| Those who think a spare wheel/space saver is a waste of time should try having a puncture in the dark at an inconvenient time and you would very quickly change your mind.
I have never had so many punctures as on Minis. My first Cooper D had 5 punctures in two years of owning it. This car was on run flats and all the punctures were on the rear wheels. Run flats are useless once you have used their run flat capability, give a terrible ride and cost more than non run flat. My second (and current) Cooper D is equipped with normal tyres. In two years, I have had two punctures - again both rear tyres. The first was repairable but the latest which occurred on Christmas Eve was very large and even the tyre goo would have been useless. Luckily it occurred two miles from home and I was able to drive for two miles on a flat tyre without the tyre shredding and damaging the wheel. If it had occurred further waya or in the middle of nowhere then I would have been forced to use the space saver.
Luckily, with all the punctures I had on the first Cooper D I bought a spare 16 wheel and tyre and was able to change the punctured wheel on Christmas day to keep me mobile.
I have just ordered a replacement Mini Cooper D and again specified non runflats and the space saver wheel. Apparently, Mini are talking about dropping the space saver wheel option - mistake in my eyes.  | 
