Best Car for Lumbar/Lower Back Problems?

shmaupel

Pretty much that!

Driving a fairly low slung estate that I love but recent surgery suggests I need to rethink my driving posture to have any comfort on the road in future.

Ideally I'm looking for a car with a driving position as close to a dining chair as possible!

I'd prefer to avoid an SUV.

Just looking for a normal car to fit 2ads+2ch.

A Nissan Note perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

liquoriceall

shmaupel wrote: »

Pretty much that!

Driving a fairly low slung estate that I love but recent surgery suggests I need to rethink my driving posture to have any comfort on the road in future.

Ideally I'm looking for a car with a driving position as close to a dining chair as possible!

I'd prefer to avoid an SUV.

Just looking for a normal car to fit 2ads+2ch.

A Nissan Note perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

Personally for me if you want comfort you either have to go for any of the volvos such as a s40 if youre looking mid sized as you can not pass them for fantastic support or if youre looking for something a bit more ordinary I find Renaults to have excellent seats with great support. From previous experience avoid Toyotas like the plague!

dgt

If age isn't an issue, either a Xantia, 406 or W202 c class. All fantastic cars and plenty comfy

shmaupel

Thanks folks, off to check them out now as I wait for my night-time post-op meds to kick in :-)

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly

Back seat of a RR Phantom.

shmaupel

Roger Mellie Man on the Telly wrote: »

Back seat of a RR Phantom.

You know it!

_Brian

I suffer with my back too.

Ideally as you say you need a driving position where your hips and knees are at or near 90degrees.

I've found for this you need to look at taller vehicles, MPVs and SUVs.

Personally the most comfortable car I've found was the C4 Picasso. Myself I drive an Xtrail, spend allot of time out on the road and never sore or tired.

You mentioned the Nissan note, I'm not familiar with the driving position but I'd worry about the support provided by the seat. It's a car designed for short hop about town use, typically these don't have te best most supportive seats.

My wife recently purchased a Mondeo and while a wonderful car to drive, after 2-3 hours behind the wheel I'd start to long for the Citroen or my Xtrail.

shmaupel

_Brian wrote: »

I suffer with my back too.

Ideally as you say you need a driving position where your hips and knees are at or near 90degrees.

I've found for this you need to look at taller vehicles, MPVs and SUVs.

Personally the most comfortable car I've found was the C4 Picasso. Myself I drive an Xtrail, spend allot of time out on the road and never sore or tired.

You mentioned the Nissan note, I'm not familiar with the driving position but I'd worry about the support provided by the seat. It's a car designed for short hop about town use, typically these don't have te best most supportive seats.

My wife recently purchased a Mondeo and while a wonderful car to drive, after 2-3 hours behind the wheel I'd start to long for the Citroen or my Xtrail.

Thanks for the reply Brian.

I have been looking this morning at scenics and picasso s.

Are C4 picassos all 7 seaters do you know? And Xzara Picassos 5 seaters?

shmaupel

_Brian wrote: »

I suffer with my back too.

Ideally as you say you need a driving position where your hips and knees are at or near 90degrees.

I've found for this you need to look at taller vehicles, MPVs and SUVs.

Personally the most comfortable car I've found was the C4 Picasso. Myself I drive an Xtrail, spend allot of time out on the road and never sore or tired.

You mentioned the Nissan note, I'm not familiar with the driving position but I'd worry about the support provided by the seat. It's a car designed for short hop about town use, typically these don't have te best most supportive seats.

My wife recently purchased a Mondeo and while a wonderful car to drive, after 2-3 hours behind the wheel I'd start to long for the Citroen or my Xtrail.

How do you find the running costs on the X Trail? They look class.

bazz26

The Xsara Picasso was only every a 5 seater. The newer C4 Picasso is a 5 seater and the C4 Grand Picasso is 7 seater.

Viper_JB

Ya know I heard that both the Skoda Yeti (and although I really dislike it) the roomster are good for people with back problems, very easy to get in and out of etc.

My advise though, test drive as much as you can, everyone's back is different, people really like the chairs in Golfs for example but they always give me pains and cramps in my back.

SmithySeller

_Brian wrote: »

I suffer with my back too.

Ideally as you say you need a driving position where your hips and knees are at or near 90degrees.

I've found for this you need to look at taller vehicles, MPVs and SUVs.

As above. Man my 520 killed me on long journeys. The higher position is known to help hip issues also..

_Brian

shmaupel wrote: »

How do you find the running costs on the X Trail? They look class.

Mine is an older 2006 2.2 4wd model so I'm getting murdered for €900+ motor tax.
38-39 mpg since I purchased. Have done ~130k km's since buying it and other than standard maintenance has cost nothing extra.

Yawlboy

I suffer from sciatica and have had awful problems with carseats on longer journeys in the past however I now have a Citroen C5 with Hydractive 3 suspension and the seats are amazing. I did two trips to Dublin from Cork last week and no pain.

shmaupel

That's fairly hefty car tax on the Xtrail!

