SUV/4x4, commuting, bad back

tw0nk

Hi All,

For someone with a bad back, commuting 3 hours a day total, what would you suggest?

Currently driving 05 c200 cdi, the seats are comfy but getting in and out of the car and changing gears on journey and low driving position are really taking their toll on my back.

I know a lot of people are against suv and 4x4's but I quite like them, what I would like to know is which is most comfortable and economical. I heard the mercedes m/ml series are very comfortable due to air suspension. Also whats the story with buying commercial? can I pay cheap tax? opinions greatly appreciated, thanks

summary:
- 4x4/suv
- max 15k euros
- diesel
- comfortable a must
- automatic

scwazrh

I've had a lot of 4x4s and tbh if you want comfort a range rover is the only one to choose if comfort is the deciding factor.With the budget you have mentioned though if I was you I would go for luxury saloon along the lines of 7 series or s-class.with the amount of time you spend driving each day I would avoid jeeps altogether .

tw0nk

scwazrh, thanks for reply, do luxury saloons now have the same low driving position as my current car? admittedly I have never driven a long distance in an suv or 4x4, I drove a santa fe for a month last year and found it pretty good, but longest journey I did was an hour or so.

scwazrh

Let's say you compared your c class to an s class ...
So the c class has smaller doors to start with and a lower roof .the s class has larger doors meaning you don't have to bend as much when getting in , also many large luxury saloons have an automatic feature that the steering wheel slides back as far as possible to give you more space when getting in and out.

My father struggles with back problems and he finds it much easier to get into his e-class that jumping into my jeep.

mytime

Volvo XC90 D5 auto so comfortable and great in the snow. You'll never beat a Volvo seat for comfort. Not the fastest of machines but a lovely tight drive and a beautiful sound from the 5 cylinder engine.

John_Rambo

mytime wrote: »

You'll never beat a Volvo seat for comfort. Not the fastest of machines but a lovely tight drive and a beautiful sound from the 5 cylinder engine.

Truedat... You could get a quick Volvo though! A V70R or something, unbelievable lumber comfort, lots of room to lie down and stretch the spine, great spec and quicker than most cars on the road!

visual

You asked about comfort in 4x4 and have a bad back.

I also suffer from lower back problems and sitting in a regular car no matter how up market just doesn't solve the problem.

I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and comfort is exelent 2 or 3 hour drive and I'm as refreshed as I was getting it at start of journey. Heated leather seats is a plus.
The only other 4x4 in same class would be range rover. I put it down to big comfortable seats and the height inside allowing you sit up correctly along with having springs (air in range rover) all round helps but its they way you are able to sit and adjust the seat that really makes the difference.

All Cars no matter what model your bum is just too close to the floor. Unless there is a MPV out there that might meet the needs.

The ONLY down side is running cost
They are 2 ton plus bricks with double the running gear compared to a car
So diesel is only logical choice to address the fuel consumption. the best you can hope for is 30mpg but some are lower than this so worth check out in advance.
You have a reasonable budget to have good selection, test drive a few models. And just before you buy ask can you take it for a weekend. Or hire one for a week.

Lex Luthor

my chiropractor suggested to me that Jap cars are suited more to people with bad backs that any other make...

Have to say I think she's right...since I got the Subaru, my back has not given half the trouble it had from previous cars. My wifes verso is also very comfortable for me to drive.

I recently did the 6hr journey from Holyhead to London and then returned 6 days later in the Verso with not a bother but on a 3.5hr trip to Derry recently in an Insignia I was crippled.

krissovo

I have owned/driven a few cars now with my bad back, here are my assessments of them.

11 Avensis - Recently did 1300 miles in two days in one of these and even slept in the car for a night, it is without a doubt a the most comfy car if you have a bad back. I cannot put my finger on why but i think its a combo of seating position/ suspension/ seats and the controls in a good alignment.

09 E class Merc - Up until the Avensis experience this was winning, I could do Cork > Dublin non stop and feel ok when I got there.

05 Citroen C5 - If your is in pain from bumps in the road then this is the car for you, I expect the C6 would be even better. It is a magic carpet ride but the seats were only good and not great.

