At least there is the option of a spare tyre - most new cars now come with just the reinflation kit. As I discovered only the other day, when my car was serviced and I was informed that the kit was out-of-date. Until that point, I hadn't actually noticed that we didn't have a spare tyre. We've only had the car 7 years... (I think I thought it was under the boot carpet...) In my defence, I have changed a tyre, by myself, so I'm not entirely incapable or anything. Just unobservant :)

Mind you, the way wheels are attached nowadays it's virtually impossible to get the bolts loose with just a tyre iron so the kit makes sense from that point of view. And it does save space (and, more importantly for the manufacturers, money).