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The car manufacturing industry is going through a lot of changes recently. One of the most talked-about changes that they have brought is skipping the spare tires in the new cars. For this, many people have a query in their mind:
Why do new cars not have spare tires anymore? The main reason for this is to increase the fuel economy effectively and also give more room back to the owner of the vehicle.
But here, the actual question is – does it help? Well, it does slightly! To know more about the reason and how it has an impact on the performance of the car or the fuel economy, read on.
Why do new cars don’t come with spare tires nowadays?
If you are doing some research or shopping for your new car, currently, then you must have noticed that the spare tires are missing. It is true as most of the cars models (nearly one-third) of 2017 don’t come with a spare tire.
The main reason for ditching the spare tires along with the new car is to reduce the weight added to the car. Without the spare tire and the jack, the carmakers can easily reduce 40 pounds to 50 pounds from the total weight of the car.
When this weight is reduced, it can help the car to slightly increase its fuel efficiency.
Hence, it can offer more miles with every gallon of fuel that you have in your car. In other words, the weight of the car makes an impact on the performance of the car. To ensure that customers get better fuel economy or efficiency, the carmakers are not offering the spare tires with the new cars, these days.
Another big reason for the missing spare tire comes down to room! Spare tires take up quite a bit of room in a vehicle, leaving less capacity for people, luggage, groceries, and more. This is something that is not only better for the owners of the vehicle but is also great in marketing to be able to advertise they have more room than in the past for these things.
Advantages & Disadvantages of having spare tires
The truth is that almost every top-selling or best-selling car manufacturer in America (like Toyota) is ditching the spare tire with the new car models.
While it can be the good news for the customers as their cars can now offer more fuel efficiency, the problem occurs when they face an issue with the tires. Getting a flat tire can be quite a hassle, especially if you don’t have a spare tire with you.
But that should not be a problem with modern cars as most of them come with the standard run-flat car tires. This can offer about 100 miles of drive for finding a car repairing shop.
Yes, these tires cost more than the regular ones. They are reinforced in such a manner that even when they lose the pressure, they can still support the weight of the car to a certain distance.
Will the spare tires disappear in the long run?
The probability of the spare tires being completely disappeared is quite high. For now, about one-third of the car manufacturers have ditched the spare tires completely for their latest models.
In the long run, every car manufacturer is going to apply the same rule. So, the spare tires will eventually disappear.
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What should you do?
In case your new car model doesn’t come with a spare tire, then you have to be well-prepared for the worst situations. Car experts recommend having your own spare tire before you go for a long journey or a road trip.
Also, a regular checkup and servicing of the car tires can be quite helpful for you. Most of the new vehicles come with a monitoring system for measuring the pressure of the tire.
You can keep that handy all the time for monitoring the car tires’ pressure. Even you can opt for the tire that comes with better reinforcement so that it can help you to drive up to a certain mile even when you have flat tires.
The best way to resolve the issue of the missing spare tire is to purchase a flat repair kit! Something like this right here will help you repair the tire, put a slimy substance inside of the tire that will fill any holes, and allow you to get to the next tire repair center. Make sure to have a good portable tire pump like this one as well.
Should they bring back spare tires?
To be completely honest, I think the need for spare tires is behind us. With the repair kits that we have and the network of repair trucks that can help you replace your tire, we don’t really need spare tires anymore.
The added weight and space of a spare tire far outweigh the issues caused by the possibility of needing it.
It should also be noted that spare tires need to be replaced regularly (even if not used), and this is something no one (except maybe Jeep owners) do. This means that spares become increasingly more dangerous to use over time, as they begin to degrade and become drily rotted.
It’s better to just have someone come out and replace the tire for you if you ever run into a damaged tire.
Conclusion
Hopefully, it is completely clear to you that the spare tires can be quite handy. But the car manufacturers are ditching the spare tires completely, these days. In the coming years, the new car models will not have a spare tire with them anymore.
The main reason behind this is to save fuel economy and efficiency. Though the impact of ditching the spare tire is quite slight, it can have a positive impact on the performance of your car. So, make sure to be well-prepared when you don’t have a spare tire with you in your car during the road journeys.
