Compact SUV or other car for someone with occassion back and knee pain?

[desidude]

Hi friends,

My girlfriend currently drives a 2011 2 door Toyota Yaris. She is about 5ft 7 inches and has a slim physique, she is 40.

She is suffering from some back and knee pain and thinks that a car with more leg room/more height between the seat and the pedals may be more comfortable.

We are in the market for a second car, and were wondering whether a compact SUV would be a good choice? or are there sedans or other types of vehicles that can provide the extra leg room and height?

The car will mostly transport only 2 adults and not used for carrying much cargo, apart from day to day cargo such as groceries.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks,
desidude

 

[nerp]

Any mid or large sedan will help. She is driving a Yaris, which is very small.

 

[desidude]

Hi Nerp,

Thanks for your reply. Does a mid or full size sedan have higher clearance between the seat and the floor, i.e. she does not only want to be able to stretch her legs but also sit higher up so her legs can bend more

Will a mid/full size sedan typically be more comfortable than a SUV of a comparable brand/price point?

Thanks!
desidude

 

[Kaido]

I liked how my Kia Soul rode - you sort of sit up, like you were in a chair, rather than lean back, but it was still nice & compact.

 

[Zap]

IMO what is more important is a car that allows a greater range of adjustments. "Cheap" cars like the Yaris may not allow seat height adjustments, nor steering wheel extension. For instance I like to have the seat lower and set farther back, and being able to extend the steering wheel allows for that or else I'd have to drive with straight arms. My Mazdaspeed 6 allows for the steering wheel to extend.

 

[Jumpem]

2014 Forester. The step in height is comfortable, it is obviously not low as a car would be. The seating position is upright, and the power seats can be adjusted up and down as desired. Fuel economy is also good for an AWD SUV.

 

[phucheneh]

You're not going to find comfort in a certain 'class' of vehicle. There will be good and bad in all segments.

To go ahead and generalize, though, I think you're on the wrong track. The seating position is most small SUV's is similar to a lot of subcompacts. Seat is kind of high, footwells are a bit narrow. Escape is one of the worst, IMO, it always felt very cramped for the size of vehicle that it is.

I would go to a used lot and just start trying seats. Look for something with height adjustment. If you get something with power seats, look for ones with two motors for the height adjustment (front height/rear height), if possible. A lot of her issue could be in the front of the seat putting too much pressure on her thighs. This will only get worse as you go to bigger vehicles with higher seating positions. It will also be harder for her to drive with her heels on the floor.

That last bit is important- her issue could be related to 'floating' over the pedals rather than resting her heels on the floor. I generally only have that issue with big trucks and vans- but it's super uncomfortable.

Also of note, make sure she's not 'gangster leaning' her seat. If the upper half of her spine is touching nothing but air, she's doing it wrong. Related: look at how far her arms are reaching for the wheel. I have some long arms (35-36" sleeves on a dress shirt) and I still find cars where I can't sit with my legs in a comfortable spot without ending up feeling like my arms are fully extended to manipulate the steering wheel.

 

[olds]

GF isn't tall but maybe look at these?
http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/top-10/top-10-best-cars-for-tall-drivers-for-2013.html

 

[hans007]

I've driven a yaris. I doubt its that the car is small. Probably just the seats aren't particularly supportive or adjustable.

 

[nerp]

Well, it is small and yes, you can slide the seats forward and back but that's about it.

 

[tortillasoup]

I think the question OP should be asking himself is, why does a 40 year old woman have back and knee pain? How many hours a day is she driving? If she is driving for less than 1 hour a day for driving, changing vehicles isn't going to fix her problem. I'd be far more concerned about a svelte 40 year old woman having back and knee problems rather than the car... Nothing frustrates me more than when people ignore problems and beat around the bush rather than take them head on. I'm over 6ft 220lbs with a medium frame and I sit acceptably in a Yaris with no pain.

