Back in the winter of '08-'09 we had occasion to make a number of 500-mile round trips to Chicago. I was finding myself keeping a death grip on the wheel as we got blown around by wind and trucks on I-80. My back and shoulders were stiff and sore all the time. The car feels so short-coupled that I always felt like I had to make constant small corrections and felt very tense. My back always bothered me. I did think that the cheap seats were a big part of the problem,but I could always find a comfortable position to start from. Of course the passenger seat doesn't go far enough back to ever get comfortable.

Later on I determined to try to relax on long trips in bad weather. That helped a lot. I could lessen my grip on the wheel, shrug my shoulders, get out and stretch, and begin to enjoy these trips more. My back still got stiff but it wasn't as bad.

What has completely eliminated the problem for me was my switch from the horrible tires that come with the car to Yokohamas. These tires track so much better that I can just relax and let the car do the work. I don't even think about the seats much anymore, and we still average 1500 miles a month on our little car.

I don't think this is my imagination. I'd be curious about what anyone else thinks on the subject. I keep reading that most back problems are caused by stress and tension. Are our problems seat problems or problems related to controlling a small car on bad tires?

 

I started noticing knee pain in the evenings after driving my LX MT. Using a gel cushion and moving the seat back seems to help. I'm also making an effort to relax my right leg while driving.

 

I think if you're going to complain about being in pain after driving any car then you should also post your age or a hint of your age range just for a bit of context. Something tells me the words "for Geezers" needs to be added to this thread title and I say that as someone who is closer to geezer status myself than not.

 

A well aged 72 here. Bikini try the spring on the pedal. It solved all my leg problems.

 

Interesting comment about tyres a friend of mine bought the exact same car 2013 sport as me because the magic seats are great for her infants stroller and all the baby supplies. Oddly she said she replaced the tyres the day she bought the car because she said they were horrible. Personally my only complaint on tyres are having a bulge on 3 within the 2nd month of ownership due to potholes. The dealer didn't give me a break on replacements and I was in a hurry needing the car for work to even think about different tyres.

I really love the handling but I think I will replace the tyres after this season of potholes and other than Yokohama what other brands and size are Fit owners using?

Making my lumbar sock this week and should receive my 2007 headrest soon as I really want to keep my Fit.

 

I'll be Fabulous 50 in 20 days, am about 125 pounds and am in shape. I'm 5 feet, 1 inch on a good day.

I got a 2015 EX in late November. My neck, upper back and shoulders are killing me. Other than a couple of road trips for the holidays, I spend very little time in the car, which is a good thing; if I spent more time in there, at the rate I'm going, I'd be crippled.

The strange thing is that I LOVE the basic feeling of the seats. They are very firm, just like my extra firm mattress. For me I'm pretty sure the issues are 1) lack of lumbar support; and 2) the "head restraint" [I read today that "headrest" is now a misnomer and an antiquated term for what the part is designed to do; and based on the pain level involved for me, I have to agree!]. The head restraint curves downward on top of me instead of cradling my head and neck. I've raised it to try to put the bottom of the restraint at my neck level instead of pushing my head away from the seat, and apparently this hasn't helped, as I'm in worse pain since trying this.

I came from 15 years in a Prelude that sat like a go-cart (low-slung, with lots of road feel), and I never had this pain. I don't know what the ultimate answer is for me, but I'm watching this thread for input from others. This car is still pretty new to me, so I have a lot of adjustments yet to make in addition to moving the seat and steering wheel closer to each other and lowering my seat to try to mimic the basic ergonomic principles of sitting at a desk for long periods of time.

Oh, yeah . . . my husband is a full foot taller than I am (6' 1") and 10 years younger. He has no problem with pain after driving or riding in the car and is beside himself with all the head and leg room compared to my dearly departed Prelude. But he didn't pay for it and is rarely in it, so his opinion doesn't count - LOL.

 

has made all the difference for my wife--shoulder and neck pain. She's 4' 11" but sits on a 1" closed cell foam pad I can quickly remove when I'm driving. So she probably sits about as high as you do on the seat. The elastic band is large enough to put it on the head "restraint" as high or as low as you need it. It looks factory when installed, but I take it off when I'm driving the car… which is most of the time.

 

I've owned 15+ different cars from all different brands and have probably driven another 15 for extended periods as rentals. I'm talking about everything from a little 2 seat roadster to a full size cargo van and everything in-between with model years spanning from the late 70's through to today. Not one of them had a seat that cradled my head and neck in any way while I sat normally and drove. In fact, I can't think of any seat head restraint in any car that regularly touched my head at all unless I was reclined in the seat and not driving.

Without being able to see you sitting in the car, I don't think anybody is going to be able to give you any suggestions that will work. My best guess is you might feel more comfortable with the seat lower and the bottom more forward and the back more reclined. But then you probably wouldn't be able to see over the wheel or dash very well.

 

I'm 58, 5'6" and in good shape. I think it's more my style of riding the clutch while driving (along with a stiffer clutch than my old car) that contributed to the knee pain. The gel cushion seems to do the trick even if it is a bit clunky. The odd thing is it doesn't hurt while driving, only when I get out & walk.

