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Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 30 October 2025, 11:43:00

Title: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 30 October 2025, 11:43:00
Man buys a brand new Suzuki Swift. When he gets it home he is unsurprised to find there is no spare wheel.

However, he is surprised to find his new purchase doesn't have an emergency tyre replacement kit.

Contacts the dealer and tells them they forgot to put it in the boot when doing the PDI check.

They tell him they didn't forget, and if he wants the inflation kit that'll be another £58 please, Sir. You'll need to call the AA (or similar) if you get a flat tyre.

 ::) ::) ::) :)

Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: cam.in.head on 30 October 2025, 11:48:27
typical and unsurprising .  so they are basically saying in a roundabout way that to own one of our cars you MUST be in a breakdown service which not all of us are .
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: TheBoy on 30 October 2025, 14:28:13
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 31 October 2025, 14:06:34
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....

Yep...absolutely.

Even if the dealer has to make slightly less profit he should do this as a gesture  of goodwill.


Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Andy B on 31 October 2025, 19:29:21
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....

Yep...absolutely.

Even if the dealer has to make slightly less profit he should do this as a gesture  of goodwill.

but not all cars have the space to stow a spare  :-\
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Andy B on 31 October 2025, 19:46:09
I noticed on YouTube there was a ML for sale & during the walk round it showed under the boot floor  ..... this car did NOT have a spare but mine does, despite there being an air tank in there for its suspension.
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: STEMO on 31 October 2025, 19:59:00
Both of our grandlands have got full size alloys under the boot floors. EBay specials, cheaper than a new space saver.
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: TheBoy on 31 October 2025, 21:04:13
Both ours only have room for space savers.  Mine came with one as standard, her's I had to buy as it was an option when new.  I'd prefer full sized, but space savers are the next best thing.

Mine has staggered wheels anyway for reasons I never understood, so a full sized would be problematic I guess.
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Andy B on 31 October 2025, 21:52:32
.....

Mine has staggered wheels anyway for reasons I never understood, so a full sized would be problematic I guess.

and where would you stop if you had directional tyres on staggered rims? You'd need to carry 4 spare wheels... just in case.

Mine is a space saver .... no idea if the the full sized (265mm?) tyre would even fit in the spare wheel well  :-\
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: STEMO on 31 October 2025, 22:12:36
Both ours only have room for space savers.  Mine came with one as standard, her's I had to buy as it was an option when new.  I'd prefer full sized, but space savers are the next best thing.

Mine has staggered wheels anyway for reasons I never understood, so a full sized would be problematic I guess.
Full size or space saver, either makes the TPMS throw a wobbler. Although hers, being higher spec and more modern, only takes a couple of cancel message presses and it tells you that you have a space saver on and that some functions may not work properly.
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 31 October 2025, 22:55:28
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....

Lots of blokes have tried this and got a little surprise a few months later!  ;D
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 01 November 2025, 11:21:05
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....

Yep...absolutely.

Even if the dealer has to make slightly less profit he should do this as a gesture  of goodwill.

but not all cars have the space to stow a spare :-\

I refer to the crappy 'finilec' spray foam emergency jobbie.....that probably won't work anyway. :-\
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 01 November 2025, 11:43:16
And how much will the AA's agents rape you for to come out and fit a new tyre.

Its a simple question when buying a new car, and I would pull out at the last minute until the salesman throws one in....

Yep...absolutely.

Even if the dealer has to make slightly less profit he should do this as a gesture  of goodwill.

but not all cars have the space to stow a spare  :-\

Mine doesn't have anywhere for a spare. The battery is housed under the boot space where you might expect to find a spare.  :-\
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Rangie on 01 November 2025, 11:46:22
Purchased a spare & everything else required to change a wheel when we bought the Yaris last year, wouldn't ever not carry a spare wheel.
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 01 November 2025, 12:46:24
Purchased a spare & everything else required to change a wheel when we bought the Yaris last year, wouldn't ever not carry a spare wheel.

Where do you keep it?  ???

I've been considering this, but it would have to live in the boot or behind one of the front seats in one of the rear passenger seat footwells.  ::)

I suppose it would be OK, as it's not very often that I use the boot to capacity.  :-\
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: Rangie on 01 November 2025, 13:15:54
Purchased a spare & everything else required to change a wheel when we bought the Yaris last year, wouldn't ever not carry a spare wheel.

Where do you keep it?  ???

I've been considering this, but it would have to live in the boot or behind one of the front seats in one of the rear passenger seat footwells.  ::)

I suppose it would be OK, as it's not very often that I use the boot to capacity.  :-\
.

It has a purpose built space in the boot so fits securely where one should be, doesn't make any sense to me at all you pay £23,000 for a car then another £350 for the spacesaver and all the other tools required, why not just price the vehicle at £23,350 in the first place .
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: TheBoy on 01 November 2025, 14:18:27
Both ours only have room for space savers.  Mine came with one as standard, her's I had to buy as it was an option when new.  I'd prefer full sized, but space savers are the next best thing.

Mine has staggered wheels anyway for reasons I never understood, so a full sized would be problematic I guess.
Full size or space saver, either makes the TPMS throw a wobbler. Although hers, being higher spec and more modern, only takes a couple of cancel message presses and it tells you that you have a space saver on and that some functions may not work properly.
The JLR TPMS are self learning.  That said, not entirely sure if my space saver has a (working) sensor in it.  As it's purely a get-you-home thing, I'm not bothered either way :y
Title: Re: In Autocar magazine letters this week.
Post by: STEMO on 01 November 2025, 15:39:55
Both ours only have room for space savers.  Mine came with one as standard, her's I had to buy as it was an option when new.  I'd prefer full sized, but space savers are the next best thing.

Mine has staggered wheels anyway for reasons I never understood, so a full sized would be problematic I guess.
Full size or space saver, either makes the TPMS throw a wobbler. Although hers, being higher spec and more modern, only takes a couple of cancel message presses and it tells you that you have a space saver on and that some functions may not work properly.
The JLR TPMS are self learning.  That said, not entirely sure if my space saver has a (working) sensor in it.  As it's purely a get-you-home thing, I'm not bothered either way :y
The system on ours will only let you program four sensors, so the spare definitely doesn't have one.