However if I wanted to buy a "roomy car" I'd get a 2004-2009 Prius which has a very upright seating position and is less cramped than the 2010+ Prius. A Compact SUV is based on a compact car platform, not really going to be all that big of an improvement over a compact car. A Toyota Camry or Honda Accord are awesome cruising vehicles, more than enough room for me or if I'm carrying along a friend who happens to have a spare tire with them at all times.

 

[Eureka]

Try a Honda Civic. The cars themselves are small but they're optimized for space and comfort. 5'7" isn't particularly tall.

Actually, tortillasoup brings up a good point. The pain may be stemming from something other than the car. I'm 5'7" and I fit comfortably in a miata. Does she have unusual body proportions (overly long or short legs, etc)?

 

[desidude]

Hi friends,

Any updates on this given that some new models have come out?

I am debating between a Honda CRV, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX5 and possibly a regular Prius, not the larger version. Possibly a Hyundai Tuscon?

These will likely be 2013 or 2014 models, but I am open to older new/used models if they are better value.

Of course, I am open to additional suggestions...

Thanks,
desidude

 

[Meghan54]

Just my humble opinion, but I've suffered with a pair of back problems for darned near forever, well, at least one of them forever.

First, I've had scoliosis, or lateral curvature of the spine, for my whole life. Has irritated me more and more as I aged. And car seats have become more and more difficult to bear sitting in for extended periods.

Then, about 8 years ago, I herniated a disc--L10-11. This has made almost all car seats unbearable for over 10 minutes of sitting. Long riding periods leads to lots of pain down my right leg, not to mention my back.

What I found most comfortable was a vehicle that sits taller.....made getting in and out vastly easier than most sedans, contrary to what most are espousing. Having to lift yourself out and drop yourself into a vehicle that's lower to the ground does cause back strain if you have problems already...and it'll definitely take strain off her knees. It adds up.

Then, you must have power seats, obviously, so you can raise the height of the seat. Drove a Kia Soul recently and it wasn't bad, just cheap inside. My favorite vehicle I've driven long term was a Nissan Murano. The seats were the best out of everything I'd driven in the last decade. The lumbar support was not obtrusive at all and could be flattened more than most....more comfortable for me, anyway.

My Silverado, while better than most I've been in as far as seating, has a touch too aggressive lumbar support so I tend to tilt the seat more rearward than usual to compensate.

Try out everything. She'll find a seat and vehicle that fits, but it may take a while. I still maintain a taller type vehicle will benefit. I'd look at a Nissan Juke and Rogue. Their seats are similar to the Murano.

 

[Jumpem]

Hi friends,

Any updates on this given that some new models have come out?

I am debating between a Honda CRV, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX5 and possibly a regular Prius, not the larger version. Possibly a Hyundai Tuscon?

These will likely be 2013 or 2014 models, but I am open to older new/used models if they are better value.

Of course, I am open to additional suggestions...

Thanks,
desidude

2014 Forester. The step in height is comfortable, it is obviously not low as a car would be. The seating position is upright, and the power seats can be adjusted up and down as desired. Fuel economy is also good for an AWD SUV.

..

 

[tortillasoup]

OP should focus more on why she has back pain instead of trying to alleviate the symptoms of it. The idea that a woman of her stature with no injuries or deformities to speak of has back pain says to me she has a problem she isn't addressing. As a simple guess, I'm thinking her back pain is caused by her sitting for extended periods of time and the muscles in her back are off sync. This wouldn't explain the knee pain though which may be attributed likely to her jogging on concrete, damaging her knees (this is a guess). If none of this is accurate, then she should definitely see a doctor to ensure she isn't ignoring something like a degenerative disorder like the wasting away of her joints.

It's naive to work to alleviate symptoms of pain when the activities she's doing shouldn't cause her pain in the first place especially when we don't know WHY she has this pain in the first place.

 

[desidude]

Thank you all.

