[Chris Peacock]

Ok, so 650 miles into my M-Sport ownership and even with adding the additional lumbar support I am suffering with lower back pain after around an hours driving

Anyone got any tips on how to set the seat to avoid this, as travelling 30-35k miles per year means this is a big issue for me and ruining my enjoyment of driving the car.

Actually missing my Leon at the moment!

[TonyS]

Originally Posted by Chris Peacock

Ok, so 650 miles into my M-Sport ownership and even with adding the additional lumbar support I am suffering with lower back pain after around an hours driving

Anyone got any tips on how to set the seat to avoid this, as travelling 30-35k miles per year means this is a big issue for me and ruining my enjoyment of driving the car.

Actually missing my Leon at the moment!

There's some info on correct seat & steering wheel positioning here that might be useful:
http://yel.pca.org/the-correct-driving-position/

[ghettodefendant]

Do you ever get a sore back in general? Or just after a decent drive in the car?

I used to get a bit of a sore lower back in all of the cars i've had driving for hours on end but I started doing Pilates (jokes aside) and man it has helped my lower back feel better and stronger.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Chris Peacock

Ok, so 650 miles into my M-Sport ownership and even with adding the additional lumbar support I am suffering with lower back pain after around an hours driving

Anyone got any tips on how to set the seat to avoid this, as travelling 30-35k miles per year means this is a big issue for me and ruining my enjoyment of driving the car.

Actually missing my Leon at the moment!

You're going to hate me for saying this, as you paid extra for it, but delete the lumbar support next time.

Honestly I have never come across a lumbar system that actually works better than the standard sculptured seats. I have no issues even after looooooong drives in the F30 sports seats.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by ghettodefendant

Do you ever get a sore back in general? Or just after a decent drive in the car?

I used to get a bit of a sore lower back in all of the cars i've had driving for hours on end but I started doing Pilates (jokes aside) and man it has helped my lower back feel better and stronger.

No jokes buddy, I used to suffer from a bad back, but now row 1,6million meters a year, and problem solved

[venkata]

Sorry to hear Chris. I have to say over the last couple of years i started developing lower back pain to the point I found it near impossible to drive my E46 with the M Suspension after a back injury in January.

It was always ok driving my wife's Toyota...

This new car has been great for the back. Don't have lumber support in mine, but did go adaptive suspension.

I'm sure it should just be a matter of finding the optimum position for you, it was a fiddle to find it, but once you have it, I'm sure the back pain will go...

[derekh929]

Chris that's not good I did 9 hours drive in e90 one 10 min stop was fresh in sports seats I will add no lumbar on mine, is the new F30 seat different?

[F30AM]

I find the lumbar support very helpful on my F30. I have managed to find a very comfortable seating position with careful adjustment of the lumbar support, though I must admit it that it took sometime to achieve this. Would I spec lumbar support again? For me definitely. But we are all different and some may find lumbar adjustments much more uncomfortable and less effective.

[ghettodefendant]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

No jokes buddy, I used to suffer from a bad back, but now row 1,6million meters a year, and problem solved

In the water or in the gym? Does it make a difference? I've been keen to give rowing a go but not so keen in winter...

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by ghettodefendant

In the water or in the gym? Does it make a difference? I've been keen to give rowing a go but not so keen in winter...

Concept2 at home

.....but most gyms use them too.

[ZigmundUK]

Originally Posted by Chris Peacock

Ok, so 650 miles into my M-Sport ownership and even with adding the additional lumbar support I am suffering with lower back pain after around an hours driving

Anyone got any tips on how to set the seat to avoid this, as travelling 30-35k miles per year means this is a big issue for me and ruining my enjoyment of driving the car.

Actually missing my Leon at the moment!

Do you have seat heating? I too am a bit of a seat fiddler and actually find that at various times different positions suit better. But one thing is undoubted - toggling the seat heating on and off during a long journey completely relaxes my back.

The audi didn't have seat heating and honestly a combination of that, the s line suspension and just crappy seat positioning made it a nightmare for anything longer than an hour.

[Zero71]

I had a drive in a Bentley Conti GT that had heated massaging seats. That was wicked for the back. We actually sat in it for 30 mins just for the massage. If only that was on the F30 option list.

