Mazda 3 space saver tyre question

[CAM3]

Hi All,

I have just discovered from visiting a local mazda dealer that the 3 comes with a space saver spare tyre.

Why have mazda gone this way on the mazda 3?
i have seen smaller cars recently like the renault clio, peugeot 307 etc that have no problem fitting in a full size spare tyre. Even my 88 KE Ford Laser (similar to mazda 323) has a full size with room to spare. I dont think , well as far as i know ,that space saver tyres are overly common over here in australia. Ever person i seemed to speak to is shocked to find that the great new mazda 3 has one.

Is there space in the space savers tyre well for a normal full size spare?
I was only interested in the SP23, so that would mean a 17inch wheel.
Has anyone tried to fit one in?

How safe is it to drive on these space savers?
Its kind of a bummer if your are on a long trip on the weekend out in the country and u get a puncture and your stuck at 80km/h for the rest of the trip with nobody open to fix your tyre straight away.

Does anyone else have these concerns?
Otherwise i have heard nothing but rave reports about the 3 (alot of them here are on 3 month order )
Thanks.

[msaeger]

Many cars come with those now probably more than do not. I'm not really concerned about it I don't usually drive in uninhabited areas that I wouldn't be able to get a tire fixed in pretty quick. I have never had a blow out just nails or screws in the tires and those just leak slowly.

The well looked like it was the same size and the included spare so I doubt a full size tire would fit.

[SED]

In an average you may not need the spare more than once a year (the spare is cheaper). That's one thing. Second is that you need a deeper space for the spare nowadays, which is usually wasting the cargo space. And the third, but is just a guess, might be because of the multi link type rear suspension (short struts, etc...).

[Slalom]

space saver spares are surprising tough little tires... i wouldnt be concerned about it... carry a can of tire sealant in the car too, then depending on your puncture u can avoid having to swap tires at all!

[Siphen]

I Would wrather have increased cargo room over a full sized spare any day.

Reasons are;
Donuts weigh less then full spares.
I would never plan on driving very long on a donut.
Most flats are punctures and are easily patched (unless you blow out the side wall, this is very rare and usually would happen because of a defect)
I live in an area that is densely populated so my chances of getting a replacement tire without having to wait for it to ship are very good.
I had a full sized spare tire in my last car and never had to use it once in 7 years.
Fix-A-Flat for instant gratification