Advice please - new car = backache

laissez-faire · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:02

I just bought a new Focus, have done about 200 miles in the last 2 days and my back is really sore. It isn't that I am not used to spending long periods of time driving, I reguarly drive 1000 miles in a weekend up and down to Scotland.

Is it possible that my back will just get used to the new seats soon? It seems to be more the muscles on the back that are sore rather than the bones. It is high, just beneath my neck. Have tried the seat in pretty well every position and it seems to be very comfortable, yet each time I get out of the car I am in pain!

[TW]Fox · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:05

The seats in the Focus are tailored towards comfort for shorter journeys - ie, you will find the seats very comfortable for the first 30-60 minutes but then it'll be less so.

Whereas the seats in the larger Fords are the other way round if anything - not quite so accomodating immediatly, but over time, the comfort level does
not reduce.

That made more sense in my head than it did as a forum post.

Morba · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:07

[TW]Fox said:
The seats in the Focus are tailored towards comfort for shorter journeys - ie, you will find the seats very comfortable for the first 30-60 minutes but then it'll be less so.

Whereas the seats in the larger Fords are the other way round if anything - not quite so accomodating immediatly, but over time, the comfort level does
not reduce.

That made more sense in my head than it did as a forum post.

might not make much sense to you, but it is right.
the fiesta seats are even worse!

laissez-faire · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:08

[TW]Fox said:
The seats in the Focus are tailored towards comfort for shorter journeys - ie, you will find the seats very comfortable for the first 30-60 minutes but then it'll be less so.

Whereas the seats in the larger Fords are the other way round if anything - not quite so accomodating immediatly, but over time, the comfort level does
not reduce.

That made more sense in my head than it did as a forum post.

That does kind of make sense.... but I have just spend a fair amount of cash on a new car so that doesn't make me too happy

[TW]Fox · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:09

It's not the end of the world becuase you may find that you can fit seats from a different car. It might cost a bit but it wont cost as much as changing the car.

Perhaps some Focus ST seats?

laissez-faire · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:11

What I am hoping is someone will post 'I had pain in my back when I first changed my car, then my back just got used to it and now I can sit in there all day and be fine!' lol

silversurfer · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:13

Sit up straight and support your lower back, a lot of seats have an adjustment for that?

laissez-faire · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:18

I am hoping that the backache is simply being caused by tiredness - I had very little sleep last night. I still really hope my 'bedding in' theory is right, a bit like when you ski the first time in the season and you ache a lot that evening. Hopefully anyway!

Morba · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:24

laissez-faire said:
I am hoping that the backache is simply being caused by tiredness - I had very little sleep last night. I still really hope my 'bedding in' theory is right, a bit like when you ski the first time in the season and you ache a lot that evening. Hopefully anyway!

you shouldnt need to bed in, just like you shouldnt need to get used to a pair of shoes.

Nitro_Junkie · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:30

needs more lumber support, maybe a decent lumber cushion could help?

-Neil- · 28 Jul 2007 at 17:35

laissez-faire said:
What I am hoping is someone will post 'I had pain in my back when I first changed my car, then my back just got used to it and now I can sit in there all day and be fine!' lol

I had the same when I bought my Integra, cured it by sitting further back with the seat more upright.

Now that I'm doing 500 miles a week in it, the pain is coming back slightly but that's more down to the length of time I'm in the car for (3.5hrs each journey). Placing a folded up jumper in the small of my back helps, the Recaros have no lumbar support

Neil.

zain · 28 Jul 2007 at 18:39

Try a cushion, a small one if you need to. Should definitely do the trick.

blueboy2001 · 28 Jul 2007 at 20:37

Whenever I get a new car it takes a couple of weeks of messing with the seat to find a position that is comfortable for long periods.

If you're getting pain in your neck and upper back you probably don't have the seat back upright enough. Try moving the seat cushion back, lifting the height up a bit and putting the backrest more upright. It may feel strange at first but will ultimately be more comfortable in the long run.

Mark A · 28 Jul 2007 at 21:01

Morba said:
might not make much sense to you, but it is right.
the fiesta seats are even worse!

True, my instructor got rear ended on a roundabout with a pupil that stalled so he was given a new Fiesta as a courtesy car. Unfortunately i had a 3 hour long pass plus lesson in this car and my back was killing by the end of it. The Focus i usually drove in was very comfortable for the 1.5 hour lessons i had.

AndrewP · 28 Jul 2007 at 22:20

laissez-faire said:
I had pain in my back when I first changed my car, then my back just got used to it and now I can sit in there all day and be fine!

Was like that both times I've changed car but it was more uncomfortable than painful, then I got used to the seat within a week or two

.

POB · 28 Jul 2007 at 23:51

You are not alone, the current Ford Focus in Zetec spec alone gives me bad back ache.

It gets no better over time for me, but I don't use the car daily (thankfully depressing nasty car)

lordrobs · 28 Jul 2007 at 23:56

I've only ever had trouble in my gf's Polo but I think that was partly due to not being able to get the seat back far enough.

Sometimes when I jump into another car I'm left thinking HTF do you drive like this

The massive lean backwards seems especially popular _/ :confused:

Dolph · 29 Jul 2007 at 08:07

Make sure you adjust the seat plenty and try and find a comfortable position. Sometimes the little, seemingly unreleated adjustments (such as height or steering wheel height, seat squab angle etc) can make all the difference to seat induced back ache.

Do you have lumbar adjustment? If so, play with that too

tigerstyle · 29 Jul 2007 at 08:26

ying-yang ethno beads for the win!

or as a taxi driver was using the other day when I jumped in, a whole wooden wasboard/shoer mat type thing? Seriously between his back and the seat was wedged a big slatted wodden frame made of 2X1 inch wood! That was ina ford too actually...

Tesla · 29 Jul 2007 at 09:56

Scarface's Focus Zetec made my back ache after around an hour in the car.

Lot's of cars make my back ache, fortunately not mine. Perhaps it's posture or perhaps it's the seat. I am not sure.