Seat comfort,suspension and tyres | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Mon 3 Aug 2015 15:23

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - scot22

Obviously all of these contribute to the effects of a journey on skeletal problems (back etc), even I understand that.

However, I am not sure about the level of effect of suspension in relation to others. The car I am looking at is a A class W169 ( I know not universally popular) manual 2011.

Thedetails list the suspension as sports. However, is a certain element of firmness helpful for back problems ? I would welcome any comment from people with experience of this.

Many thanks.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 3 Aug 2015 15:34

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - RobJP

I've got a bad back, and so has my wife.

For both of us, the seats need to be firm, so that they hold us in place. However, the suspension needs to be pliable, so that you don't get bounced around all the time. Tyre size is (to me) really a part of the suspension. Again, you want a certain level of pliability in the sidewalls, so massive wheels with low profile tyres aren't the best things in the world. However, really soft wallowy suspension makes my wife horribly carsick. So it's a fine balancing act.

Hard seat and hard suspension and low-profile tyres is a bit like being dragged down the road on a teatray. Feeling every single bump is not my idea of fun

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 3 Aug 2015 16:42

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - scot22

Thanks Rob, appreciated. I think the seats and tyres,16in, will be fine. The sports was what concerned me. The problem with a test drive is not having hours to find out what its like on a longish journey.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 3 Aug 2015 17:19

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - gordonbennet

The secret with a test drive is to choose your own route, so it includes rough roads traffic awkward junctions hill starts etc etc, the sort of driving you'll do every day, and most importantly see what clutch control and low engine speed torque is like by doing a bit of manoeuvering or parking on an incline...this is where many modern cars and transmissions fail abysmally.

If the sales bod insists on their route walk away, one car supermarket in the next town the test drive comprises (maybe its changed now but i don't know anyone who buys there) one junction up the adjacent dual carriageway and back, i could knit a better test drive than that.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 3 Aug 2015 18:34

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - corax

Ideally, you need supportive seats with adjustable lumbar support, compliant suspension that absorbs bumps but doesn't wallow, and large profile tyres.

I find sports seats to be good for a bad back because they hold you in place when cornering, rather than letting your back hold you upright - this can subconciously happen even on mild corners. It can make a big difference to reducing tiredness on a long journey.

Unfortunately the option of compliant suspension and wheels and sports seats isn't usually available.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Mon 3 Aug 2015 20:03

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - scot22

Thanks for additional advice. Perhaps I might win the Premium Bonds and have a car made for me !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 00:05

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - drd63

Good seats do make a huge difference and lumbar support is crucial, always surprises me how many cars don't offer passengers anything like the adjustment / lumbar support of the driver. Not sure if it's going to be an option for you but massage function is worth it's weight. Unusually I agree with GB about choosing a test route with hills, however GB will disagree with me over the fact that a car with electronic parking brake, hill hold etc will be a dream compared to a manual handbrake especially if you have a bad back.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 12:18

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - John F

Probably the most important thing for back sufferers is the height of the seat from the floor. The higher the better. That is why the seats of vehicles mainly driven by those who drive for a living are high off the floor.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 12:27

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - scot22

Thanks for further advice. The observation about professional drivers is very interesting. Does having a high driving position like Quashqui (not sure of spelling ?) also affect this ? Is there a list of most popular mobility cars ? that might give some clues.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 15:48

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - Andrew-T

It's a Qashqai (I believe it's a word from Arabic rather than a pure invention). But a Nissan anyway, so to the point, which is that my SiL worked for Nissan until recently, so had access to a sequence of what later became 'management cars' in the trade. Daughter finds the seats in the Q or the Juke comfortable, but couldn't tolerate those in a Note.

The main message is that before buying any car (unless it's the same as your last one) take a long varied test drive, at least half an hour, longer if possible. I owned a Pug 206 Garros for only two months because although the car drove well, sitting in it for an hour or more was just not nice.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 16:31

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - scot22

Thanks Andrew, interesting about it being possible Arabic. I put the u following our spelling rules.

I'll have a look at a Q.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Tue 4 Aug 2015 17:25

Seat comfort,suspension and tyres - balleballe

Qashqai is named after a nomadic Tribe from Iran- why, i dont know!

'Tekna' is also another tribe, originating from North Africa (Morocco I think)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link