US Miata has 4 tyres with or without runflats

By Harry Stoffer, Automotive News

The spare tyre's days may be numbered. The latest sign: The 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata has no spare, even if a buyer declines optional run-flat tyres. A puncture repair kit is tucked onboard instead.

Another tool is helping automakers gain space and lose weight in new vehicles by eliminating spares: the mobile phone.

"Most people today are used to, frankly, using the cell phone to change a tyre," says Jay Amestoy, vice president of public and government affairs for Mazda North American Operations. They simply call for roadside assistance, he says.

The MX-5 joins its sibling, the Mazda RX-8, in going spareless.

But the movement is not limited to high-performance models. American Honda Motor Co. Inc. has taken the step with the Touring version of its Odyssey minivan and with its Accord Hybrid sedan.

The Odyssey has run-flat tyres as a "convenience" for customers who are unwilling to change flats, says Honda spokesman Chris Naughton. The Accord has a repair kit, he adds, but is spareless to save weight and boost fuel economy.

Not all motorists are riding the industry's spareless bandwagon.

Virginia DuMars of Frederick, Maryland, in a Sept. 19 posting on Yahoo! Autos, said the run-flats on her 2005 Toyota Sienna AWD XLE wore out fast and cannot be replaced at all garages.

Said DuMars: "So, you aren't stranded on the side of the road, but you are stranded without a vehicle for a week."

From Automotive News (A Crain publication)