Bad Back Problems

[old oak]

I have had a bad back recently that must have taken 6 months to clear up and it scared me.Its not perfect now so i use chairs that give support and a bed that helps as well ,there for i am being carefull to choose a car that has a high seat position as my picasso and has seats that work.I note that lumber supports are available on the yeti and wondered if they would work for me ( lumber area lhs is the problem area).Any information and personal experience would be very good.

Edited 14 November, 2010 by old oak

[Gizmo]

Steer well clear of any of the VAG manual lumbar supports (round plastic knob on the side of the seat) they are all pretty crude.

The electric ones found on the Elegance models however can be fine tuned to suit your requirements. (I too suffer with back problems)

[prodata]

I'm not honestly sure that this forum can really help you. Some Yeti drivers feel that the Yeti seats (especially with lumbar support) are very comfortable over long distances, while others - including me I have to say - wouldn't rate the seats very highly. Despite the wide range of adjustment that undoubtedly exists (there are 30 - count them - separate steps for manual height adjustment for instance), I'm still not sure that I've found a properly comfortable position overall yet. I guess so much depends on your own size and shape and on what you might have been used to driving in the past.

Two comments I would make:

If you do decide you like the Yeti in general and your budget allows then order the electric seats - this gives more control over finding a comfortable position, especially in being able to alter the tilt of the seat cushion. (I missed being able to order these by a few weeks - they've only recently been added to the Yeti options list.)

I think you've got a good justification for trying to get an extended test drive. I imagine that there might be a dealer somewhere not too far from you who could be persuaded to let you borrow a demo Yeti for maybe 2-3 hours if you explain the reason. Of course that's still not the same as owning the vehicle long-term, but it's probably the only way that you can really try for yourself.

[StewartK]

I have had a bad back recently that must have taken 6 months to clear up and it scared me.Its not perfect now so i use chairs that give support and a bed that helps as well ,there for i am being carefull to chose a car that has a high seat position as my picasso and has and seats that work.I note that lumber supports are available on the yeti and wondered if they would work for me ( lumber area lhs is the problem area).Any information and personal experience would be very good.

I doubt that any standard seat is going to be perfect for you. The Yeti has a highish position, I don't know if it's any higher than a Picasso. I think you need to take an extended test drive in a Yeti with seats that include lumbar support, that means a Yeti with Elegance trim if I'm reading the brochure correctly. There are also cushions and pads that you can add to aid lumbar support and they have been discussed on this forum recently, a search should reveal them. I've had Sciatica over the last year and have got a prolapsed disc in the Cervical area and driving my Yeti Elegance since June 2010 has been better than driving my previous car, a Volvo V40. Regular breaks with some walking about is also essential.

Stewart

[rockhopper]

Bad back problems I have found tend to come from bad posture - bad seats etc.

But the biggest culprit is us. As we drive we tend to slouch as we slide around in our seats whether they be cloth or leather.

I too suffer from a bad back, which is why I bought the CG-Lock on Bahnstormer's & Loadswine recommendations.

As mentioned on a very recent thread on uncomfortable seats, My link I now use a CG-Lock. This little device cost about £50 or less.

This locks the lap belt of the seat belt in place. This stops you from moving around in the seat whilst driving.

I have now had to lower my seat, as I was sitting so much 'higher' in it due to being held more secure, as my hair was rubbing on the roof which is very irritating. I have occasionally managed to sit like that without the CG-Lock, but not for long.

I am currently using a little VW Polo and the seats are terrible, but with the CG-Lock I can drive for long periods of time. They will transform any car seat - take a look at their website and on youtube.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Edited 14 November, 2010 by rockhopper

[loskie]

I have had a bad back recently that must have taken 6 months to clear up and it scared me.Its not perfect now so i use chairs that give support and a bed that helps as well ,there for i am being carefull to chose a car that has a high seat position as my picasso and has and seats that work.I note that lumber supports are available on the yeti and wondered if they would work for me ( lumber area lhs is the problem area).Any information and personal experience would be very good.

If good, supportive adjustable seats are a must you should try a Volvo

[Terfyn]

The Yeti seats are perfect.

Yeti drivers are the wrong shape.

[ernieb]

Bad back problems I have found tend to come from bad posture - bad seats etc.

But the biggest culprit is us. As we drive we tend to slouch as we slide around in our seats whether they be cloth or leather.

I too suffer from a bad back, which is why I bought the CG-Lock on Bahnstormer's & Loadswine recommendations.

As mentioned on a very recent thread on uncomfortable seats, My link I now use a CG-Lock. This little device cost about £50 or less.

This locks the lap belt of the seat belt in place. This stops you from moving around in the seat whilst driving.

I have now had to lower my seat, as I was sitting so much 'higher' in it due to being held more secure, as my hair was rubbing on the roof which is very irritating. I have occasionally managed to sit like that without the CG-Lock, but not for long.

