Ouch! My seats. My back.

st4

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I've bought a 03 C200K Avantgarde due to having left knee problems with manuals. Typically, my right leg has now starting aching. I've been reading up on comfortable driving positions here and elsewhere, but no-one's mentioned their knee position. I've read that your knees should be lower than your hips, or at least level. True to form, I've got my seat low and the front of it up, so my knees are not lower than my hips, so I'll be adjusting that later...

Any other knee-related advice? I'm a bit of a freak at 5' 8" with rather short legs...

Ta,

Mike K.

Hi,

Your entire thigh should be supported, at least upto 3-3cm before the knee. The leg should be bent at an angle no steeper IMHO than 110-120 (thigh, knee calf angle) degrees. The pedals should within easy reach and you should not have to move or shuffle in the seats to reach them (or deploy them to their maximum extent). However you must be sat far enough back that your feet aren't backed up against the pedals causing hyper extension which would cause extented angle pains and knee pains.

I've heard the "knee" no higher than the hip and don't adhere to it as I like a low seating position as I am 6ft tall. You have the advantage of not being so tall so can raise the seat up to fufill this and you'd still have adequate head room whereas I don't.
 

television

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As st4 above really,,having some support under the thighs does work
 

PeterCLK

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Use cruise as much as you can. It allows you to relax your right leg.
 

hawk20

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I've bought a 03 C200K Avantgarde due to having left knee problems with manuals. Typically, my right leg has now starting aching. I've been reading up on comfortable driving positions here and elsewhere, but no-one's mentioned their knee position. I've read that your knees should be lower than your hips, or at least level. True to form, I've got my seat low and the front of it up, so my knees are not lower than my hips, so I'll be adjusting that later...

Any other knee-related advice? I'm a bit of a freak at 5' 8" with rather short legs...

Ta,

Mike K.

Circulation to the legs seems to be best when sitting up high either on a dining-room chair or an office desk chair. Both are typically 17-18 inches off the floor to the seat. 'Normal' cars can be as low as 9-11 inches off the floor so you end up with knees higher that hips unless you move the seat well back, reduce tilt on the squab and get you legs almost straight out in front of you.

Four by fours are best for comfort as the seats are often (but not always) higher off the floor. The X3 seat is low. The X5 seat is fairly low at a max of 12 inches off the floor. The old Lexus 400 was fairly low at a max of 12 inches but the new 450 is excellent at up to 15 inches off the floor. The ML GL and R class are great at a max of over 15 inches off the floor (floor to front edge of seat).

Three good rules for knee ache.
1. Only drive for 1.25 hours then stop and walk round the car a few times to get the blood flowing. Or have a quick coffee.
2. Raise the seat as high as you sensibly can and limit the squab rake so that the seat does not press hard on the back of your thigh. Thigh should touch near front of seat, just comfortably supported.
3. Set cruise control every so often and waggle the right leg around to promote circulation.

Knee ache can also be caused when you get in and out of the car. Most get out on one leg, twisted position, and push up on the one leg that is outside the car and on the road. Huge leverage on knee and spine and often twisted. Watch models in mini skirts (often!). They swing both legs out and then prise themselves up on both legs. Greatly helps the knees. The lower the car, the greater the leverage on the knee and spine. (Doubters should park with the drivers side close to a pavement, and then try getting out).

Four by fours make entry and exit much easier (you almost slide out of them down towards the ground).
 
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makings

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Thanks everyone for the tips, I've already raised my seat a bit and lessened the angle so my knees are level-ish with my hips. I've only had the car a few days (since Friday), and already the pain in my left knee has diminished considerably.

I do make use of cruise control, I just need to work on my shoulder position now, and distance from pedals / steering wheel.

Ta again,

Mike K.
 

toby_tobias

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For what it's worth to this lengthy thread, I drove my w211 elegance from newcastle to exeter with a 20 minute break halfway and 2 children on board and it was a real pleasure despite the appalling weather and heavy traffic.

The seat was very comfortable, nappa leather with ventilation but I am sure the key is setting it up just right especially with steering wheel height and rake, and seat angle and height.

Funnily enough when I did the return leg it was so easy I could have had a cuppa and turned round and gone back again!

I do drive on cruise control which also helps, I just wish I also had distronic but I never found one with it on.

Sadly last week the lumber sport knob seems to have got disconected from the chairs innards so no longer pushes out but actually just putting the back up a bit more upright seems to have compensated.

May be it's an E thing but there much more comfortable than 5 series or a6 seats.
 
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Seeker_UK

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May be it's an E thing but there much more comfortable than 5 series or a6 seats.

I don't have any experience of driving the new 5 series but the old E39 seats (like the E38) are probably as comfortable as you can get (for me anyway). A recent test drive in a W211 elegance was very disappointing - the seats were still too firm for me around the upper back area.
 

television

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I read Toby's comment on the distronic It is the best extra that I have ever had and I would never want to be without it, on any road where the car keeps the set distance from the car in front, it takes out any strain on the body and mind
 

hawk20

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I don't have any experience of driving the new 5 series but the old E39 seats (like the E38) are probably as comfortable as you can get (for me anyway). A recent test drive in a W211 elegance was very disappointing - the seats were still too firm for me around the upper back area.

Did you reset the lumbar support as this makes the lower back area more prominent and works well IMO. If you need even more curve than that provides, there is an option for a multi-contour backrest where you can virtually alter the shape to whatever suits you best.
 

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