My other half has 99 2l td Avensis, pride and joy, 270k miles, running like a dream, tax is a killer though!

Plenty of info to go on, thanks everyone.

shawnee

Love something higher and the qashqai or similar really helps , many of the back strains are from getting in and out of the lower cars. Never bothered me until I did have back problems and now I do not like the cars low to the groun.

Bpmull

Viper_JB wrote: »

My advise though, test drive as much as you can, everyone's back is different, people really like the chairs in Golfs for example but they always give me pains and cramps in my back.

The mk7 golf won an ergonomics award for its seats which they are extremely comfortable. Even in my mk5 golf the seats are very comfortable and have a lot of lumber support although my one has the upgraded seats so I don't know what the basic seats are like in the mk5 but I think they are good.

shmaupel

Bpmull wrote: »

The mk7 golf won an ergonomics award for its seats which they are extremely comfortable. Even in my mk5 golf the seats are very comfortable and have a lot of lumber support although my one has the upgraded seats so I don't know what the basic seats are like in the mk5 but I think they are good.

Thanks for the post.

The golf has been mentioned a few times. Must be good!

However, the surgeon reckoned that isnor enough to have agood seat with lumbar control but also high seating position was what i would need - as in a 4x4/SUV/MPV.

At the minute the list includes:

Renault Scenic
Citroen C4 Picasso
Skoda Roomster
Skoda Yeti
Nissan Note
Nissan Qashqai


I'm wondering about a Suzuki SX4?

Bpmull

shmaupel wrote: »

Thanks for the post.

The golf has been mentioned a few times. Must be good!

However, the surgeon reckoned that isnor enough to have agood seat with lumbar control but also high seating position was what i would need - as in a 4x4/SUV/MPV.

At the minute the list includes:

Renault Scenic
Citroen C4 Picasso
Skoda Roomster
Skoda Yeti
Nissan Note
Nissan Qashqai


I'm wondering about a Suzuki SX4?

You can raise the seat quite high in the golf but then if you are very tall head room might be an issue. But your list is good in the fact all of them are high up. As someone said try out as many as you can and see what you like. Best of luck with the search

noelf

Bpmull wrote: »

You can raise the seat quite high in the golf but then if you are very tall head room might be an issue. But your list is good in the fact all of them are high up. As someone said try out as many as you can and see what you like. Best of luck with the search

You can upgrade the drivers seat in the mark 7 golf for €705 includes 14 way adjustment electrically adjustable lumbar support plus massage function also heated as well and squab inclination is included .. ergoactive seat

Bpmull

noelf wrote: »

You can upgrade the drivers seat in the mark 7 golf for €705 includes 14 way adjustment electrically adjustable lumbar support plus massage function also heated as well and squab inclination is included .. ergoactive seat

Even the standard seats in the mk7 are very comfortable and supportive they obviously wouldn't be as good as them upgraded ones though

_Brian

shmaupel wrote: »

Thanks for the post.

The golf has been mentioned a few times. Must be good!

However, the surgeon reckoned that isnor enough to have agood seat with lumbar control but also high seating position was what i would need - as in a 4x4/SUV/MPV.

At the minute the list includes:

Renault Scenic
Citroen C4 Picasso
Skoda Roomster
Skoda Yeti
Nissan Note
Nissan Qashqai


I'm wondering about a Suzuki SX4?

How about the Golf+ ?
I've never been in one but my understanding is its higher and longer than a standard golf...
I wonder would that be an option..

A note on the C4 GP, we had ours for 4 years relatively trouble free, but trading it in with 200k kms I really didnt feel it was a car to take really high milage.. If we were low mileage drivers I'd have another in a heartbeat.

ml100

Golf's don't have great seats for bad lower backs, I have a comfort line golf 6, problem is your knees are higher than your hips, I've had to raise the back of the base of the seat with foam, try an mpv

ml100

Golf's don't have great seats for bad lower backs, I have a comfort line golf 6, problem is your knees are higher than your hips, I've had to raise the back of the base of the seat with foam, try an mpv

ml100

Golf's don't have great seats for bad lower backs, I have a comfort line golf 6, problem is your knees are higher than your hips, I've had to raise the back of the base of the seat with foam, try an mpv

shmaupel

ml100 wrote: »

Golf's don't have great seats for bad lower backs, I have a comfort line golf 6, problem is your knees are higher than your hips, I've had to raise the back of the base of the seat with foam, try an mpv

Yes ml100.

This is the issue.

You can have all the lumbar support in the world but you really do need to have your hips in line with the knees.

I currently drive a lovely A4 estate and would hate to give it up.

Once I get back driving I will try jacking up the seat abs using a wedge cushion.

If that doesn't work I'll have to go down the MPV route.