06 Golf - Ok for short commute < 60 mins

08 Passat - Marginally better than Golf, its quite firm so bumps get tiresome after a while.

07 Landcruiser - I first tried a SUV it was a complete mistake. Trying to park and swinging my neck/back around was painful. Long journeys were a chore and I would be stopping every 45-60 minutes.

Gophur

OP, if you look at the "soft-roaders", the likes of Freelander, CRV, RAV4 etc, you will get a car that gets up to 40mpg. They are easy to drive, easy to get in and out of (you're not sitting down or having to lift yourself up)

It sounds like you also need an automatic, of which I think the SUV options are limited.

The larger SUV, Grand Cherokee, LandCruiser etc will struggle to get you 30mpg.

krissovo

Just to add to my original post, I picked up a Ford Kuga earlier this evening as a rental today. Put 300 km's since then and I must say I am very impressed, I thought I was getting a E 200 Merc/ BMW 520 and was gutted when I was "upgraded" to a SUV Ford Kuga by the rental company but its a nice car to drive if you have a bad back. I now think its better than a merc/BMW purely for my back condition.

The controls are nicely situated if you suffer from a bad back, the seats (half leather) are firm and very supportive. The suspension absorbs the road bumps very well and I am getting 40 mpg with a 2ltr diesel for a mixed autobahn/urban (60/40).

The car is great on the open road but gets a little stressful in a busy city and it does roll around corners a little.

Mar4ix

i heard a lot good stories about lexux diesel jeeps. Didnt drive any, but in my native country very popular, people call them very comfortable, economical and reliable. havent seen them many in Dublin.

heate

Mar4ix wrote: »

i heard a lot good stories about lexux diesel jeeps. Didnt drive any, but in my native country very popular, people call them very comfortable, economical and reliable. havent seen them many in Dublin.

Lexus have only ever had 1 diesel model in it's entry level sedan the is220d.

Op - I did 200,00km in a 745d with active and comfort seats -
I damaged my back about 50,000km after buying the car and was in a friends m3 and nearly collapsed in pain after a trip from Zurich to Munich!

The 7 however was wonderful - your higher up than an average saloon and those seats are so adjustable the hunchback of Notre Dame could sit comfortably. I could so several hundred km's a day and get out of the car refreshed.
A 730d with comfort seats or indeed a 5er with them would be ideal if ingress isn't a huge issue

166man

heate wrote: »

Lexus have only ever had 1 diesel model in it's entry level sedan the is220d.

Op - I did 200,00km in a 745d with active and comfort seats -
I damaged my back about 50,000km after buying the car and was in a friends m3 and nearly collapsed in pain after a trip from Zurich to Munich!

The 7 however was wonderful - your higher up than an average saloon and those seats are so adjustable the hunchback of Notre Dame could sit comfortably. I could so several hundred km's a day and get out of the car refreshed.
A 730d with comfort seats or indeed a 5er with them would be ideal if ingress isn't a huge issue

Yeah but the 5 series has those crappy run flat tyres making the ride uncomfortable though.. Not sure about 7 series..

heate

166man wrote: »

Yeah but the 5 series has those crappy run flat tyres making the ride uncomfortable though.. Not sure about 7 series..

Most people have removed them at this stage an SE model on 17's with the Non sports suspension is supple enough without losing feel

Yawlboy

I currently drive an 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it is a fairly confortable cruiser, I suffer from a bad back and after travelling Cork-Dublin-Cork in it I feel fine most of the time but it can get tiring on bad roads.

However my wife has an 05 Land Rover Discovery 3 and it is 10 times more comfortable than the Jeep. The Auto box, long wheelbase and air suspension make it a fantastic long distance drive. We go to the UK (east coast) a few times a year and we always take the Disco. Its not as expensive as a RR but it is an amazing car.

my 2¢ worth

E39MSport

OP: - LS400/430 is an amazingly comfortable driving experience. Going cheap now.

Btw - to the self professed 4x4 experts, you failed to include the Amazon when referring to comfort :rolleyes:, and Lexus badged one also.

Same cabin/seating to a great extent as the LS400.

166man

Not sure if it's been suggested yet how about a Lexus RX400H? Like this perhaps

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/2366315