I love everything about my Insight, however when I go on long drives (several hours) I find that the seats don't have the lumbar support that I would like and so I end up with a stiff back. Does anyone else have this problem and what have you found to correct it? your help is greatly appriciated.
Seat Modifications for Long drives
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I've had my car since Aug 11 and put over 6600 miles on it. I find that moving the seat back and the seat up and back helps. Basically change your position often. Get out of the car as often as feasable. Drink a lot of water (then you'll have to get out). I even take off my shoes and strech me legs out (plenty of room). For me this car is more comfortable to drive than my 03 crew cab diesel.
Good luck
Good luck
Joined
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131 Posts
i'm with rick, i've had mine since march and i just crossed the 14,000 mile mark tonight. I find the car very comfortable to drive as long as you relax.
G
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·I too find the car really comfortable.
I travel 70 miles each way for work every day with no problems at all.
I travel 70 miles each way for work every day with no problems at all.
Well, about the only discomfort I find when in my Insight is my knee starts to hurt after a while. This is because my legs kinda naturally spread and my gas leg goes at an angel and fatigues my knee cap after a while. I've found that on long trips the trick is to put the seat all the way back and get my leg as straight as possible on the pedal, then you can kinda move your hip back and forth for suttle variations in throttle.
Now I have seen one item I thought would make long drives more comfortable though. It was actually on another Insight the owners had had some custom pillow type things made that slipped over the top of the seats and were like a head and neck supporting pillow. From the first look at them it looked like it wouldn't be comfortable, but after sitting in the car I realized they did feel very nice. I also recall others (I think on the yahoo group) saying they would put a pillow behind their back which helpes apparently.
Hope this is of some relevance.
Now I have seen one item I thought would make long drives more comfortable though. It was actually on another Insight the owners had had some custom pillow type things made that slipped over the top of the seats and were like a head and neck supporting pillow. From the first look at them it looked like it wouldn't be comfortable, but after sitting in the car I realized they did feel very nice. I also recall others (I think on the yahoo group) saying they would put a pillow behind their back which helpes apparently.
Hope this is of some relevance.
I agree that for normal trips the seats are comfortable. 
I periodicly have to drive from Utah to California (About 10 hours) and was wondering if anyone new of anything available on the market that offered more lower back support. So far the best things that I have found are the same things that RICKM mentioned.
Thanks Again
I periodicly have to drive from Utah to California (About 10 hours) and was wondering if anyone new of anything available on the market that offered more lower back support. So far the best things that I have found are the same things that RICKM mentioned.Thanks Again
If there are any Japanese import stores in your area, many of them carry car products including neck and lower-back pillows. In the SF area, Japan Center and the East-West Mall (Richmond) have several stores with them. All they are is a thin pillow with an elastic band that goes around the seat. You may want to try finding just a small pillow to put behind your lower back and see how it does. I personally find the seats more comfortable than most cars, my sister has a Civic hatchback and the front seats kill my back.
Forgot to mention, my daughter made a pillow-like thing that velcros to the door where your elbo would sit (by the handle) and I put a pillow where an armrest should be. It seems taking the weight of your arms off your shoulders and neck alievate alot of the lower back strain. Now if I could keep my head off the pillow..............
Re: lumbar support pillow
I have to say, I think my Insight is the first car I've ever been in -- as a driver or passenger -- where I *had* any decent lumbar support.
I'm 6'2", by the way.
One of the things I really like about the Insight seats is how close to vertical you can set them. Too many car seats lean back even in their most upright setting. My legs are considerably longer than my arms, so in a normal car I end up having to hunch over a little to reach the wheel in order to fit my knees under the steering wheel comfortably. I don't have this problem in my Insight.
I did some long drives this summer (9 hrs MI -> IA, 14 hrs IA -> CO, then two days back to MI), and just made sure to get out and stretch about every three hours (or after a particularly stressful construction zone), just as a matter of course. Of course, I didn't have to fill up gas that often, so sometimes that just meant a quick stop in the rest area to stretch, use the loo and/or swap CD magazines.
I also keep a baseball in that tiny drawer on the left side of the steering wheel. If I do get any twinges in my back, I just pop the baseball behind my back for a moment to work out the kinks.
I have to say, I think my Insight is the first car I've ever been in -- as a driver or passenger -- where I *had* any decent lumbar support.
I'm 6'2", by the way.
One of the things I really like about the Insight seats is how close to vertical you can set them. Too many car seats lean back even in their most upright setting. My legs are considerably longer than my arms, so in a normal car I end up having to hunch over a little to reach the wheel in order to fit my knees under the steering wheel comfortably. I don't have this problem in my Insight.
I did some long drives this summer (9 hrs MI -> IA, 14 hrs IA -> CO, then two days back to MI), and just made sure to get out and stretch about every three hours (or after a particularly stressful construction zone), just as a matter of course. Of course, I didn't have to fill up gas that often, so sometimes that just meant a quick stop in the rest area to stretch, use the loo and/or swap CD magazines.
I also keep a baseball in that tiny drawer on the left side of the steering wheel. If I do get any twinges in my back, I just pop the baseball behind my back for a moment to work out the kinks.
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