I got the third row seat as an option solely because it was the only way I could get the self leveling suspension. My X5 is a work vehicle, the rear seats are down 99% of the time and I carry about 200 lbs of stuff back there. Towing a boat and having to put more stuff in occasionally makes the SLS a no brainer for me.

What I don't understand is why the lack of a spare is such a concern. I put a set of Blizzaks on for the winter and went with conventional tires. Purchased a small 12V compressor with tire repair plug kit and a bottle of slime and it all fits in the left rear storage compartment. Hope I never have to use it, but if it doesn't get me going, I probably would have needed a flatbed anyway. Is it a chance? sure but everything is a gamble of some type and for me it's a chance I'm willing to take.

Some here may have statistics, for me the last flat I had was 3 vehicles ago which represents a total of 210,000 miles since 2003.