Inside product planning meetings, the spare tire has become an easy target for engineers chasing weight and cost reductions.

You get a flat, and under the carpet in the trunk is one of those “donut” (or “temporary”) spare tires – skinnier than the tires on your car, with a prominent warning about maximum speed on the side.

More and more cars and SUVs no longer include a spare. Some now don't even have a small donut tire. What you can do to ...

Changing a flat tire is something most of us have done at least once, and it usually involves nothing more than putting the spare wheel on and driving off. Unfortunately, modern cars come with a donut ...