My opinion on what jack to use if you are carrying a spare tire

[bpratt]

From the floor to the jack point on the Clarity is 6 1/2 inches. However, if you have a flat tire, that distance might be closer to 4 inches. When jacking the car up, the tire comes off the ground at about 10 1/2 inches, so a jack capable of 11 or 12 inches of extended height is needed.
I tried using a scissor jack, but the car is so heavy (especially the front) that getting the car jacked up takes a lot of effort and trusting some of these scissor jacks to not fail concerns me.
I looked for a bottle jack that would work, but most of them I could find that were short enough would not jack up high enough.
I finally settled on a small 2 ton Floor jack. The floor jack is a lot heaver than the scissor jack, but it can lift the car with ease and is very stable, and it fits easily in the storage area in the trunk.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

As an aside, Harbor Freight has some very good deals on floor jacks of all types, with regular discounts off of already low priced. Aluminum would be a good way to go if weight is a concern.

 

[bpratt]

The floor jack I am using is the Powerbuilt 2 Ton Trolley Floor Jack for $39.95 at this site:
https://www.powerbuilt.com/collections/jacks-and-lift-equipment?page=1#pexf3TgwAUUiXzHd.97

 

[fotomoto]

I mentioned investigating using a hydraulic jack in my thread about a spare:
https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/mini-spare-luggage.5184/
and reading this one gave me one of those "doh" and "aha" moments at the same time. LOL I have an old, small 2ton floor jack in my tool room that I mainly use on motorcycle projects. So, I dug it out and this is what I found this afternoon.

First it will fit nicely in the lower well in the trunk! Perfect for a trip. First aid kit left for size perspective.

OK, then. Let's see if it will work on a flat front tire. So, I let all the air out for realistic simulation.

Next, is there enough clearance? Yup, close but no problemo'.

No issues with lifting the big girl either. Approx. 20-25 pumps.

THANKS for the idea!

 

[Sandroad]

The floor jack I am using is the Powerbuilt 2 Ton Trolley Floor Jack for $39.95 at this site:
https://www.powerbuilt.com/collections/jacks-and-lift-equipment?page=1#pexf3TgwAUUiXzHd.97

Hmmm. Interesting you would trust a super-cheap floor jack and yet not trust a good good scissor jack. I admit there is a big difference in quality and ease of use among scissor jacks, but a good one will work well and be safe. I bought OEM Honda and it works well. The Clarity is within the weight range too. A couple light plastic wheel chocks make any jack safer to use, especially a trolley jack that’s on wheels.