i would say to keep the conti spare tire.  my mom's subaru outback has a
donut also, and we've driven it with the donut through snow and mud, and
nothing has been broken or severely stressed.

my $.02 worth
Sudhir H. Desai                         1984 VW Vanagon 3.4 liter Chevy V-6
cdes@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu            1996 Subaru Outback 2.2 liter flat-4
sudhir_desai@geocities.com              1997 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 liter I-6

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1889