My E-Class is the most uncomfortable car I've driven in ages

[TwoWells]

Hi All

I can't help but think I'm over reacting to this but I'm putting off standing up because my back's so painful after 4 hours driving my 2008 E-Class yesterday. I haven't had it long and have done about 3,000 miles in it over about 6 months. My previous car was a Volvo V70, before that a Saab 9-5. I've always had a slightly iffy back and I remember once a trip in the Volvo actually cured it! It astonishes me that my passengers sit in the back saying how lovely this Merc is and how comfortable it is but I just can't get comfortable in it and after two hours start seizing up, getting cramp and twinges of sciatica. I'm not even old!

It's got electrically adjustable memory seats which are funky but the seat base seems too short and doesn't support my legs properly. The lumbar support's a joke and I can only think I'm doing something wrong with it. Is there anything I can do or any accessory I can buy just to make it more comfortable? The Swedes seem to produce cheaper cars that I used to regularly drive from London to the South of France and back and I could operate normally having got out at the other end but after 6 months, I've found myself looking back at Volvos again so I can walk when I get out of the damn thing. It'll probably mean a hit of a few thousand pounds but it might be worth it.

Has anyone else experienced this? It seems such a major let down because I thought I was buying a kind of luxury car but it's just not comfortable and that's not luxury to me! If anyone can offer advice or any accessory I can buy to make it comfortable I'd be very grateful! All those E-Class drivers can't be hobbling about like me!

 

[Craiglxviii]

In a word, no. I have a 211 and 212 and they both have seats as comfy as the CL's armchairs. I have a bad back lower down and driving the 212 for 10hrs was no problem.

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

It took a bit of adjusting to get mine right, but now it is fine. Sometimes I adjust the lumber support, back rest air bag just to change things on a long trip.

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

I see B*W do an extending seat base and I don't really understand why MB don't follow their lead on this after all we all have different thigh bone lengths. I don't find the seats on the 212 look particularly supportive as far as the base goes but no complaints after driving a 5 hour stint they obviously offer support in the right places

 

[Headhurts]

My E350 Night Edition (2016) has standard seats which are really comfy.

In the beginning they took some getting used to as they were extremely hard but in time the body adjusts.

I had a fairly long drive earlier in the year, Norwich to Dover, overnight stay in Dover then ferry to Calais and on to the Champagne region, no problems at all.

Apparently the pedals are offset but I have never noticed this.

Maybe a bit longer spent adjusting the seating for optimum comfort could help.

There is I believe a video somewhere on this but I cannot recall where I saw it.

Could you be going through a particularly bad patch with your back at the moment.

I hope you can sort this out as it ruins the pleasure you should be getting from the car.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[T5R+]

OP - S60/V70 certainly had the best seats (can only speak for cars upto 2009) of any car that I have owned/driven over extended hours/miles.

Run a W212 and W164 and am okay with them on "3-4 hour/200mile motorway run" but the Volvos were far better at the same task. The BMW 5 series "comfort seats" are very,very good but a rare option.

Are you able to ajust suspension settings in the car, also do not discount tyre choice (35/40 series look good but comfort wise???). The suspension/tyre set up make a difference but suspect you will also need to play around with squab and backrest to try a better fit for your frame.

 

[AMck]

My 2004 E class is probably the most comfortable car I've had, but I do have the multi adjustable comfort seats and airmatic suspension. These seats do adjust for thigh support.
Seats are well tested in the cars I have as I regularly spend 3-6 hours a day driving and can get back problems from car seats. The 2nd most comfortable would be my R129 SL and 3rd Saab 9-3. I also have a 2007 Volvo C70, and find these a lot less comfortable than the E class. The worst car I remember was a Montego estate, closely followed by the current Fiesta I had as a loan car.

 

[television]

It is a fact that Volvo seats from about 1996 and SAAB seats are the best in the world, I have had a V70R and a SAAB 9000exc. My solution on Mercedes is always get the comfort seats.

 

[Craiglxviii]

MB do offer an extended seat base on the comfort seats..!

 

[Wighty]

I also have a 2009 W211 which I've had for 5 years , when I first had it I was almost crippled in the lower back region . I have had back probs for 20 years .
What sorted it for me was making sure that the seat base was raised at the front and lower at the back so that it supports your thigh weight . Like others have said it can take a while to get right ...good luck

 

[TwoWells]

Thank you all. I'm going to spend the rest of this morning in the car adjusting the seat and see where it gets me. Hopefully I can sort it.

Cheers

 

[daveenty]

I read this with interest as, since getting my car back on the road, I've been suffering similarly, namely with "tailbone" (coccyx) pain whilst sitting in the car for prolonged periods. Anything more than a couple of hours really.

I've put it down to incorrect seat adjustment as this never happened previously, only since the car went back on the road after having the battery disconnected and losing my settings.

In fact I'm going to have a play now and see if I can resolve this as, like you say, it's no fun driving in pain.

There is I believe a video somewhere on this but I cannot recall where I saw it.

