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Hello - I have a bad back and recently had an operation. I now need to buy a "new" car (doesn't have to be) but it must have v comfortable seats preferably with electric adjustment and should be an automatic as I shouldn't really change gear. Also must be reliable. What do you suggest with budget up to £12k - could be saloon/hatch?
Edited by Pugugly on 28/04/2008 at 23:09
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I believe Saab and Volvo are said to have the best seats.
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What do you mean by very comfy?
The Golf SE I test drove had armchair like seats, which some people might say were comfy because of their cushiony squishyness... but I hated them so went for the hard, supportive seats in the Sport.
Are you looking for a comfortable squish, or something harder and more supportive for your back?
Edited by PoloGirl on 28/04/2008 at 23:53
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I guess you can only speak as you find and different people will have different needs and preferences. Some would argue the case for a higher, more upright seating position such as would be offered by an MPV or 4/4. Speaking purely personally, I suffered compression fractures of my lowest three vertebrae some 15 years ago in a fairly nasty riding accident. Upon recovery I needed to continue my work which involves a fair bit of driving. I have tried various vehicles over the years but for me the most ergonomically correct is my current Mk3 Mondeo. The model I have ( Ghia X ) has the benefit of full electric adjustment and excellent lumbar support combined with what is, for me, a near perfect driving position. If I spend any length of time in some other vehicles my back will occasionally still spasm but in my car I can happily contemplate 500 mls + in one go without discomfort. Unfortunately, what is true for one person may not be for another but if your injury is similar it might be worth hiring one to try. For what it's worth, I had a Volvo 850 which was OK but a 940 which I could never get comfortable in, while others swear by them. A Ford Galaxy was fine but my Espace had me in kinks. Not an exact science I'm afraid.
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Agre totally, Shoespy - everyone's back is different. I personally would find a Golf Sport's seats too hard for me - not to mention the suspension - but then I drove over half a million miles in Renaults! My Golf is an SE and I've been to Scotland twice in it (from Southern England) in the past month with no trace of aches and pains despite being nearly 60.
But one thing is for sure - make sure if at all possible you get a car with lumbar adjustment. For me at least the lower back is the area most sensitive to the wrong shape of seat. In particular the Citroens I've sat in have seemed intially comfy but you soon realise that there's not a lot of support in the small of the back - although they presumably have lumbar adjustment on up-market models.
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The worst kind of seats you can have if you have a bad back are "comfy" seats.
You need the firmness and support of seats which you could term "Germanic" - car manufacturers such as Mercedes, for instance, whose seats provide the level of support that ensure you can drive for many, many miles without feeling discomfort.
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My Volvo S60 seats are the best i have ever sat in.
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But not an old Merc. where the seat springs have collapsed.
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I'd vote for Saab too. I have back problems and Saabs are well know for good seats. My 9-5 is extremely comfortable, certainly more so than my wife's A6.
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I've found my C-Max has the most comfortable seats and seating position of any car I've driven. The seats aren't especially luxurious or anything, but there's something about the seating position and the seat design that makes them especially comfortable for long trips. The doors are large and it's easy to get in and out of the car.
My wife has a bad back and she uses a special folding rigid seat cover that she takes around with her, and she uses it in the car, both while driving and as a passenger. She bought it from a disability shop. She says it really helps her back.
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I've found my C-Max has the most comfortable seats and seating position of any car I've driven.
Whislt I would agree with the accessability I found that the C-Max seats lacked support. They were great for short trips indeed my elderly mother loved it for its easy access. On the other hand on long journeys both my wife and I found the seats to be literally a pain.
I had the a CMax for four years and the seats were one of the reasons I was glad to see the back of it (apart form its dreadful mechanical reliability). I much prefer a firmer seat with adjustable lumbar suport and find those in my current car, an Octavia, much better in this respect . Just goes to prove that seating is very much a personal thing and there is no such thing as a seat that suits everybody
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