Spare Tires & the 2027 Silverado

Spare tire or no spare tire? After limping the last 50 miles of a 1,000-mile road trip home on a donut, the crew digs into whether the spare still matters in 2026 — the Consumer Reports data behind what new cars actually carry, why Honda and Subaru hybrids bury the spare-tire well under a battery and waste the space entirely, what a replacement donut really costs, and the safety reasons you should almost always mount the spare on the rear axle. Along the way: a listener voicemail making the case for aftermarket modern-spare kits, the truth about whether AAA brings you a tire (spoiler — they don't), the right and wrong way to use fix-a-flat, and how often you should really be checking your spare's pressure. Then it's on to the 2027 Chevy Silverado refresh — the surviving 2.7L turbo now bolted to the 10-speed, the new 5.7L and 6.6L V8s replacing the old 5.3 and 6.2, a detour through the wild history of the segment's diesels (Cadillac, Fiat, and Land Rover all make an appearance), the new triple-screen interior, and why a GM sport truck could give the Ram Rumble Bee a real run for its money.

0:00 Intro: spare tires and what's ahead0:22 Limping home on the donut after a 1,000-mile trip1:50 Glad I skipped the Blazer EV (no spare)3:00 Voicemail: John from Philly on modern-spare kits5:44 Spare tires, regions, and brand culture8:18 The AAA myth: do they bring you a tire?9:14 The data: Consumer Reports spare-tire stats14:27 Spare categories and donut limitations16:47 The five-tire rotation philosophy20:10 Honda & Subaru hybrids: batteries in dumb places24:43 What a replacement spare actually costs26:31 Is fix-a-flat an okay compromise?28:31 Checking spare pressure & air compressors31:20 Where do you even put the full-size spare?34:55 Front vs. rear: mounting the spare safely38:14 Upgrading: modern-spare universal kits41:55 The 2027 Chevy Silverado refresh44:01 Engines: 2.7L turbo, new V8s, and the 10-speed48:19 Diesel history: Cadillac, Fiat & Land Rover50:24 Power estimates for the 5.7L & 6.6L V8s53:33 New triple screens & smartphone integration55:12 Sport truck speculation vs. the Rumble Bee59:11 Torque-split 4WD and why it matters1:02:24 Wrap-up