sderman

About to take possession on a new 2014 ES. Apparently around here they only come with a spacer saver spare. Does anyone know if the spare location can fit a full size tire/wheel as I'm thinking of ordering a tire/wheel combo from the Tire Rack. I would have thought there would be space since if you have a flat in a full size tire/wheel you could store it in this area below the trunk floor rather than atop the carpeted area.

mspearl95

i know the 2013s won't fit a full- sized spare, so I assume 2014 would be the same.

jbm79

Not true in all cases. My 2013 came with a full-size spare.

OP, you might just have to contact your dealer to make sure. Specs may vary by trim and by region.

Dave Mac

I have a 2013 and I believe I checked it when I got it and a full size tire will not fit in the space occupied by the space-saver spare which is why you cannot buy a U.S. version ES with a full size spare. And this is kind of surprise because for the previous 6 years virturally every ES came with the optional full size spare and I liked that. I do carry a heavy plastic bag in my trunk in case I ever had to use the spare when the trunk was full and something would have to ride in the back seat or worse yet the front seat which is really not safe.

You also might do a search on this because I think it was discussed here when the 2013's first came out.

Dave Mac.

sderman

I just asked this question of Lexus USA via their web site. Hopefully they will respond. Would still be interested if others with the 2013 and/or 2014 models have been able to fit a standard tire/wheel in this space.

mspearl95

That's interesting. I was told by the dealer when inquiring about getting a full-size spare(like my 2011 had) that the new model didn't have it as an option. Must be region-specific.

Mike728

Can you share a pic of your setup? It would be interesting to see how they accommodated for the full-size spare.

qlaval

Ditto. Was it a 17 or an 18" wheel?

sderman

Picked up the '14 today. Stopped by and spoke to 2 service managers. Both said that putting a full size spare in the trunk well will raise the carpeted floor a bit. Haven't checked but I wonder if I do without the center foam insert whether the floor mat will sit flush. Will let you know if I hear from Lexus US re: my inquiry.

lesz

I'm not sure that it should make any difference whether it is a 17 inch or 18 inch wheel because the bigger 18 inch wheels with lower profile tires should still have the same diameter at the slightly smaller 17 inch diameter wheels with higher profile tires.

jbm79

Here you go; hope this helps. This is a 17" full-size spare.

Dave Mac

Thanks for posting the picture and I see how the trunk handles the full size spare but that is not my ES350 trunk layout. It looks like your trunk has substanially less space than mine and probably explains why Lexus does not offer that option. I don't use my trunk that much and would likely have opted for the full size spare in this configuration if offered. I just couldn't imagine that some cars had a different floor pan to accomodate the full size spare when offered.

Dave Mac

jbm79

My car is a 300h, mind you. So trunk space is substantially less than the 350.

No one else from here has a full-size spare, either 300h or 350? AFAIK, my region (Guam) uses US specs.

sderman

I just received this email from Lexus:

"Thank you for contacting the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department. Your concern is important to Lexus, and we appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts. We are dedicated to providing superior service. In circumstances that require our attention, we will assist in the resolution process.

Per your inquiry, I conducted research into the possibility of being able to place a full size spare into the vehicle. Unfortunately, you would be unable to do this. The full size spare will not fit into the same compartment as the temporary spare."

Max707

So based on the response from Lexus this picture is like a unicorn sighting