Annoyingly, I’ve just discovered (because I didn’t check it before I bought the car…doh!), that my Forester has a stupid little doughnut tyre instead of a proper tyre, and this can’t be mounted on the front wheel.
So, before I go out and buy another wheel/tyre combo, I just want to check whether a full size spare will actually still in the shell well…

Sorry, this isn’t the answer you want, but if you use the spare, presumably the faulty wheel goes into its space.

I did once ask if snow tyres were available for the silly little spare, I thought it ought to embarrass the dealer.

and this can’t be mounted on the front wheel

Move a good rear wheel to the front and put the space saver on the rear. PITA!!

Buy a can of inflator spray and forget the spare wheel ?

Sorry, this isn’t the answer you want, but if you use the spare, presumably the faulty wheel goes into its space.

Yeah, that’s my presumption as well but on previous model years, the full size is too wide and the cargo tray doesn’t sit properly and whilst this is ok, it’s not ideal permanently, and I want to do a permanent replacement…

Buy a can of inflator spray and forget the spare wheel ?

We have this is the arrangement on our Ford Galaxy. Did not seem such a good idea on bank holiday Monday when we were stuck with a large chunk of metal in the tyre, 100 miles from base. Recovery on a low loader got us home but 10 mins and a spare would have been much better IMO.

My main concern is that I’ve got a long weekend coming up which requires driving on a fairly rough dirt road for approx 80km each way in any area without phone coverage…doughnut tyres or inflator spray just ain’t gonna cut it unless I drive really really really slowly

Hmmm…

Just switched from a scooby legacy 2010 to a new Levorg.

Both on 225 40 R18 rims, so I kept the spare I’d bought, but it’s actually on 114.3 bcd rather than 100mm…

So if the 5x 100mm with a 48mm offset fitted your forrester…

…and you can post cheaply to Vancouver….

Ahhh…. we don’t even get skinny spares over here now…

Could you use a sheet of polystyrene cut too shape so the tray sits higher?

The other problem being with the 4wd you need to swap 2 tyres at once fr/rr if you have a puncture.

thats prob why you can’t put it on the front nzcol.