no spare wheel in new car

There's a comfort in having a proper spare wheel in the boot that I just can't get with the spacesaver thing no matter how I read the adverts . For me, it's a mod con too far.
 
mathepac said:
Your Bugatti Veyron seems to be very hard on tyres.
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I wish I was looking for 205x15x55. Apparently as most cars now have 16" and bigger getting low profiles in the smaller 15" size was a problem. 195x15x60 would be far more common aswell. I was also trying to match up the same make/type of a tyre.
 
aircobra19 said:
I wish I was looking for 205x15x55. Apparently as most cars now have 16" and bigger getting low profiles in the smaller 15" size was a problem. 195x15x60 would be far more common as well. I was also trying to match up the same make/type of a tyre.
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205 15 55? Extremely rare tyres all right. There are a few online dealers that sell quality low profiles at extremely low prices and are very reliable.... Just Google it...

I like that idea that some people believe a spacesaver wheel provides them with more piece of mind than a run flat tyre. Naturally the run flat tyre provides a much better service should a puncture occur. You simply activate the run-flat system and the wheel re-inflates itself and can be driven at up to 50 miles per hour for about 150-200 miles. Run-flat tyres have been extensively tested and work in almost 100% of cases. I think the results of Goodyear tests were one out ten thousand tests failed.

The run-flat system is different to that of the sealant, provided by the MX5 and RX8, I believe this system to be sub standard.

You can of course elect to use a spacesaver tyre instead of the run-flat system. The dealer usual charges about €80-100 to supply a spacesaver as opposed to run-flats.

The one downside about run-flats is that they are expensive, for a 205x45x17R 84V you're looking at about €145 for the tyre alone. If you purchase the tyre through BMW dealers in Ireland they'll charge you €250 plus VAT for the tyre!! Of course this shows the competiveness of Irish BMW dealers!!

Anyway I recently found out that BMW dealers in the North offer insurance for run-flats. The only stipulation being that the tyre must have at least 2mm thread depth when taking the insurance out. It costs about £150 for one year and £300 for three years, the insurance covers up to four tyres. It’s a pretty good deal and they’ll insure southern cars that the sell!

Unfortunately for all you people opposed to technological advances Run-Flats are here to stay. Almost every tyre company is piling investment into the area. For all those against technology, did you there is something called SatNav?! Imagine not carrying a road map, it madness!!!!
 
Out of curiosity who fits the tyres you buy online?

Seems like all these technological advances are very expensive. For what they offer. All that money to save you changing a wheel which takes 5 mins and then you can run as fast and as long as the tyre is rated for. Repair is a fraction of the cost, for most punctures.

Sat Nav has it place. But its not like people couldn't find they're way around before they existed, so its a nice to have not a need to have.
 
I get them put on in the local garage. They service lawnmowers and repair punctures etc... Generally only charge a fiver a tyre!
 
Between myself and the wife we've had 2 punctures in the last 12 years. One car one that was repaired in no time and one bike one that cost a few quid as I had to get the bike picked up.

Looking at it logically, the spare is a waste of space. For us at least, punctures are a rarity.
 

You can be sure of one thing - the minute you find yourself without a spare, you'll get a puncture.

It will also be a Bank Holiday Weekend, you absolutely will have to make this journey - a two hour drive, you are already running late, and, when you go looking, the fellow that could have helped you out will be gone to a football match in the next county. It will also be raining.

All this is governed by the same Law Of The Universe that ensures that the wiper rubber will always wear out on the drivers side, never on the passenger side, and which ensures that you will be stuck behind a lorry on a wet and dirty road when your windscreen washer will be empty.
 
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