I just got around to fully reading the owner's manual for my week-old Sport Limited, and I came across this gem on page 9-3:
"The temporary spare tire must be used only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire gets punctured, replace the wheel with a rear wheel and install the temporary spare tire in place of the removed rear wheel"
Does anyone know why this is? I'm guessing maybe the rear differential is more tolerant of tires with different diameters, but would like to get a more informed answer.
I don't know if this is new or not. I don't remember reading it in the manuals for my previous cars ('05 WRX, '02 WRX and '97 Legacy).
I didn't see any labels on the jack or spare tire advising this, so I'm adding a label of my own to the jack as I probably won't remember this requirement years from now when I get a flat.