A couple of weeks ago we traded in our 2009 for a 2014, I noticed something a couple of days later, no spare tire, no jack. Instead there was a pump, I called dealer and was informed it comes with a solution like “fix a flat”, it will get you to a garage to get tire fixed or replaced.
Dale Bertram (The Car Guy)
In order to make cars weigh less, many manufacturers are doing away with the spare tire. Certainly less weight increases gas mileage but what should you do if you happen to get a flat? This year 14 percent of new model cars in theUnited Stateshave come up with this solution; you get a quick-fix kit instead.
The kit weighs in at about 20 pounds lighter than a spare and a jack and do not take up much room. If you get a major blow out that is larger than a quarter of an inch it won’t do the job or if the puncture is on the side of the tire instead of the bottom. The manufacturers figure that in most cases it will be good enough as it should take care of flats 85 percent of the time.
The manufacturers also feel that TPMS (tire pressure monitoring systems) will alert you in most cases that you have a leak which you can fix before you have a flat. If buy a new car and insist on a spare you can still purchase one.
Manufacturers are scrambling to get better gas mileage (an average of 54.5 miles per gallon) by 2025 and are doing all they can to make it happen. Not every manufacturer is using this method to help their cause but it is something you need to be aware of. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and start looking for a spare that you aren’t going to find.
Happy Motoring,
Dale Bertram
