best car for coccyx pain sufferer?

artyeva

looking for my next car and find myself swamped in google searches at the moment, so i'm hoping you fine folks can give me some starting points

i suffer from coccydynia and my current car, although it has a lovely suspension, is making the issue worse because of the seats. i'm in the market for something with a high seating postion, has cruise control, but that i can tilt the bottom part of the seat forward [so my weight is behind my knees/on my thighs rather than my spine]. not sure if the budget can stretch to automatic gearbox [are they usually more expensive?], although i find it a godsend on my current car. fuel economy is next important, i would be doing on average 15-18000 miles a year, split between short local trips and 2+ hr journeys. i reckon i could get about 2-3k for my car and will have up to 6k to put with it.

i started looking into diesel merivas, the 1.3 specifically but have read a bit about electrical faults, so that scared me off. what else should i be looking at? or does anyone else here suffer from coccydynia that can chime in? those cut out cushions don't really work for me [though i do use them], so seat position and how i can position the seat are cruicial. so is finding info online before i go and look/testdrive, as at the moment my condition is so bad i can only handle a few miles in the car before i'm in agony. any help appreciated!

hoodie6029

Not a back pain sufferer but a Volvo S80 is one of the most comfortable cars I've been in. They've been recommended on here before to back sufferers. If you do a search I think there is massive thread on 'drivers with a bad back'.

artyeva

hoodie6029 wrote: »

Not a back pain sufferer but a Volvo S80 is one of the most comfortable cars I've been in. They've been recommended on here before to back sufferers. If you do a search I think there is massive thread on 'drivers with a bad back'.

thanks for your reply, hoodie. looking at photos of the s80 i know that'd be a disaster for me. i probably should have specified, i need a high driving position. those seats look like the angles and height of my own now, which unfortunately have me in the state i'm in

hoodie6029

No good then. How about a Qashqai? Drove a 1.5 diesel as a hire car a few time. Was a nice place to be. The engine would be better than a 1.3 anyway since you're doing big miles.

chicorytip

artyeva wrote: »

looking for my next car and find myself swamped in google searches at the moment, so i'm hoping you fine folks can give me some starting points

i suffer from coccydynia and my current car, although it has a lovely suspension, is making the issue worse because of the seats. i'm in the market for something with a high seating postion, has cruise control, but that i can tilt the bottom part of the seat forward [so my weight is behind my knees/on my thighs rather than my spine]. not sure if the budget can stretch to automatic gearbox [are they usually more expensive?], although i find it a godsend on my current car. fuel economy is next important, i would be doing on average 15-18000 miles a year, split between short local trips and 2+ hr journeys. i reckon i could get about 2-3k for my car and will have up to 6k to put with it.

i started looking into diesel merivas, the 1.3 specifically but have read a bit about electrical faults, so that scared me off. what else should i be looking at? or does anyone else here suffer from coccydynia that can chime in? those cut out cushions don't really work for me [though i do use them], so seat position and how i can position the seat are cruicial. so is finding info online before i go and look/testdrive, as at the moment my condition is so bad i can only handle a few miles in the car before i'm in agony. any help appreciated!

Mercedes B class,perhaps.

sheesh

have you looked at buying/making something that puts your weight on the correct part or your legs? might be more straight forward and might save you money in giving you wider range of cars?

Had that when I was younger, it was quiet unpleasant.

bazz26

A Honda Jazz is worth looking at.

artyeva

test drove a 2012 quashqi last year, wasn't pleasant for me, or the guy in the dealer who had to lift me out of it. nice seating position, but every little bit of uneven road was like daggers up my back. and mayo roads aren't known for their svelte road surfaces :P

@ sheesh - i've done a fair bit of research into cushion options you can drop onto an existing seat, they seem to be mostly US based companies doing them. i've already tried about ten different off the shelf ones from physiotherapy catalogues to no avail though so am a bit wary. if money was no object i'd tick off all the other requirements on the car first and then get a fully bespoke seat made... if that was even possible? the pain makes you kinda desperate!

i have an e class at the moment, wouldn't buy another merc for that reason. will look into the honda jazz though. thanks for the replies so far!

Cork selfbuild

I suffer from a bad back, none of these are a high seated position and potentially over budget, not sure about older models, buy my last car was a Volvo, I would try sitting in one... Most comfortable seat ever... I have a 131 Superb at the moment, nice smooth ride, 12 way adjustable elec seats so once you hit a sweet spot it's great, has 3 memory positions which I have 2 different ones saved for me depending if back is acting up badly... But the best thing that can help is the fact the are heated, on full heat they do help alleviate some of the pain, best of luck with your search.

Tigger

pug 405 was the most comfy car i ever had so whatever the current one is

artyeva

right, for the info of anyone with of a similar disposition! went to look at a few over the past few days, my coccyx is shot, but i have a much better idea now that when i started at least.

ford c-max - lovely car, high seat, adjustable steering wheel was good but uncomfortable seat, it had a big bulge at the bottom of the spine which if it's meant for lumbar support is in the complete wrong place.

hyundi ix20 - very comfortable, surprisingly so for such a small wee thing, but out of my price range.

then came the c4 grand picasso - i only took it for a short drive but the seat position and shape combined with the adjustable armrest (the one i test drove was a manual) made it extremely comfortable.

the dealer was offerring a 2007 1.6 manual diesel with 70k miles on it, plus a 12 month warranty and 2 yr NCT for 6k plus 3.5k for my old car - does that seem a little steep? i have no idea and i'm finding it hard to find a like for like comparison on the likes of done deal, etc.

and does anyone know where i can find the best comparison between the manual and automatic MPG for these years if i wanted to hold off for an auto?

self3137

A vehicle with a long wheel base helps and avoid low profile tyres.