They first came onto the market in the mid 70s.
Australian car manufacturer, Holden, first introduced the space saver tyre in 2005. As stated by them, Removing the 20-30kg full-size spare from the equation allowed the Commodore to be tested at a lighter nominated weight in official Australian Design Rule (ADR) fuel economy testing.
I will be travelling over 4500km across Australia in several months’ time. No way will a space saver tyre provide any peace of mind. Rated at 80km an hour, on a national highway, not something I will be entertaining.
Requested a quote from Mitsubishi for new rim and tyre.
This is something that also gets on my nelly. The company knows the price of what they have, why the need for a quote. Just tell me the price of the item, fitted.
I will most likely buy a secondhand rim from a car wreakers place and add a new full-size tyre.
I predict the cost of a new fitted rim and tyre will be at least $750
A space saver tyre is only an emergency tyre to get one out of trouble until a proper replacement is fitted. Sue was only too happy I insisted one getting one when a tyre bust hitting a water filled pothole. She only had to drive to a garage for a replacement instead of getting a tow truck.
I don’t blame you, travelling at 80kph in the middle of nowhere on a dodgy speed restricted tyre is no fun
Personally, I just went to a wreckers and bought a proper wheel and tyre for my Colt, depending on how common your car is you might have to ring around but it is much cheaper than buying a new one
Different here in the UK to Australia as one doesn’t have to go far for a replacement
I bought a 2020 Citroen C5 Aircross last year and was dismayed to find a small compressor and an aerosol full of some guey stuff to squirt in your flat tyre so you could drive to the nearest garage. No tyre wrench or jack…
That, and some silly modern features, motorised opening boot lid among others, meant that I only kept the vehicle for a few months and purchased a 2022 Citroen C3 Aircross, it handled like a dream with less modern features. I was surprised to find a spare wheel, tyre wrench and proper jack in the back especially since it was a couple of years younger than the C5. I would never consider owning a vehicle without a spare wheel and tools… 
Yes, most new cars come without a spare, that’s on the options list, mine has the compressor and tyre gunk, I did get a slow puncture on this car when it was only ten days old, luckily it was repairable and I could still drive around…
Got a quote from the Mitsubishi Spare Parts dealer.
One rim and tyre, $1580. Fitting and wheel alignment extra.
Bought a set from the wreckers for $330.
That’s the only way to go.
on a previous car I got wheel and tyre off ebay
That’s a good idea or even Facebook, “For Sale” I bought four rims for my Dmax for $50 and a tailgate for $100 (I dented the old one).
The rims were for my camper (well, two were - the other two just clutter up the garage)
I’ve never had a puncture while being on the road for 36 years and I noticed the change from a real spare to that emergency kit years ago. If it happens , I’ll have to call the truck. There’s little chance a puncture will be at a place where I could safely change the tyre. And then I noticed that I was having tremendous trouble lifting an 18" / 215 tyre and holding it in an exact position to put in the first screw. And that was in my garage. Would never have wanted to do that on a busy road or motorway with cars racing by behind my back.
I certainly cannot lift the wheel and tyre on my Dmax ( 245 70R16) but I carry a small lever which enables me to get the steel wheel onto the studs, once one is on it is just matter of leverage and wiggling to get the other five studs to fall into place. Where I drive you could be waiting an hour for another car to come along.
Actually I haven’t had a puncture in this car but every year I take the wheels off my camper to regrease the bearings so I need to be able to put the wheel back on.
If I remember I might weigh them next time.
Yes stupidity the space savers, just so a body can be fitted in the boot 
Unbelievable how conditions differ.
Certainly prudent to have such a lever. All my previous cars had those studs you could use to hook in the first rim hole. With my last two cars it’s different. Now there are no studs, just holes and you need to be holding the tyre while inserting the screw from the outside. Took me a while to discover that a spike put in the hole would do the job…
I feel your pain Dachs, even though mine are only little wheels they still take some balancing while trying to enter the first stud.
I’ve been driving almost 50 years and for ten years spent most of my time on the road delivering stuff as a courier, and I can’t remember ever having a puncture while out on the road.
I did assist my daughter last year when she had a flat tyre in her Citroen DS3, she was collecting her hubby from work and noticed the flat tyre while in the car park at B&Q.
Neither of them had much of a clue, so I drove out to help. Even with the help of a strong much younger man we couldn’t get the last stud out, it was securely seized into the thread.
Those studs seem to corrode faster than the old style of wheel nut. I always used to put a nob of copper slip on the thread after removing a wheel.
Anyway, I always carry a foot pump in the boot and were able to get enough air in the tyre to drive to the garage. They even had trouble removing that stud with their air wrench…
I think come the summer I will remove all my wheels one by one, give them a clean and lubricate the threads.
Bending down trying to clean all the nooks and crannies in the wheels does my back in…
Much better to take them off and do them on the bench…
Measure the depth of the spare’s storage well before buying a full sized rim + tyre. My wife’s small city type car only has a well depth for a space saver.
The point is by having a spare wheel and tyre the breakdown (or DIY) can get you on your way as soon as the spare spacesaver is on the car. if that is only to get a new tyre fitted at the nearest tyre fitting garage
I am driving to Victoria from Perth. There are no tyre fitting garages across the Nullarbor, hence the reason for a full-size spare.
Mine is the same. Too small storage space for a full-size wheel. Nothing I can do about that. Proper spare is needed driving across the Nullarbor.
In my Holden HJ Sedan most of the boot space was taken up with the spare wheel anyway. Australian design!