Run flat or donut?

Enough of those donut spare tires. They are too small. You can only drive a few miles on them, and then you have to get your other tire fixed or replaced if you have had a flat. You can't just drive around on a donut forever.

So some car manufacturers have heard the complaints of the rabble. No more donut spares. Despite the fact that they are smaller and conserve space; are lighter and save energy; the latest trend is to do away with the donut spare.

And what do they replace it with? A full sized tire that you can rotate regularly with the other four tires? No!

BMW is equipped with "run flat" tires. You can drive up to 150 miles on them while they are technically flat. There is no spare; there is no jack. A dream solution; a nightmare! You are supposed to believe that a flat will never happen as long as you own the car. However, you have those 150 miles in the event that it does. And you probably have to replace the tire after driving it "flat". Cost to the consumer... over $350. Now suppose you drive this magnificent machine 50,000 miles, which is still new for a BMW, and the tires are a little bald. You will need to find a tire dealer who has the tires, or who may order them for you, and who has the equipment to mount them. Four tires could be between $1400 and $2000! I don't want to be an alarmist, but this doesn't necessarily sound like an alternative to a donut tire.

Now, according to Consumer Reports, the new 2013 Chevy Malibu has no spare, but a huge trunk that can expand by folding the back seat down. And lucky you donut tire haters will have a neat 12 volt air inflator and a can of tire sealant to get you through the day or night.

I like progress. I think there are far fewer flats than ever before because all the tires are better, and so are the roads. I remember ads in the 1950s when Firestone or Goodyear began pushing the tubeless tire, the puncture proof tire, and other improvements. It was amazing. You could still drive a little ways on those, but had to resort to a spare eventually. Triple A (AAA) came on the scene, and offered speedy (sort of) roadside assistance if you couldn't change the tire yourself. Now dealers and manufacturers will provide similar services for customers with "run flat" tires, maybe.

The road of progress is fraught with more dangers than our highways. Maybe I am too concerned about the consequences of not having  spare. The donut that was nestled under the back side of my mini-van served me well. It was easy to get at, and I learned to change a tire in less than 2 minutes (practice makes perfect.) And then one day, I looked under there thinking I should add a little air to my donut, and it just wasn't there. It had apparently rusted off the car, probably bounced into another lane, or over a cliff, I hope. I had driven thousands of miles without a spare on regular all-weather tires. How long could I go without a spare? About 15 miles to the nearest junk yard to get a replacement for $15.