OK all you Countryman ALL4 with conventional tires and 18" wheels, what do you do for a spare? Is there one that is compatible with 18" wheels? Sources?
The search I did only uncovered a supplier that only goes up to 17"
I have found a Countryman at a local breakers yard and the guy says there is one good wheel available identical to the ones on my car. He wants $150 for it which I thought might be expensive for a used wheel but after seeing the prices on Ebay maybe not so much. Would have to make sure it has no impact damage.

 

Why not run a 17" as your spare?

 

OK, here's my line of thinking, on my Ford Taurus AWD, tire stores will not even allow you to replace one tire on the same axle if the remaining original tire has wear on it. They tell you and I've done research to back this up that even small variations in rolling diameter between wheels on the same axle can cause differential or transaxle problems. Surely the same would be true if i have an 18" on one side and a 17" on the other. I'm no expert so if anyone is then please speak up. Mini's, in particular the ALL4 model can be problematic enough without inviting more.

 

Mismatched wheel sizes in the long run aren't good for the drive train, but every time you go around a curve - one side of tires is spinning at a different rate than the other side. So the differentials whole purpose is to accommodate this.

So the size on a spare that is just used to get you on down the road to a tire station is not that important. Otherwise, manufacturers wouldn't put all those tiny donut spares that are WAY mismatched in so many vehicles! ha I was surprised to find on my Chevy Suburban - that even the full-size spare mounted underneath was actually a different size.

I've used a wheel off my BMW 330i as a spare to get the Countryman 120 miles home one time when the wife had a blowout - so the wheel pattern fits between them. I also carry the 330i donut as a spare in my Countryman, if I'm headed out on a long trip or in the boonies where I might need a spare to get home.

I agree with you that $150 sounds high on the salvage wheel. There are plenty of yards that would sell you a great spare for a lot less than that.

Howard