I have also heard this, and seem to remember Developer posted a link to it a while ago. Off to search the web.

 

[daveenty]

Found the video. It's made by Recaro and I've just tried their recommendations on my car.

I'm not going to be able to try it out with the new settings today, though hopefully will be going for a run in the morning so will let you know then.

[YOUTUBE]WYMOg22P6aA[/YOUTUBE]

 

[JBell]

What sorted it for me was making sure that the seat base was raised at the front and lower at the back so that it supports your thigh weight . Like others have said it can take a while to get right ...good luck

I have to have my seats like that, I also have lower back problems

 

[Mr Hatt]

Funny enough my 2005 E280 avantgard has a good a seat as my old Volvo v70 and SAAB 95 Aero but just got rid of the E320 Sport 2008 because I could not get comfy and did not feel like I fitted it, the sport seat is too firm with bigger bolsters and having had a spinal fusion in March I have returned to the old comfy slipper 280 which I drive for hours and get out refreshed

 

[television]

Funny enough my 2005 E280 avantgard has a good a seat as my old Volvo v70 and SAAB 95 Aero but just got rid of the E320 Sport 2008 because I could not get comfy and did not feel like I fitted it, the sport seat is too firm with bigger bolsters and having had a spinal fusion in March I have returned to the old comfy slipper 280 which I drive for hours and get out refreshed

Its an age thing, you are changing as you get old, the car stays the same

 

[OlafMaxwell]

I put 170,000 miles on the E320 cdi, it had comfort seats and all the bells and whistles. The day I picked it up I drove it 160 miles home and felt it was the most uncomfortable seat I ever sat in.

Experimenting with all the positions and options eventually got me to what I only ever called the least uncomfortable position. I had a Peugeot 405 GTX from new and still had it when I got the Mercedes. The seat decided me to keep the Peugeot and often I took it on long runs as both the seating and music system were vastly superior to the Mercedes. I put another 100,000 miles on it in the time I put the 170,000 miles on the Mercedes. Family without exception also voted the Peugeot more comfortable. I still use the Peugeot and now do most of my miles with a smile on 2 rather than 4 wheels as I find it much easier on the body and the back in particular.

I have sat in most Mercedes models and find very few to be truly comfortable and its more a case of finding the least uncomfortable position. Most recently I travelled in a friend's Hyundai IX35 and to my amazement found the seats really good and a possible contender. BMW and VW seats feel like solid boards to me and not even on my list.

 

[television]

Life would be easier if we were all the same size, the shapes of most humans these days can vary so much, in some cases I feel very sorry for what the poor seats have to put up with.

 

[Submariner1]

Hi All

I can't help but think I'm over reacting to this but I'm putting off standing up because my back's so painful after 4 hours driving my 2008 E-Class yesterday. I haven't had it long and have done about 3,000 miles in it over about 6 months. My previous car was a Volvo V70, before that a Saab 9-5. I've always had a slightly iffy back and I remember once a trip in the Volvo actually cured it! It astonishes me that my passengers sit in the back saying how lovely this Merc is and how comfortable it is but I just can't get comfortable in it and after two hours start seizing up, getting cramp and twinges of sciatica. I'm not even old!

It's got electrically adjustable memory seats which are funky but the seat base seems too short and doesn't support my legs properly. The lumbar support's a joke and I can only think I'm doing something wrong with it. Is there anything I can do or any accessory I can buy just to make it more comfortable? The Swedes seem to produce cheaper cars that I used to regularly drive from London to the South of France and back and I could operate normally having got out at the other end but after 6 months, I've found myself looking back at Volvos again so I can walk when I get out of the damn thing. It'll probably mean a hit of a few thousand pounds but it might be worth it.

Has anyone else experienced this? It seems such a major let down because I thought I was buying a kind of luxury car but it's just not comfortable and that's not luxury to me! If anyone can offer advice or any accessory I can buy to make it comfortable I'd be very grateful! All those E-Class drivers can't be hobbling about like me!

Sounds like the issue I have. I had forgotten about it, until I drove this CL back from Wales after buying it. No time to read the manual and the controls were different to my SL500

Literally got to Swindon got out of the car and agony in the lower back. Icould hardly stand up straight.
Then I remembered its the mix of the Lumbar support and the pushing the seat base forward, get that wrong and it just cripples my lower back area. And no I dont have any back issues. Just a Mercedes set wrong crucifies me, set right its a dream. So take heart.
In my case discovered it was set on 3! I like the lowest, and the seat base pushed forward the most.

It was getting very late and there Imwas reading the freaking manual. Got it right and 60 miles later I was totally repaired.
So do take heart its all about getting your setting right.

My first Mercs a 190E 2.6 and a 320CE had basic seats and these were pretty neutral, the more complex the seat is the more effort you need to put into the discovery process of getting it right.

 

[television]

I do enjoy the comfort seats in both of my cars, I was so tired and aching during the move the massage function really worked well in the CL500, not something I use every day, but good on a long run.