Bruce Chang
Maybe a full-sized spare. Some owners manuals even have a recommended rotation pattern for five tires. This seems especially true for off- road capable (or wannabe off-road) vehicles where a compact spare on a trail or off-road would be insanely stupid. Every compact spare I've ever seen had very little tread depth, and perhaps a useful life of maybe a few thousand miles. Check this Q&A with someone from Bridgestone-Firestone:
"MYTH: You can drive as fast and as long on a temporary or compact spare tire as you can on a regular tire.
FACT: Temporary or compact spare tires are designed to allow you to get to the nearest tire dealer or service center for the repair or replacement of your flat tire. Temporary spares aren't designed for long-term use. The temporary spare should be replaced by a regular size spare tire as soon as possible. Follow your vehicle's owner's manual for proper usage of temporary tires."
I brought up the issue of the diff. Of course that wouldn't be much of an issue if there's no diff, like a independent rear suspension of a front-drive car. I'd still worry about blowing out a compact spare from excessive speed.
