Should I buy a full-sized spare wheel? I had a puncture last Christmas morning and on Boxing Day asked the RAC to fit my Fiat Panda's space-saver spare. All local tyre firms were closed for the next 48 hours and it then took three attempts to find a garage with the correct size in stock. I'm hoping this won't happen again, but wonder whether there is any sense in buying a full-sized spare wheel and tyre to keep in the shed/take on longer journeys. There's no reason not to buy a spare wheel and tyre, but remember that it will weigh considerably more as well as take up more space. A new, 14-inch steel wheel costs about £100 from Fiat, but a lot less from www.partsgateway.co.uk/. The tyre will set you back about £60.