire For 2010 Prius...

A full size spare will not fit in the spare tire storage area.

 

I had wondered why I got a full sized spare instead of a space saving one. But on reflection, I think that a full sized spare is my preference. i have a full sized spare alloy wheel. This fits in the space but intrudes significantly into the space below the boot.

 

Which brings us to the basic question: do we need to carry a spare tire?
Over the past 20 years of driving, i've only had two tires go flat on the road. The tires were past their tread life mileage so i knew to carry a spare. I'm going to remove the compact spare in my Prius, weigh it and make a decision to carry (or not) a spare, then.

 

What you said does not make a bit of sense namasteflc.....

Rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it

 

YOU NEED A SPARE!!!!!! Trust me..... please read my "Murphy" thread!

 

You have had 'excellent' luck. Mine has been merely 'good'.

While the trend over my one-third century driving career is encouraging, the poor luck early on is enough to keep me from going without a spare for this entire lifetime.

 

Bought a brand new vehicle back in 2005 and got a flat within the first 48 hours of ownership. Nail in the center. Glad I had a spare. Lucky for some to never get a flat but others are not so lucky.

10 years ago or so, was driving on the highway from Florida to the cowboy state and got a flat. Anyone who thinks that not having a spare just to save a dime or two on the cost savings, specially for a Hybrid is just nuts.

 

On July 8th, driving our 2007 Prius, I said to my wife "funny, how long has it been since we had a flat tire? We used to get them all of the time but it has been years since the last one.". One hour later, I ran over a board with a nail in it and the rear driver side tire was flat in seconds. The car was filled with "stuff" from a house we were cleaning out and we were still 300 miles from home, so we unloaded the car on the side of the road and proceeded to get the flat tire off and put on the donut tire. Surpisingly we were still getting over 50 mpg with the donut for the 60 mile drive to the closest Toyota dealer - could be because of the extraordinary slow speed we were driving that caused many, many people behind us to wave a one finger salute to us in sympathy.

 

I would also recommend that you check the spare tire pressure at least once a month. If you have someone else service your car, ask them specifically to check the pressure in the spare. Most places are happy to check the four on the ground, but hardly ever think of the hidden fifth wheel.......

Ugliest thing in the world is a flat tire and a flat spare.......

 

But in the UK the glass roof model does not come with a spare just a Can Repair Kit.

 

My Smart has no spare, but it does come with an air pump and a can of tire flat fixer.

 

A long time ago during the oil embargo in 73 it was determined that if the requirement for a spare tire and jack were dropped during the design phase of an automobile that the automobile would lose at least 200 lbs. Now that sounds crazy, but the spare and jack eat up storage space and add weight so a slightly smaller car would have the same interior room as a car with a spare tire, slightly smaller tires, brakes, wheels, engine, transmission etc. etc. would be required so the "snowball effect" adds up to a couple of hundred pounds.
If you took a couple of hundred pounds off of every car out there, there would be a significant savings in fuel expended.
Spare tires don't really make sense for most people, but the consumer wants them, so we have them, but as a whole we would be better off without them.