A while back, I talked to Modern Spare and I asked them since they don't list the regular gas Crosstrek in the choice list, is there still a way to get something to work for my 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness and they came back with it's the same tire they offer on the new 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid. Since I don't do 'hard' off roading (but still have motor, transmission, differential, and gas tank skid plates due to areas that I really needed those skid plates) I wanted a spare tire just to get me out of situations that if I couldn't fix the 'real tire,' I at least wanted something that could get me out of the area so I could make it to the closest tire shop since a donut spare is not acceptable in such situations in my book.
I didn't want a regular spare to put on the roof or get some rear rack to hold it, again, I wanted something more robust than the donut, still compact, and would 'fit' in the regular spare area to be with me all the time. You can even use Modern Spare for your front, not just the rear like the donut spare.
With some work, but nothing drastic, I did get the Modern Spare to 'fit' good enough for my liking. It's roughly about an inch higher and when I put everything back in, if I didn't know I did it, I wouldn't even notice it.
It required removing some of the plastic at the very back that the spare tire fits under. I only needed a sheet metal cutter to take off around a half inch and then sanded any sharp points smooth that allowed the tire to go as flat as can be. The only other mod I had to do is cut a circle in the foam all the jack and stuff fits in to make the whole thing sit flat with the new tire. To secure the tire in its hole, the regular bolt was no longer long enough so I bought a hex cap screw M8 - 1.25 x 80 that worked great with the concave OEM washer. Since the tire is a bit larger in diameter than the donut, it's the walls of the spare area that prevent the new tire from sitting flat. What a shame, just a slightly bit larger area and the new tire would go down enough to be flat, but I'm not doing what others have done and go cutting that area out. Not worth it.
I didn't want a regular spare to put on the roof or get some rear rack to hold it, again, I wanted something more robust than the donut, still compact, and would 'fit' in the regular spare area to be with me all the time. You can even use Modern Spare for your front, not just the rear like the donut spare.
With some work, but nothing drastic, I did get the Modern Spare to 'fit' good enough for my liking. It's roughly about an inch higher and when I put everything back in, if I didn't know I did it, I wouldn't even notice it.
It required removing some of the plastic at the very back that the spare tire fits under. I only needed a sheet metal cutter to take off around a half inch and then sanded any sharp points smooth that allowed the tire to go as flat as can be. The only other mod I had to do is cut a circle in the foam all the jack and stuff fits in to make the whole thing sit flat with the new tire. To secure the tire in its hole, the regular bolt was no longer long enough so I bought a hex cap screw M8 - 1.25 x 80 that worked great with the concave OEM washer. Since the tire is a bit larger in diameter than the donut, it's the walls of the spare area that prevent the new tire from sitting flat. What a shame, just a slightly bit larger area and the new tire would go down enough to be flat, but I'm not doing what others have done and go cutting that area out. Not worth it.
