Car For A Bad Back!!

[ali-cat]

I've noticed a few people have been asking for car recommendations & wanted to see if anyone has got, or has experienced, any of the following.  I have 5 torn discs & I'm 6 foot tall - so I don't fit in, or get out of, small, low cars very easily!! (used to drive an Alfa GTV [:(] )  The steering needs to be light & have an above average seat height.

At the moment I drive a Renault Scenic - which is great, but want to look at other possibilities.  We had considered going to a local Northern Ireland dealer - just to try different cars out - but feel really guilty, as we won't be buying one over here!!  [:$] 

What do you think of the following 5 possibilities?

Ford C-Max, Citroen C3, Citroen Pluriel, Citroen Berlingo or Renault Kangoo (do the last two drive like a van, as much as they look like one?!). 

Any other suggestions would be very welcome!!  [:D] 

[Sunday Driver]

If I were in your position, I'd go around all the local dealers and try all the cars out.  Don't ever feel guilty about this.  You have a genuine need and any dealer worth his salt will recognise this and go out of his way to accommodate you.  It's not as if you'll come across as a discount seeker or other kind of timewaster.....

[Cassis]

As a fellow former Alfa GTV owner, I wonder if getting in and out of this could be what did your back in in the first place (God, but how I miss it!  Alfa Red - what was yours?). 

I have heard good reports of the Citroen Berlingo - as long as getting Jeremy Clarkson's approval for your choice does not put you off.  I was considering the Berlingo and the Kangoo but have not actually bought either i the end (for financial reasons).  All our French friends we mentioned this to seemed to think the Kangoo was a poor second to the Berlingo (but not necessarily for back reasons).

Phil

[Richard-R]

    It's very littl to do with the car but more to do with the seats. All 3 of our cars (Toyota Yaris TS, Opel Sportster and a Subaru Imp) have sports seats with lumber support and I never suffer but when ever I drive a rental I start to suffer after about 30 minutes. I would say buy the car you want and just replace the drivers seat if it causes you pain, far better than buying a rubish car with good seats.

[ali-cat]

We've still got our Alfa - Mark's driving her now.  She's Red (of course - what other colour would a GTV be!! [:D] ).  We are going to sell her in the next few weeks - but it's breaking our hearts!! [:(]  Would love to bring her - but being RHD & with the ground clearence of a worms belly - would not suit the French back roads!! [:-))]

I totally ignore anything J Clarkson says - he once said the Nissan 100NX was a terrible car - & we had one for 11 years, before I got the Scenic & loved her!!

This back of mine has reduced my from beautiful sports cars - to a Bl**dy People Carrier!!  It's not fair!! 

Must go now - & have a good cry!! [:(]

[Bassman]

I have a couple of dodgy discs and am currently driving a 2004 Scenic which I don't find very comfortable after about 100miles[:(] and a '97 Ford Probe which I can drive all day without a twinge, it's lowered 30mm and on 40 profile tyres with uprated suspension (i.e. stiff) but it is still OK on French back roads, My next car is a Jag XK8/R in a couple of months (replacing the Scenic) another low sports car......OK I'm a masochist [:-))]

[ali-cat]

You may be a Masochist - but you're a happy one!!! [:-))]

[Rob Roy]

I have driven our neighbour's Peugot Partner (Diesel), which is very similar to the Berlingo and found it very comfortable, it handles well and sitting higher is nice when you are more used to a 'normal' car. We have always been Citroen fans - the old CX estate was soooo comfortable on long journeys, I loved them and still miss them [:(](we had about 5 over the years). A friend's C5 (diesel again), which I have also driven, is very good too.

[Tony the Turner]

Don't laugh! Try a Skoda! 

We both have dodgy backs and apart from a Citroen XM (brilliant for the back but ruinous for the bank account) have struggled over the years with various makes and models.  Last year, her indoors decided to buy a Skoda Fabia Estate 1.9tdi.  After covering 5000 plus kms in France in just over 3 weeks (and getting 58mpg) I decided to follow suit.  The back loves it as does the bank!

[sharkhunter]

I drive a subaru imprezza here and it really kills my back, lumber support seats or not, but what the hell, its great fun, Hugh.

