Does anyone know if you can fit a standard Civic Hybrid rim and tire in the spare tire well? I'd like to replace the standard "compact spare tire" (aka "donut") with a wheel/tire combination that mathes the four already on the car.

The problem I have had with other vehicles is that the larger tire keeps the spare tire well cover from sitting flush with the rest of the trunk floor.

Does that make sense? Does anyone know? Thanks for any info!

I had heard that the well does accomodate a full size tire... though I've never tried. I suspect the full tire would fit, but the styrofoam jack holder might have to go. You could easily fit the jack and tools into a bag and put them under the tire, though.

Geez, maybe I won't replace the donut! I just got a quote for the rim from my Honda Parts people...$403.77!! The tire was about $70.

You might be able to find one on ebay when more of them are on the road. Just keep checking, you never know.

Well, for the spare, you don't need to buy the aluminum alloy wheel that comes with your HCH...just get a cheap steel wheel that's the same size, and use that for the spare. You'll be replacing any flat tires anyway, so when you get it replaced, just pop the spare back in the trunk...no need to worry about looking good for that short while when you're using the spare.

Your point is well taken.

However, my thinking is this: If I get a flat tire between Illinois and Texas, I can just change my flat to an identical (except non-flat!) tire and rim. That way, I don't have to be delayed several hours, perhaps overnight, while a local Walmart fixes my flat or gets me a new tire while I sit on my donut. I make long trips such as this frequently.

The question, then, is what would be the ramifications of driving several hundred miles with 3 original wheel/tire combinations and 1 cheap steel wheel/tire combination? I would think they would be significant, but I don't know. If they would be significant, then it defeats the purpose of the full size spare.

Anyone want to offer an opinion?

I would guess that using a cheaper wheel for a pro-longed period of time would cause some problems. I am basing this assumption on an earlier posting which reported problems driving with a mismatched set of tires, see http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/a...blem.9841.html .

I would imagine that not only would you want to have a matched set of tires & wheels, but that these tires should be rotated on a 5 tire rotation schedule to minimize problems due to uneven wear. If I were driving under the conditions you described. I, personally, would just spend the extra money to match the tires.

Disclaimer: This is strictly my opinion and is not intended to sway your decision on your tire selection. Nor is this opinion designed to incite argumentive responses from individuals with opposing views.

I agree with your conclusions. I'll just have to keep an eye on Ebay for somebody selling a new Hybrid wheel, because $400+ is hard for me to justify.

Thanks for the advice!

I'm sure if you drove on it for 10,000 miles, it would not be good for the car, but in any case, driving with a full size spare with a different rim would still be far better for the car than driving on the donut. Just try and find a wheel that weighs the same as the hybrid wheel and you should be darn good.

look what i found!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HONDA...34800087QQrdZ1