I, too, was concerned at first that the HAH does not come with a spare. But then, I was also concerned when our 1999 Accord came with a donut spare instead of a full size tire. After 138,000 miles the donut spare has yet to be used (I'm typing this miles away from the car, so maybe the flat gremlins can't hear...). Still, I know, flats do happen.

But here's two other sides for the HAH arrangement (other than weight savings which isn’t much of an issue with me; if I’m going for mega-mileage, I should have bought an Insight) instead of having a spare.

1. Before we bought the HAH, I asked 10 people I know this question:
It's 40 degrees and a light rain, 10 p.m. at night, and you have a flat on a fairly deserted section of highway--would you prefer (a) to change the tire to a donut spare, or (b) to leave the tire on the car, squirt sealant into it, and inflate it with an air pump connected to the car lighter? Ten of ten chose (b) with very little hesitation.

2. Having a spare may not let you fix the flat. I know two guys who’ve had flats in the last couple of months who could not remove the lug nuts with the tools which came with their cars. Both are young and healthy, 170-190 pounds, and neither could budge the lugs by jumping on the lug nut wrench. One had AAA and a cell phone; the second got help from a trucker with a wrench with better leverage. Last time I rotated tires, the tech gave up on the impact wrench he’d installed the tires with, squirted WD 40, got a lug wrench with a handle 4 times as long as the ones that come with cars, stood on it, then went for a 6 foot length of pipe as a cheater to finally break one set of lugs loose. This was a couple of months after some winter driving on snow/salt slush. If I had had a flat on that tire, I would have been stuck.

All that being said, if you gave me the choices of full spare, donut spare or HAH fix kit, I’d go for the full spare (and watch tire installation carefully, and carry WD 40, and buy a better lug wrench, and stash a cheater somewhere, and have AAA, and that’s all I need, and maybe this lamp...).
Lewis