Spare tires take up a room no matter where you place them. Spare tires have always taken up space, but drivers early on realized the importance of having a spare tire as insurance that they would be able to get home. Manufacturers, to lure prospective customers, came up with the idea of a folding spare tire.
Folding spare tires require less room than any other type of spare tire. However, the folding spare tire requires extensive work to get back on the road. They must be inflated with an accompanying pump or air canister before they can be used.