A spare is a plan, not a rumor in the boot

A flat tire is not a theoretical event on the roads this desk uses. We have not had one this month. We have had the argument, which is about what is actually in the car when the argument becomes urgent.

What we found when we looked

The wagon carries a spacesaver, a jack, and a tool that fits the lock nut, all in the well under the floor. We have practiced taking them out in a car park, which is kinder than practicing on a shoulder. It is slow, and it works. The hatchback carries a compressor and a can. That will get you off a nail if the hole is small and the can is in date. It will not build you a wheel.

Both approaches are legitimate if they are described honestly. The failure mode is the brochure sentence that says the car is equipped for a flat, without saying equipped how. A can is a can. A wheel is a wheel. They are not synonyms.

What the desk will print

When we write about a car's tire kit, we will open the well and name the objects. If the spare is an option that was not fitted to the car in front of us, we will say that, and we will not review the option we cannot lift. A plan you cannot reach is luggage.