I am currently using a little VW Polo and the seats are terrible, but with the CG-Lock I can drive for long periods of time. They will transform any car seat - take a look at their website and on youtube.

Hope this helps.

I just bought my CG Lock from ebay for £40 inc p&p (this is the new version 2) - only used it on a short trip but seems fine

ernieb

Mike

[Jock]

I had to get rid of my previous car because of back problems - it was a perfectly good car, handled well and was certainly "fit for purpose", but I could only drive 50 miles and I had to get out and have a little walk about.

During the search for a new vehicle, I tried many (and I mean many) others, but immediately I sat in the Yeti, I knew it would be OK. I've so far, covered 230 in a single trip without stopping, and have had several long trips including 800 miles in two days and no back problems at all.

Note also that I drive a Yeti SE - which doesn't have lumbar support - and I find I don't need it. Of course, all this doesn't mean it'll suit you sir, but give it a try!

[loadswine]

I think it may also depend on what part of your back is affected. I had a Seat Altea, superb support from the sport seats I had, but the chair was too hugging and narrow higher up, which irrritated my arthritis in my neck badly. Its been a lot better since I sold it, as my shoulders can come back and give a better posture driving other cars.

[900000]

Just one note on the a post above: the electric seats is an option on any Yeti bar the optionless E. So you need not buy an Elegance spec Yeti to get electric seats. But if you want to be sure the seat can be adjusted in any position (especially giving the seat base a front and back tilt option and a fully electric in and out and up and down lumbar) go for this option.

But of course get some seat time in both types of seats first.

EDIT: it has since come to light the seat can only be ordered on Elegance spec.

Edited 23 November, 2010 by 900000

[cant get no satisfaction]

I have had a bad back recently that must have taken 6 months to clear up and it scared me.Its not perfect now so i use chairs that give support and a bed that helps as well ,there for i am being carefull to choose a car that has a high seat position as my picasso and has seats that work.I note that lumber supports are available on the yeti and wondered if they would work for me ( lumber area lhs is the problem area).Any information and personal experience would be very good.

[cant get no satisfaction]

I bought my yeti 1.2 automatic 9 months ago and having had back problems paid to get lumbar support installed. It helps a lot as when I don't have it on (if my wife has been driving) I soon notice the difference! I couldn't drive far without it. How ever can I say that from my experience the Yeti is not the best ride for someone with back problems. I trawled this site before I bought mine and there were only one or two dissenting voices from the consensus that the ride and comfort were superb etc etc so I went ahead and bought. Big mistake! the dissenters were correct - the ride is jiggly and unsettled at slow speeds, potholes give quite a jolt unless taken at speed (impossible in town) and yes I have checked my tyre pressure with a new gauge. I have only done 1000 miles and am looking to trade in in the spring for I don't know what, but I cannot go far in my Yeti, and even my wife who doesn't usually notice such things has complained about the jittery ride. I wish I had never swapped my 10 year old Toyota Picnic.

[Fred_Bristol]

I bought my yeti 1.2 automatic 9 months ago and having had back problems paid to get lumbar support installed. It helps a lot as when I don't have it on (if my wife has been driving) I soon notice the difference! I couldn't drive far without it. How ever can I say that from my experience the Yeti is not the best ride for someone with back problems. I trawled this site before I bought mine and there were only one or two dissenting voices from the consensus that the ride and comfort were superb etc etc so I went ahead and bought. Big mistake! the dissenters were correct - the ride is jiggly and unsettled at slow speeds, potholes give quite a jolt unless taken at speed (impossible in town) and yes I have checked my tyre pressure with a new gauge. I have only done 1000 miles and am looking to trade in in the spring for I don't know what, but I cannot go far in my Yeti, and even my wife who doesn't usually notice such things has complained about the jittery ride. I wish I had never swapped my 10 year old Toyota Picnic.

An interesting observation, not that there is much I can do much about our Yeti 1.2 DSG SE with lumbar support that's being built this week. Because of my back problems I was very interested in the previous observations about the ride being jiggly and unsettled and didn't find the demonstrator like that. I also found the suspension coped very well with quite severe speed humps and the odd kerb my wife went over when she was driving it. (The only things missing from James's demonstration route were steep hills and bad weather.)

Given that you have made the sure the tyre pressures are correct I'm wondering what difference different brands and models of tyres make. And do Skoda use different suppliers for dampers and springs? There has to be an explanation for the variations.

Just hope ours is like the demonstrator - if it jiggles and jolts I'm not going to be a happy bunny!

Fred

[wakev]

After having many cars all of witch i could only drive for 1 or 2hrs without my back complaining. the yeti is the first one i can drive for hrs no problem and i only have the standard seat .

i drove back from Yorkshire (after TPS yeti run across the moors) just over 5hrs non stop home and all day across the moors no complaints from my back at all.

and no jiggy ride its perfect for me