[chirpy]

c5 citroen has another advantage in that you can lower or raise height to assist getting in and i would exect that to be usefull-also adjustable seats +lumber support

[Polremy]

I agree totally about the seats. Other half has bad back so we bought a Citroen Xsara Coupe with the special sports bucket seats - brilliant. We are actually thinking of selling it if you're interested. Sounds as though you are thinking of a new car though and it is about seven years old. it is French registered now but right hand drive. Everything was fine until we acquired grandchildren and hauling them out from the rear seats is doing the back in again.

[ali-cat]

I know and agree about the seats - but my problem is also getting in & out of the darn things!! [:(]  Either Mark has to shove me from behind [Www]  or pull me from the front  [:$].

He has suggested trying to hire a crane - very helpful, my hubby!!

[Owens88]

C5 has the best armchair ride I have encountered recently and yet is still quite responsive to drive .  I think the C4 and C3 do not have the clever suspension.

The van-derived cars seem fine to drive in France.

 

 

[Kitty]

My husband is 6 ft 5 ins and has a dicky back, shoulder, legs etc (too much cricket when he was a useful fast bowler).  He can only drive certain cars, such as large estates.  However, out of the small cars, my VW Golf suited him very well indeed.  VW used to sell them on the basis that they can be driven by "titchies" and "lankies".

[hastobe]

Doesn't really help the getting in and out or the headroom issue - but

have you tried the seat wedges and lumbar rolls (the ones that fasten

to you car seat)?  Car seats are about the worst designed seats

ever if you have a bad back..

Kathie

[JayJay]

Hi Ali, if you find the Scenic OK, maybe it'd be better to stick with it. I've had 3 fusions & the Scenic was the smallest vehicle I could get into, that's after trying all the others. MPV's are great, but for 2 people a bit big.

Well, good luck & take care

[urko]

I think you need to try each car out.  I'm 6'5" and have no (touch wood) major back problems.  My worst ever car for back comfort was a VW Passat - the seats were soft in all the wrong places and hard in all the other wrong places as well as lacking thigh support for me.  The best was a Saab.  I currently drive a Subaru Impreza which is OK but not a patch on the Saab.  My wife had a GTV and I found that the seats, whilst as beautiful as the rest of the car, lacked lower back support, however, height alone isn't the only factor of course.  I know people (slightly) shorter than me who struggle to get comfortable because proportionally more of their height is in their legs or body.

The only car that really gave me bother getting in and out of was a Lotus Elise, although once in it it was comfortable.

I'm currently toying with a Berlingo or maybe a C8 (need more space) - I have sat in the Berlingo and ridden numerous times in them in front and back and find them comfortable - they are a bit van like, but my first car was a van and I don't mind vans - they certainly ride fine.

[La Guerriere]

I've just donated my trusty Laguna (150K with only minor hitches) to son and heir, and got a Saab 9-5 estate which is a serious featherbed ride on all fronts. It has very nice seats, much to be commended

[Tarn]

I hired a new diesel Citroen Picasso a while back. I don't like

citroen's... but... I have to admit that it was incredibly easy to get

in and out of and the support / ride was impressive. My 75 year old

father (over 6 feet tall) hopped in and out of it like a youngster,

with a beaming smile on his face. He loved it.

I say, go to your dealer and try every car you want to. That's what

they're there for. Whether you buy the car from them or in France

matters little - the manufacturer still wins.

[ali-cat]

Hi Tarn,

We went out shopping this morning & parked beside a Picasso & thought "Oh! Have to try one of those"!!  Spooky, or what?!!  Great minds thinking alike, I believe!!  [:)]

Thank you!!

[Lachouette]

Thought I'd add my two cents worth too!

I have a dodgy back, and we have a Berlingo.  I love its upright and firm seating position, and when we drive from the Limousin to Calais, have no back problems at all from it.  I've never driven a van, so don't know how it compares, but as a 5'6" and a little bit woman, find the driving position good and it's very easy to drive.  We have the HDI 2 litre version, and even with a lot of weight on board, it flies up hills.

Try one out![:)]

Jan