Is a full size spare tire worth it, and how much should I pay for it?

[johnsmith]

Hi guys,

Very excited as i've just ordered a Mark 2 XR6 Limited Edition, in Mars Red!

Just wondering if a full size space alloy wheel is worth the money compared to the space saver spare - Dealer offered it too me for $500. Is this good value?

Cheers

[xisled]

I would say yes a full spare is better IMO than a space saver. $500 sounds like an ok price for the rim.

[XR6T0Y]

Lol space saver. Might as well drive on nothing

[stang65]

If you want to save a few bucks probably pick up a wheel on the forum or eBay, if your not in a hurry.

[Legit290]

get the spare...good insurance against a pot hole or something damaging one of your original four...touch wood!

plus what if you are out the back of woop woop? you don't want to be driving around on a space saver for any distance if you get a flat

[TheInterceptor]

Full size proper spare will be safer to drive on so yes, i say its worth it mate.

[XR Martin]

If it includes the proper boot carpet to suit, then its worth it. (which is worth a couple of hundred on its own IIRC) Otherwise without the carpet, the full sized spare doesnt fit properly, and makes the already cheap looking boot, absolutely awful..

[flappist]

$500 is a bit much. You will be able to pick up a rim that fits with a new tyre from Bob Jane or where ever for maybe $200-250.

Remember it is just a spare so if it is a different pattern it does not matter and even if it is exactly the same as your current rims it will be backwards when replacing two of the wheels.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by flappist

$500 is a bit much. You will be able to pick up a rim that fits with a new tyre from Bob Jane or where ever for maybe $200-250.

Remember it is just a spare so if it is a different pattern it does not matter and even if it is exactly the same as your current rims it will be backwards when replacing two of the wheels.

You have to e joking right? The tyre alone is worth $380... Rim anywhere between $800 and $1000 knowing Ford. The $500 will be paid just about when due for new tyres as you will only need to buy 3.

[Luke Plaizier]

A Space Saver is fine in the city. Full Size if you do lots of long-distance drivers or drive on gravel roads frequently. $500 does seem reasonable for an OEM wheelwith tyre. I've had my BA XR8 for nearly 10 years and NEVER blown a tyre.

You could sit back and wait for the same to appear on eBay with tyre, but I doubt you'd get a better price for the next couple of years. And if you're financing, get it now and it's on your finance, whereas you'd have to stump up you own cash to get it later.


Lukeyson

[flappist]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

You have to e joking right? The tyre alone is worth $380... Rim anywhere between $800 and $1000 knowing Ford. The $500 will be paid just about when due for new tyres as you will only need to buy 3.

You may want to visit a tyre shop.

It is an XR6 not a GT and apart from new rims that will fit but look different (which is unimportant as it is just a spare) many tyre shops have lots of almost new XR/SS/whatever OEM rims fitted with OEM tyres that have been traded on bling rims with rubber band tyres by people who want their care to look "special".

Often you can buy a full set of 4 for $1000.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by flappist

You may want to visit a tyre shop.

It is an XR6 not a GT and apart from new rims that will fit but look different (which is unimportant as it is just a spare) many tyre shops have lots of almost new XR/SS/whatever OEM rims fitted with OEM tyres that have been traded on bling rims with rubber band tyres by people who want their care to look "special".

Often you can buy a full set of 4 for $1000.

Yes but they will not be the same as what the cars running, plus as I have said when it comes time to replace his 19 inch tyres he will already have 1 ready. If he scrapes a rim or damages one he will also have one spare! $500 now is alot cheaper then $1300 later.

Not really rocket science is it?

[XARATE]

Get the full size steel spare wheel. Its a no cost option (yes you read right- NO cost option) where as the alloy one is pricey

[2011G6E]

The Ford and Holden dealers at Rocky both said the same thing to us when we were car shopping back in February last year.
They automatically fit a matching spare as a no cost option (or they did at the time) as they faced the reality that many of thier buyers were from areas well outside the city, and could potentially be hundreds of kilometers from a tyre shop, much less one stocking their particular tyre given the ridiculous large size of some new car wheels. The wheel well in the boot of our FG could easily fit a tyre much larger than the 19" one that's in there, and given the price the factory would pay for wheels in bulk, there's no excuse not to put a real spare tyre in there.

Our G6E came with a matching 19" turbo wheel. We've had two flats (one tyre blew, the other had a slow leak) at the same time and had to drive 150km to the nearest tyre place. You simply couldn't have done it (legally or safely) with a space saver.

They should call them "money savers"...for the factory.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Yes but they will not be the same as what the cars running, plus as I have said when it comes time to replace his 19 inch tyres he will already have 1 ready. If he scrapes a rim or damages one he will also have one spare! $500 now is alot cheaper then $1300 later.

Not really rocket science is it?

No it is basic automobile ownership.

Firstly why could the tyre shop replacement not be exactly what he has on the new car after all many on here replace their brand new rims.

Secondly replacing 3 tyres and then using the spare which is a different age from a different batch and possible a completely different factory to save a couple of dollars is not really a good idea and would only work if the new tyres were the same brand and model as the OEM.

Thirdly he was looking for other cheaper options. Maybe he has to pay for it out of his own money.

[roberts]

as a future second owner of your car I would expect to see a full size spare.

