Can we please just go back to using smaller wheels and tires?

For example, I have 35mm sidewall sports car tires on 20" (only wheel offered by the manufacturer) diameter wheels. That would be less than 23" if we calculated as you did. The actual total diameter of an inflated tire though is ~27" (26.947") per the tire manufacturer (Michelin).

I confirmed my assertion that it's 35s by running it through a tire diameter calculator (I do track days), and looking at outer tire diameters for tires for 23" wheels as a sanity check. Moreover, several media outlets (Autopian - partly run by a Jeep fanatic - The Drive, others) agree with me -- they are indeed 35".

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To be fair, for off-road tires, they're usually coded different. For example, a Hummer H1 which indeed has a 37" outer diameter tire, is coded as 37X12.5-16.5. But the Escalade IQs tires are coded as normal passenger tires, or 275/50R24.

Stock tires now days a have a lower profile from the past, and when choosing the normal wheel and tire option the ride quality will be better than the cars from days gone by. Tires for cars used to have very large sidewall ratios, 15 inch rim and 75% was common for a passenger sedan. That was a marshmallow with bad road feel and coupled with the soggy suspension setups the cars would be considered dangerous by modern standards. The 17" 50% tires that are common today provide much better handling and the unsprung weight is likely less than the past. All of this makes a better and safer car.

One thing people always forget when talking tire sidewalls is that larger side wall generates more heat in a tire and can promote failure. All that sidewall flex makes heat every time it rolls around. Small rims and big sidewalls, shorten tire life and not in the way of a curb hit like the author had. It shortens it in a way of highway speed delamination which is never fun. (From personal experience). The Ford bronco rollovers had this catastrophic blowout issue as the trigger that exposed poor suspension.

Neither of these are low profile tires and both are sedans and not crossovers that have a high center of gravity.

Also a while Corolla is classified as a compact car it's curb weight is 3000lbs. This is heavy car, largely due to mandatory safety things. While that's all we'll and and good, heavier car requires better suspension and tires than a lighter car. Which is why you see 18" and 40 profile tires are every version except the hybrid.

Now if we compare it to a compact of the past like the humble Ford pinto. It weighs in at a feather weight of 2000-2200lbs depending on the version. Massive weight difference from an modern compact. As vehicle weigh goes up other things must change too.

I think my point about smaller cars was lost. It was meant to mean that in most first world countries we can no longer get actual smaller cars. The safety rules that we want in place for our vehicles preclude them from being sold here.

That being said all the cars I looked at when I bought my car had a spare tire as an option (by default you wouldn't get one)

Chevy also put my battery in the trunk for weight distribution reasons, which makes the available space there even less. Maybe they felt they could do that because there was no spare.

I love my Camaro but it is definitely a "pay to play" vehicle.

Edit: none of these were hybrids or EVs, so it's not just batteries.

there is a trend to put instead of spare inflation kit + sealant. costs savings and such