Non-Donut Spare Tire Will Not Fit in Spare Tire Well

iGregory

Member
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2015 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring
Hi all, new to forum. This is a small thing but knowing might be beneficial to some. When I purchased my 2015 CX-5 about a month ago I did not think to check nor did I inquire of the dealer what kind of spare tire the vehicle came with. I got my vehicle home and checked the spare tire well. You guest it, a donut. A donut is find for local trips and such. Being I travel a lot I wanted the security of a tire that is the same as the tires that came with the vehicle, Toyo A23 P225/55/R19. Well, I was in for a shock. I realize I would need to purchase a tire sooner or later but the price of the Toyo A23 tire is ridiculous. Being I would use the tire as a spare I purchased an aftermarket rim. The tire, rim, mounting and balance set me back roughly $600.

But, the biggest kicker came when i removed the donut and tried to fit the new tire and rim in the spare tire storage well. The tire/rim is to big and will not fit. I cannot close the storage well with the top cover. So, I put the donut back and when I travel I will just have to store the regular tire in the back hatch. I really like the CX-5 so the tire issue probably would not have been necessarily a deal breaker. It would have depended on what the competition had to offer, donut vs. regular spare tire.

If you have not yet purchased a CX-5 and are doing research be aware of this tire storage problem. To be fair I'm an old guy and I do not like donut spares. For others, this might not be an issue.
 
I consider myself lucky that Mazda included a spare of any kind on the CX-5. My wife has a late model (NC) Miata that came with no spare at all, just a stupid bottle of goop sealant and a 12V inflator. As a result, she never takes the car on any long trips as it's just too risky. Now that's something to complain about!
 
Most manufacturers don't include spares any more. Many have been using run flats, which are absolutely horrible if you do not have tire insurance... Speaking from experience.
 
Do what FDEW said but buy a bicycle carrier that folds down so you can access the truck and modify that to hold the full size spare. Of course the point of the donut is to just get you to a place where you can repair the tire. Full size spares are extremely heavy and with Mazda trying to keep things light for fuel economy it was an easy way to save weight.
 
My gf's Chevy Cruze didn't have a spare, it has a fix-a-flat kit, yeah, right, like that'll do a heck of a lot of good!!!

I'm guessing the 2016 Miata won't have a spare at all, not even a donut, where would they put it?!?!?
 
Well you don't take 220# out of a chassis while adding a spare, so that's pretty much a given!
 
I may be wrong, but I doubt that there are ANY cars that come with a full size spare - unless the tire is mounted on the back of the car. And I'd bet that few if any cars have room to store a full size spare. Technology has changed. "Donut" spares are perfectly fine for 99% of owners. I understand the fear of these, but for the vast majority it's not a problem. As others mentioned, the trend is to eliminate spare tires all together. That trend is only going to continue and grow. Times change.
 
The only car I've ever been able to replace the donut with a full size was a 94 Dodge Grand Caravan, it had the kind that mounts underneath the back, from the outside. Any car I've had with a donut in the trunk, has NOT had enough room to put a full size in.
 
But, the biggest kicker came when i removed the donut and tried to fit the new tire and rim in the spare tire storage well. The tire/rim is to big and will not fit. I cannot close the storage well with the top cover.

This is a no-brainer considering the primary reason for a reduced size spare is, well, to reduce the size. Full size spares consume a lot of the useable interior space. I'm surprised you thought a bigger tire might fit in the same space.

If you have not yet purchased a CX-5 and are doing research be aware of this tire storage problem. To be fair I'm an old guy and I do not like donut spares. For others, this might not be an issue.

I don't see the issue here and I'm not that young. But I'm not sure what age has to do with the functionality of a reduced size spare. Look at the facts. Modern tires are very reliable when properly maintained. In the unlikely event that you do get a flat, just put the spare on and continue on your way until you can get it repaired. But I wouldn't expect to get a flat.
 
I may be wrong, but I doubt that there are ANY cars that come with a full size spare - unless the tire is mounted on the back of the car. And I'd bet that few if any cars have room to store a full size spare. Technology has changed. "Donut" spares are perfectly fine for 99% of owners. I understand the fear of these, but for the vast majority it's not a problem. As others mentioned, the trend is to eliminate spare tires all together. That trend is only going to continue and grow. Times change.

I have a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it came with a full size spare in the load floor. The new 4Runner also comes with a full size spare. Basically, any "serious" 4wd SUV will still come with a full size spare, as it is a requirement to go offroad at many offroad parks or even some rural snowbound areas.
 
If you are going off-road you could always carry one on the roof.

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