[Chris Peacock]

Thanks for your replies people, to answer them...

I have no back issues outside of the car, and an avid gym goer who regularly dead lifts 30-50% above body weight...so would like to think I have a strong back.

Suspension isn't too hard, actually quite disappointed as I find it quite vague and a bit floaty, shame.

I have been told that the pedals sit slightly out of line with the seat, which is a result of the RHD conversion with the cars designed to work for the mother land, not sure how much truth there is in this.

Suppose I am disappointed really, the M-Sport should have the most supportive seats, and I have added lumbar support which should further aid the comfort.

250 miles today and I felt most uncomfortable FR the majority of the journey, within 10 mins of being out of car pain has completely gone........not good.

[Zero71]

Maybe you just need to change seat position a bit, or get used to the car. Every time I get a new car I find my arms ache till I adjust to the new seat position.

Personally I have a bad back - I'm fit, I go to gym / martial arts, I do a lot of free weights, but none of that gets around the fact I have a bad back. It goes out occasionally, but for the most part its OK. Unless I sit for a really long time - like at my desk at work, or driving a car for more than an hour, then the lower back starts to hurt from lack of motion. No amount of gym work will get around that, no fabulous seat either.

[Redbaron1973]

I have a bad back, am with Nisfan on this - the lumbar option doesnt seem to do much. My back is fine in mine with std M-sport seats.

The only lumbar option I have ever had that worked was on an S-Class.

[Zero71]

I've owned too many cars with no lumber where there was not enough lower back support. On my R32 I run the lumber at max. No way I'd risk ordering my F30 without lumbar.

[dopper99]

I cant comment on the F30, but have had back problems with the E90.
My first E90 330d gave my back problems but was cured with a simple cushion behind my back.
So when I ordered my current E90 I opted for lumber. What a waste of time that was and did not do anything to improve my back issues. So the cushion went back in and been fine ever since. If I don't use the cushion I can get back ache within 10 mins. With it, I can drive hours (like 5 hours today back from the Lake District) with no problems whatsoever.

So, I'd recommend to try a small cushion behind your back and see if your problems go away. I find the BMW seats to be the worse I've ever been in for back ache - for me anyway. I've never had a back problem before in any other car.

[Zero71]

Worst I've had was an mx5. The whole seat back just collapsed inwards when you sat down. It was banana shaped. I kept the mk2 mx5 which I bought new for about 6 months.

For me a cushion wouldn't work. I can't sit anywhere, not even the couch, for too long without my back locking up - need to get up and move around every so often.

[RichardM]

I've regretted not ordering lumber as I've noticed a slight discomfort after a long drive. From the comments it's sounds like lumber may not have helped much.

[Chris Peacock]

Originally Posted by dopper99

I cant comment on the F30, but have had back problems with the E90.
My first E90 330d gave my back problems but was cured with a simple cushion behind my back.
So when I ordered my current E90 I opted for lumber. What a waste of time that was and did not do anything to improve my back issues. So the cushion went back in and been fine ever since. If I don't use the cushion I can get back ache within 10 mins. With it, I can drive hours (like 5 hours today back from the Lake District) with no problems whatsoever.

So, I'd recommend to try a small cushion behind your back and see if your problems go away. I find the BMW seats to be the worse I've ever been in for back ache - for me anyway. I've never had a back problem before in any other car.

Will give that a go as the additional lumbar support is basically crap, thanks.

Oh and the only other car I had which gave me issues was a low spec Audi A3, with my Leon FR I have just changed from I could literally spend 6 hours driving in a day without the slightest issue....poor show BMW.

[F30AM]

According to the Autocar road test of the F30 320d manual and F31 330d auto: If you have a manual then the pedals are svery lightly offset to the right. With the auto, the pedal configuration is perfect.

If a car seat causes a sore back, it is terrible and a total deal breaker. Perhaps the OP needs to change the car due to this, if he can.

[dopper99]

A friend of mine gets a new 5 series M Sport every 2-3 years (had a few E61's and F11 now). He always suffered from a bad back until he discovered "comfort seats" which you can order in the 5. But I still dont believe you can order them in the 3 series though.