[99AUXR]

Full sized spare, Driving on space saver is horrible let alone the look and the speed limit.

[Giant Cranium]

id get it because the new limited wheel is a different colour to the standard 19 so finding one to match later will be a pain

[Vesper Martini]

Ill go against the grain of comments. And recommd the space saver.
if you do happen to think you be suffering from tyres blowing out perhaps get a regular falcon spare. most spares are never used, and often have no tyre pressure when required..

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Ill go against the grain of comments. And recommd the space saver.
if you do happen to think you be suffering from tyres blowing out perhaps get a regular falcon spare. most spares are never used, and often have no tyre pressure when required..

While that is sometimes true it is a good idea to check the spare pressure at least every second or third time you check you tyre pressure.

As far as the space saver, my datto had one and I ran over a nail about 400km from home (west of Kingaroy) on a wet day.
Driving 400km at 60-80km/h with significantly reduced grip and "interesting" cornering got very boring after the first 10 minutes or so.
My XRT now has a full size albeit steel rim spare.

[Vesper Martini]

Note maximum speed for a space saver is 80kph and they are not designed to drive 400km. (needs to be taken into consideration)
I have a can of goo for that nail that will cause the tyre to go completly flat.., (but often its a slow leak so you should have time to hope servo to servo)

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Note maximum speed for a space saver is 80kph and they are not designed to drive 400km. (needs to be taken into consideration)
I have a can of goo for that nail that will cause the tyre to go completly flat.., (but often its a slow leak so you should have time to hope servo to servo)

While 400km is a bloody long way on the space spare what was plan B?
Not everyone lives in Victoria with a servo every 10 minutes.

[SteveJH]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Ill go against the grain of comments. And recommd the space saver.
if you do happen to think you be suffering from tyres blowing out perhaps get a regular falcon spare. most spares are never used, and often have no tyre pressure when required..

Its called an air compressor, all cars should have either an air compressor or hand/foot pump in the boot IMO.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by flappist

No it is basic automobile ownership.

Firstly why could the tyre shop replacement not be exactly what he has on the new car after all many on here replace their brand new rims.

Secondly replacing 3 tyres and then using the spare which is a different age from a different batch and possible a completely different factory to save a couple of dollars is not really a good idea and would only work if the new tyres were the same brand and model as the OEM.

Thirdly he was looking for other cheaper options. Maybe he has to pay for it out of his own money.

He is buying a Limited Edition with a special 19 inch rim. I am sure your not going to see those down at Bob Jane anytime soon, not for $1000 anyways.

Plus if you put a 17 inch spare in the boot you can only travel at 80 kms (because its not the same size as the 19 fitted to the car. Bit of a waste of time really.

Not to mention the fact that a full size wheel will not fit in the boot anyways without replacing the carpet, the space savers have a different carpet... Rocket science 101 yet again.

[Jim Goose]

Get a full size rim... even if it doesnt match what you have.

A lot of people drive for DAYS on a space saver because they are "too busy" to get the flat one replaced....

If you hit a freeway think how great it'll be stuck at low speeds.

[poppa smurf]

my two bobs worth.......go full size.....cheap at twice the price

we got the "space saver".....not very impressed

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by flappist

While 400km is a bloody long way on the space spare what was plan B?
Not everyone lives in Victoria with a servo every 10 minutes.

read my posts
plan B can of goo.
also mentioned Nails often give a slow leak no need to stop every 10 mins

& my advice was if to the O/P was if they found themselves worrying about getting blowouts get a full size regular spare. (which I thought was aggreeing with you)

so relax..

[superfly]

I used to feel the same that I should carry a full size spare. So I bought one for my old WRX and for years I carted the stupid thing around and had less boot space. Finally I decide to get rid of it and put the space saver back in. I sold the car in March this year and not once in my 12 years of ownership did I use the spare.
Even my wife's WRX is now 11 years old and it's never had to use the space saver either.

So with my XR50 I was happy enough to have the space saver and have some extra boot space.

If I did a lot of country driving, I would consider the full size spare but even then I've driven all around the south island in NZ, from Brisbane to Sydney multiple times, Brisbane to Melbourne, Brisbane to Cairns etc all with no flat tyres.

P.S. Congrats on the new car!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by superfly

I used to feel the same that I should carry a full size spare. So I bought one for my old WRX and for years I carted the stupid thing around and had less boot space. Finally I decide to get rid of it and put the space saver back in. I sold the car in March this year and not once in my 12 years of ownership did I use the spare.
Even my wife's WRX is now 11 years old and it's never had to use the space saver either.

So with my XR50 I was happy enough to have the space saver and have some extra boot space.

If I did a lot of country driving, I would consider the full size spare but even then I've driven all around the south island in NZ, from Brisbane to Sydney multiple times, Brisbane to Melbourne, Brisbane to Cairns etc all with no flat tyres.

With the FG there is really not much boot space lost at all with a full size spare. It all fits into the spare wheel well. Besides if you damage a wheel, you then have a another of the same type. Its a bargain at $250 which is the usual price.

BTW, why are there two threads on this? http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11377590

[Rodp]

Full spare. In the past month I've used my spare 3 times. I have no choice since I have Brembos so I have to run a full spare but given the PITA it's been on all 3 occasions (all night time and full flat not slow leak), I'd insist that any future car I drive has a full spare.