I’d only become aware recently that it’s become less common for newer cars to have a spare tire. It was a bit of a shock to me.

The norm I’d been accustomed to was that a lot of cars would include a “donut” spare tire; a smaller, lighter, cheaper-to-manufacture thing. It would shave some cost off of the car, probably let the manufacturer increase their MPG rating a bit. However, it was only rated for something like 50 miles (80km) at a limited speed (say, 55mph or 90km/h) before it should be replaced. It was really designed to let a driver reach the closest tire shop and get a regular tire replaced.

What my dad always did, and recommended, and what I’d done, was replacing the thing with a full-size tire. That way, when you have a flat, it’s not all that much of a problem. You just swap in the new tire, and next time it happens to be convenient, you get a new full-size tire. In my experience, spare tire wells included the space for a full-size tire; the manufacturer just didn’t provide you with one.

However, in 2025, the situation doesn’t look like that much anymore.

A number of spare tire wells don’t appear to have enough space for a full-size spare tire. This seems, in my quick skim, to be something more common with hybrids or BEVs than ICEs, I assume because the battery is space-constrained and the tire is competition for space (and in the case of BEVs, range).

Some vehicles apparently ship with “run flat” tires. These can be driven for a limited distance, and appear to have about the same capabilities as a “donut” spare tire — they can go about 50 miles at a reduced speed before they need to be replaced, and I assume are aimed at letting one reach a tire shop.

A number of vehicles don’t have a spare tire or storage space for one or a jack at all; for example, the 2025 Corolla Hybrid. The manufacturer provides a pump and a goop kit, and the idea is that if a flat is only a slow leak, one can hopefully nurse the car along well enough with that to reach a tire shop.

As best I can tell, full-size spares are only common today with pickups or off-road oriented vehicles.

I assume that part of this is because cell phone coverage is more widespread now, and the idea is that one should just call for roadside assistance and have them bring and change it. I saw some discussion on Reddit talking about how a lot of younger people don’t know how to change a spare tire.

I’m not entirely sanguine about this. While I’ll agree that it can save a bit of space, I really prefer knowing that even if I get a flat, the worst that can happen to me, even if I’m outside of cell range, is that I go swap in a new tire. I’ve only rarely gotten flats, but it’s something that I’d certainly rather have.

I guess that one could just put a tire in a trunk or hatchback/crossover/SUV’s cargo space as long as one is willing to expend some cargo space, but especially with a hatchback/crossover/SUV, I’m not entirely enthralled about the idea of having something large and unsecured crashing around the cabin in the event of a crash; normally, a spare tire well prevents shifting around and has a system for securing the tire.

Thoughts? Is a spare tire something that you want to have today in your vehicle?