Tell me about your car's seat.
July 31, 2019 11:41 AM   Subscribe

I've got an injury that makes it painful to sit in most modern cars. I'm thinking there are probably cars out there that have been designed with the intent for the driver to sit in an upright as opposed to a semi-reclined position, and that might be comfortable for someone 5' 3". I'd like to try driving some, either for inspiration for how to modify my current seats or for a possible future car. Have you driven such a vehicle? Which cars should I be looking at?

General constraints: Reclining more than about 5 degrees is bad. Bucket seats with a lot of scoop or squishiness to them are bad. Headrests/restraints that protrude forward from the plane of the back of the seat are excruciating, especially in a non-reclined position*. I'd be especially interested in fuel-efficient vehicles, but I'm open to all suggestions.

* I know that these can be reversed on some cars, but not on mine. I'm considering swapping the driver's head restraint in my 2013 Impreza out for something with a less aggressive forward angle, as it could currently go at least 6" back and still be less than 2" from where I'd like the back of my head to be.
posted by deludingmyself to Travel & Transportation (11 answers total)
 
I had a 2006 base model Chevy Colorado pickup that had very firm bucket seats, with little to no scoop and no protruding headrest. I have back issues (and I'm 5' 1"), and I used to go sit in my car when my back hurt, because it was the perfect support for me. (YMMV, obviously.)
posted by okayokayigive at 11:58 AM on July 31, 2019


I don't have an injury, so this may not be useful at all to you, but I am 5'2 so scoops and protruding headrests hit me in exactly the wrong places. Sitting on a firm 2in+ cushion is surprisingly helpful for me.
posted by esker at 12:12 PM on July 31, 2019


The most upright driving positions I have experienced were all in vans. Compared to cars, they have a totally different approach to driver positioning.
posted by automatronic at 1:02 PM on July 31, 2019 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: The most upright driving positions I have experienced were all in vans. Compared to cars, they have a totally different approach to driver positioning.

Same! (Although they're still usually intended for someone twice my size, which is non-optimal.) However, seeing as I have no kids, live in Colorado, drive my car to the mountains semi-regularly, and spend an hour in the car every day, a van is really not the best thing on every other metric besides driver's seat ergonomics. Is there a name for the type of seats that vans have? I keep trying to google stuff like "upright car seat" and getting, well, kid things.
posted by deludingmyself at 1:15 PM on July 31, 2019


I have a very hard time with the way headrests are so far forward in newer cars. This cushion is wonderful for me - it actually sits under the shoulder blades and allows me to sit comfortably with my head against the headrest as intended. I drag it from vehicle to vehicle with me and miss it terribly if I forget it.
posted by hilaryjade at 1:18 PM on July 31, 2019 [1 favorite]


I had a PT Cruiser for a while -- that is a very upright van-type seat. It's probably not great for mountain driving, and they haven't been made since 2008, but you might be able to find a cheap used one to get you through the injury, maybe?
posted by Sparky Buttons at 1:44 PM on July 31, 2019


Many headrests are removable and even reversible, although they pitch forward for a safety reason of preventing whiplash.

I too think you want a small truck with a bench seat, if such can be found.
posted by spitbull at 5:36 PM on July 31, 2019


If the horizontal part of your seat (the part you sit on) is adjustable, have you tried lifting the back part as high as possible and the front part as low as possible so that the line of your hips to your knees is sloped downward instead of upward? This makes a huge difference for me and I have similar requirements for comfort in the car. I think you can get a pillow to sit on that will do the same thing.
posted by bananacabana at 8:50 PM on July 31, 2019


Some time in the late 2000s decade, car manufacturers decided to pitch the angle of headrests way forward, enough to give you a neck ache if you sit upright. They did it, I think, to give neck support in an accident to people who recline their seats way back, even though it messes with the rest of us. You do want neck support, so turning the headrest around doesn't help -- that's angled too far the other way. I don't know what to tell you, because my solution has been to always buy used cars from before 2008 for exactly this reason!

If I had to buy a newer car, I think I'd take the headrest to a metal shop and get them to bend the rods under high heat. (Personally I'd like to bend the auto industry car seat designers under high heat.)
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 11:04 PM on July 31, 2019


You might try a Honda CR-V. It's technically an SUV but on the small side. The seats are pleasantly upright and I have not experienced the horrible headrest thing in them. I am 5' 6" but most of that is torso.
posted by purple_bird at 9:10 AM on August 1, 2019


Jeeps have replacement seats that might do the trick...
posted by oceano at 3:17 PM on August 12, 2019


« Older Tiny bubble wrap for popping / fidgeting, only...   |   Protecting Non-Granite Countertops in a Kitchen Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.