Hi, Lewis...
I've had pretty good luck w/ flats, too... ::fingers crossed:: the '01 Accord that I traded had > 75K mi on the OEM Michelins, usable tread, and nary a flat in the 4yrs I owned it. So I'm hoping that these Michelins prove similar. But the peace of mind of an actual spare means a lot to me.
W/ regard to your 10 folks - I bet if they saw a copy of the flat repair procedure in the owner's manual, at least a few of them would change their minds. Have you read it ? You've got to pull the valve core out, and reinsert it afterward. Then, after reinflating the tire, you have to drive on it a little bit, get out, and hook up the compressor again to check the pressure. Seems like you'll be getting just as wet / cold / hot / endangered by oncoming traffic, etc, to *me*, at least...
Also, take into account that this is a new procedure to most people - (just about) everyone knows the basics of changing a tire, but *correctly* repairing with the IMS sealant takes the foresight to both read the manual, and perhaps practice with a dry run. Last thing you need is to be in the middle of nowhere late at night, perhaps with inclement weather to boot, messing up your shot of sealant because you didn't know to pull the valve core, and then be up the creek - better hope you've got a family member or a *very* good friend nearby to call, because the auto club likely isn't going to be carrying a tire / wheel for you, and if they do, will it be in the correct 114mm bolt offset pattern for your car ?
If not, you'll be likely replacing some wheel studs later, provided you can get the wheel on the car, and be able to *keep* it on while driving...
The other thing is that once the sealant is sprayed into the tire, that tire is now considered 'unrepairable' by most shops, as the sealant (any, not just our IMS bottle) can cause problems / hazard with their equipment . Which means you'll be buying a new tire. At $145 / ea (online), the cost of the spare is offset by just one flat that it's used for. Me, I'd hate to have to replace a tire with lot of usable tread left on it - but that's me.
Ironically, the part that I liked *least* about the spare was the weight that it'll add - while I don't expect Insight-type mileage from this car (although if I ever put it in Wayne's hands, you never know!
, I am trying to see what I can push it to, now that I know I can meet EPA estimates pretty easily, and with a little work, get even better
Right now, my tank over tank seems to be stuck at about 29.5mpg w/ 0% interstate here in the cold winter of N. IL. Given that, the weight *is* a slight factor for me (but I'll live with it - maybe I'll start exercising to offset the 40# or so that the spare will add...LOL).
And re: stuck lug nuts - I may be making an assumption here, but were you in the habit of rotating your tires ? With the mileage I see you putting on your car in the DB (very similar to mine), I'm guessing that you would be changing your oil fairly frequently, and thus, it's a good time to rotate the tires (I was doing 7500mi intervals w/ Mobil1 in the '01 Accord, and it was convenient to have the dealer rotate the tires when they did the oil change).
Never had a complaint about the lug nuts being stuck (of course, they used an impact wrench - which made *me* complain about how tightly they were torqued, because I didn't want the rotors warped. We'll see if this new dealer's mechanics have torque sticks or not...