Tortillasoup, I appreciate your concern. We are in the process of setting up Doctor's appointments and having this examined medically.

As we are in the market for a new car, we might as well keep our health considerations in mind as well.

You advice is welcome thanks.

thanks!

 

[waggy]

ohh just seen this thread.

I have bad back and knee pain. i can't stand sedans. I have found getting in and out of mini-vans is far far more easy to do then sedan's.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

The Honda CRV is popular with elderly drivers due to their back/joint/arthritis issues. Most compact SUVs or even minivans should be comparable.

 

[Livinganlearnin]

Hi friends,

My girlfriend currently drives a 2011 2 door Toyota Yaris. She is about 5ft 7 inches and has a slim physique, she is 40.

She is suffering from some back and knee pain and thinks that a car with more leg room/more height between the seat and the pedals may be more comfortable.

We are in the market for a second car, and were wondering whether a compact SUV would be a good choice? or are there sedans or other types of vehicles that can provide the extra leg room and height?

The car will mostly transport only 2 adults and not used for carrying much cargo, apart from day to day cargo such as groceries.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks,
desidude

Hi. This is an old thread but i have the same situation with knee pain aggtivated when in a car.

One poster suggested that the knee be evaluated by a doctor first before changing cars. Many others suggested wonderful tips to relieve the pain.

My post is presented to get to the heart of the question. Is it possible that a car can aggrivate knee pain? The answer is yes. The next question is: do some vehicles cause less knee pain than others? I did not see an answer in this thread.

I drive a Prius V 2013 with many comfort features. My tall kids have no knee pain complaints. I do. I have discovered that there is a vibration from the heel of my foot up to my knee and from there to my hip and back.

I put real sheepskin under my feet which helped reduce vibration. I drive with the right shoe off which seems to help as long as its on the sheepskin from Ikea. My knee rotates and touches the door handle when I am on the passenger side. When I am on the passenger side, the pain significantly increases.

Like the OP I am trying to find out if there are vehicles that are knee friendly for my size and body type.

In defense of the female - There is a knee condition that primarily affects women called Chondromalacia.

Women experiencing knee pain that is significant enough to trigger a new car purchase is serious - although some men and doctors tend to minimize knee pain in women. Women's complaints of knee pain are not taken seriously on what are primarily men's message board.

Physical therapy can be researched online but of course a medical doctor who specializes in knee pain is the safest option. The knee must be strengthened.

Approximately 15 percent those diagnosed with Chondromalacia do not respond to physical therapy and mild treatments.

Some people blame the car because vehicle really does trigger more intense pain. There are other causes of knee pain. Should anyone stumble across this thread and have knee pain, please get the knee professionally evaluated before buying a new car.

In my case, the vibrations from the floor of the car and side door trigger knee pain. A 10 minute drive is unpleasant and longer drives cause me to intensely dislike an otherwise nice car. After reaching my destination, my right knee is weak and can barely support my weight. Walking helps ease the most intense pain - but the pain remains for a very long time. After a 4 hour drive without taking prcautions, I could barely walk the next day - so yes - knee pain from any cause is nothing to joke about. I know that some men also experience severe knee pain when driving. One man's truck crashed when his knee locked while driving. The subsequent infections after surgery caused him yo be confined to a wheel chair. He did not recover. Driving a truck was said to be the cause, but the real cause was not taking knee pain seriously.

If being serious does not work to motivate some people to take knee pain when in a car seriously, lets try this:

If there is a Zombie apocalypse, we knee pain sufferers need to survive long car rides and wont always be able to get a new car with gas in it. But - it would be really nice to know which vehicles are knee friendly and which ones have lower amounts of vibrations in yhe footboards. Then again- we cannot be choosy during a zombie apocalypse.

Been to Edmonds.com seeking an answer to the OP question. Seems like knee pain in women drivers is not on the car manufacterers radar.

Kind Regards to all.

 

[bamx2]

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