Growing number of new cars no longer include spare tires; here are some alternatives to consider

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The absolute worst time to find out you don’t have a spare is when you need one.

Just ask Emilee Bird.

“My husband hit what we thought was the curb but it ended up being a bolt, one of the really big thick ones,” recounted Bird.

That bolt left a huge gash in the side of the tire on Bird’s new Kia Soul.

“When we went to change the tire, my husband pulled everything out of the back of the car and there was no spare tire there,” Bird said.

She says that’s when they discovered the car, which she’d had for three months, didn’t come with a spare.

“If we were to have blown a tire in the middle of nowhere without cell service, then we would have been out of luck,” said Bird.

A recent AAA study found 28 percent of 2017 model year cars did not come equipped with a spare tire.

Automakers are forsaking the spare for many reasons, says Stu Amrhein of Les Schwab Tire Centers.

“A lot of the cabins in new vehicles are smaller for fuel economy standards and aero dynamics,” explained Amrhein.

“Cars with more electric technology have less and less space for a spare tire,” he continued. “So weight savings, space savings, fuel economy standards, aerodynamics and sometimes just the economics of it.”

Car makers can save hundreds on a car by eliminating the spare. Instead, many cars now come equipped with inflator kits, which typically include a sealant and an air compressor to fix small punctures.

Matt Hasara of Utah Valley University’s Automotive Technology program says he thinks it’s safer to have a spare tire.

“They give you a kit with a pump and this spoogy goop you shoot into the tire and you hope the hole in your tire isn’t any bigger than a nail,” exclaimed Hasara. “If you get a bolt or even a piece of metal through your tire, all the goop, sludge, whatever that stuff is, isn’t going to help.”

One alternative to consider: run-flat tires. They cost more than standard tires, but you can keep driving about 50 miles on a blown out run-flat tire.

“You have peace of mind knowing ultimately that if you do get a flat tire, it’s going to continue to go for a length of time,” explained Amrhein.

Once a run-flat tire serves its emergency purpose, it will need to be replaced.

“After that, the structure that keeps it safe and sound is used up,” Amrhein said.

Another alternative is self-sealing tires. They are generally less expensive than run-flat tires. Self-sealing tires are lined inside with a gel-like sealant that fills in the holes created by punctures one quarter of an inch wide, or smaller.

“If that puncture is very large, it does not do the job for you,” said Amrhein.

Amrhein says you might get by without a spare, if you’ve got roadside assistance and stick to urban areas. But he says you need one if you’re a rural driver or take a lot of road trips.

“If you’re heading up into the Uintas or you’re heading to Arches, there are lots of spots that don’t have cell phone coverage to call for help,” Amrhein said. “So you need to be your own help.”

Whether you’re buying a new car or just renting one, check for a spare. If there isn’t one, ask the dealer if you can add it as an option.