MAD ANDY

Just recently bought a cheap 04 plate Mondeo Zetec-S for company car use. Got it half price and with the good reviews about the car plus the Zetec-S having the 18" alloys, ST220 suspension and sports kit/seats etc, with the 128bhp TDCi engine and 50mpg it makes sense...

...only I've had it now for less than a week, havent been anywhere that far in it as yet and only used for say 1hr at most per drive, and just cant find a comfortable position to sit in, not as in the position feels awkward, but as in after being in the care for 10mins+ I have to keep adjusting the reclined angle of the seat and lumbar support cos I keep getting back twinges. Unfortunately the lumbar support appears to be too high, as the top of it is above the point where the back curves, and at 6' 3" high if its too high for me its too high for most! but worse still, with no lumbar support in use, the seats feel a bit soft so can still feel the top of the lumbar support when leaning back, and as this bit is quite hard, it feels like its digging in the back a bit, just unfortunately sitting in it before buying it and during the test drive didnt show this!

Apart from one review on Parkers website where someone else mentions the lumbar is too high, everywhere else either says the seats are mega comfortable etc or something else, such as this from tiscali review:

"The seats are large and supportive, and you're unlikely to step out of a Mondeo with a back ache no matter how long you've been behind the wheel. Ghia X models receive heated and ventilated seats for both driver and passenger"

and most of the other mag/web reviews say similar things...

anyone else suffer from back ache or pain from motoring and have a solution? Apparently portable lumbar rolls and 11degree wedges to keep the pelvis aligned properly are the way to go, along with sitting as high and upright as the seat will allow keeping the knee's lower than the hips, but not only do I feel a spaz sitting right up in the air I like sitting as low as possible lol

any help/advice most appreciated!

Westy

iTrader: (1)

cant offer any advice as I dont suffer from back ache fortunately..

but No cossie anymore Andy?? sold the white one?

vroooom ptssssh

Rudey, u mean up an down the spine or across it?

Recaros are good seats, i NEVER get back ache in them at all, no matter how long the journey!!!

matts1

Suffer from back problems from my days lugging carpet remnants, pysio is good but expensive, try Melton Brown bath black pepper bath oil. It's a temperary solution but is good for relaxing muscles.

MAD ANDY

Westy - broke the cossie and sold it last year mate, miss it terribly though

Rudey - cheers for that mate, some interesting comments there. My missus has a bad back and see's chyropractors a few times a month, but hers is more down to having a tiled pelvis, possibly from giving birth to our second kid, more probably due to the banging I give her She does Pilates as well which involves using either an inflatable back support or lumbar roll doing a similar thing as you mentioned so will have to give it a try with the towel.

vroooom ptssssh - yeah never had a problem myself in the past with all the Recaro's I've sat in over the years, and dunno if I even have a problem now, been very stressed lately and so wondering if that could have summat to do with it, just find it a co-incidence that I've only been experiencing some very minor twinges in my lower and upper back and tops of arms near shoulders since buying the car....

SteveB

iTrader: (3)

I'm not joking but my mum had 1 of those beaded seat covers and it made the world of difference

Oranoco

How can driving with an abacus up your arse be of any help Anal maths anybody

I find when I'm doingh miles the only thing that helps is parking up and getting out of the car for a bit

JoeE30

Im a long distance lorry driver and i only get out of the thing if im on a break, i drover from manchester to Aylesford and back the Mon-Tue which was over 12 hours driving... The only thing i find that helps is to keep moving, adjusting youre postion.....i too pid to see a doc and it worked for a bit as i was weight training at the time, now i just kinda put up with it....

MAD ANDY

agree with what ya saying, but as a lorry driver i'm assuming the seats are designed for long journeys anyway and so are probably far superior back support than any car seat ever would be, but still over a long period you still need some help! My issue is the seat in the Mondeo is not the same curviture (spelling?) as the back is, hence over a very short period it is starting to cause problems, hence no amount of moving or getting out will alter it

I remember years ago doing 900+ miles in ONE day, in a Laguna diesel estate, started off at 4.30am and finished off at 7pm+ yet still managed to get straight out, check in to hotel and get changed then go clubbing, yet at the mo, 20mins in the Mondeo and I'm thrutching about altering the seat position. A mate who has recently received a Skoda Octavia company car mentioned he test drove a Mondeo and although he loved it, found it too soft on the seats, yet loved his Skoda. Sat in his Audi with a Skoda badge (cos essentially thats what it was! After recently having a company Audi A4 for 3 months, inside it was identical if not better!) I totally agreed and with his nice supportive seas, almost got jealous of his Skoda

Rudey, my missus mentions she does a similar thing to the spine/towel thing you mentioned but said she does this long ways down the spine, not cross ways from side to side at the lumbar region, can you confirm which way you mean?

cheers