Hi Mick,

If you’re buying new or nearly-new then I’m afraid you’re going to struggle to find anything with a full-size spare wheel, especially if it’s an MPV or SUV that you’re looking for. Given the packaging requirements and the need to save weight for the official EU fuel consumption and CO2 tests, almost all car makers are ditching spares in favour of space savers or cans of squirt-and-inflate. That said, I think I’ve found the one that does still come with a proper, full-size spare as standard and it’s the Kia Carens. Thankfully, it’s also a really nice car – handsome and good to drive and offering cracking value. Will it be as spacious as the Galaxy? No, I’m afraid not, but it’s still pretty massive inside and should prove the right height and provide the right sort of seat comfort for your bad backs (as a fellow sufferer, I sympathise entirely…). It’ll also be vastly cheaper to run than the Galaxy. Mind you, one caveat – when it comes to spare tyres, always check with the dealer. Often a car that comes with a space saver or repair kit as standard can be optionally equipped with a full-size spare, so it’s always worth asking the question.