 

Thanks for the neck pillow recommendation, Fitmo. I'm adding to my growing "must research and seriously consider" list. The reviews look good!

MyFitFreak, I have the seat all the way forward, the wheel telescoped close to me, and am still experimenting with the back recline. Thankfully I can still see over the dash, thus far. I do have a little lumbar pillow I'm going to add into the mix for a while, too.

Thanks, all.

- Alesa

 

Are you aware that the seat base goes up and down a bit too?

 

Yes, MFF, thanks, re: the seat base. I experimented with it, too, in the earlier going. At this point I'm trying to isolate one adjustable component at a time, drive for a bit, see how I feel the next day, and make incremental adjustments. I know this could take a while.

I even considered removing or trying to reverse the head restraint, although I know that's probably an RX for serious bodily harm if I'm in a wreck. So now I just feel like I've been in a wreck every day instead of actually having been in one yet. LOL!

Cheers,
Alesa

 

First I have to say I love my little 2013 Sport with the exception of trying to locate the perfect fit. I have a neck pillow and after lots of adjustment I am much more comfortable. People keep trying other methods because our little cars are extremely dependable and handle great on the road.

I am seriously considering the 2015 or the 16 but not sure if the leather seats will make drastic improvements therefore anyone have the leather seats and have much improvement?

 

There's alot of flaws with the new fits but you dont notice them if your not a mechanic (example battery too small for the cars power, massive body roll, no crash safety unibody in the inside-if you lower the back seat and look through the trunk you look like youre inside a hot dog, etc.) I ended up changing my seats out but be warned. Took me 3 weeks to do this theres 2 airbags, a rail position sensor, human weight sensors, and seat belt sensors in the seats and all of that wiring has to be reconnected or fooled to thinking its in otherwise youll have a dashfull of lights. It was worth it though enjoy my new seats more snug and comfy

 

I am totally with you. I don't understand the car mfg - they tend to design these seats that are rounded like you are sitting hunched and then for safety they stick that head rest in there forcing your head forward and that makes it even worse. That is a very unnatural position to be forced into. In my 2012 Fit the seats have a lot of lumbar support and as a trim and fit person the seat fits perfectly. Most Japanese are fit and trim and so that makes sense. Could it be that the gen 3 has American style (sorry for this) fat people seats?

 

I see Honda didn't learn it's lesson from the GE.

The seats sit high compared to a lot of cars, almost minivan like. It puts your body at weird angles it's not used to... and the seats aren't really built to work well that way, at least that's what I've noticed. There's pretty much only one ONE position I'm comfortable in. Needless to say I hate taking my car in to shops or valet, but I deal with it. It needs to be at precisely that position, both front-back and recline or it bugs me. I have to sit much further forward that I have ever done in any of my cars with the seat much more vertical than I'm used to. I'm starting to understand why the washer trick works, although I haven't done it, it doesn't bother me that much to warrant modifications.

Sitting in my old Corolla feels like heaven compared to the Fit when I get in one car and walk to the other. I've always liked everything else about the Fit enough to deal with the awkward seating. 120k miles into it, the seats have broken in some too, so it's not as bad as it was when I first got the car.

 

I purchased a 2015 yellow Fit LX MT on January 9, 2015. Last 5 digits of VIN 37130.
I really like the car so far, and have driven only about 150 miles on it; however, I seem to get really uncomfortable on the seat, especially when I've been sitting 30+ minutes. My neck and back seemed to be in discomfort, and even my legs. I'm a small, slim guy, so it's not like the seats have to support a lot of weight. It's a new car, so maybe I just need to readjust the seats (how, I'm not sure yet, I'm still experimenting), but I do see that there are others on this forum and at carcomplaints.com who have also experimented this discomfort. I'll continue testing it out to see if the problem persists, and will try to follow some of the ideas of what some you have posted. The one change I did do was to turn the headrest backwards, and that seemed to have made it better, but there still seems to be something amiss. I hope I find a way to make this work since I really like everything else about the car, and hope to take some road trips with it (which would be a pain if I don't get comfortable enough on my seat).

 

I purchased a 2015 yellow Fit LX MT on January 9, 2015. Last 5 digits of VIN 37130.
I really like the car so far, and have driven only about 150 miles on it; however, I seem to get really uncomfortable on the seat, especially when I've been sitting 30+ minutes. My neck and back seemed to be in discomfort, and even my legs. I'm a small, slim guy, so it's not like the seats have to support a lot of weight. It's a new car, so maybe I just need to readjust the seats (how, I'm not sure yet, I'm still experimenting), but I do see that there are others on this forum and at carcomplaints.com who have also experimented this discomfort. I'll continue testing it out to see if the problem persists, and will try to follow some of the ideas of what some you have posted. The one change I did do was to turn the headrest backwards, and that seemed to have made it better, but there still seems to be something amiss. I hope I find a way to make this work since I really like everything else about the car, and hope to take some road trips with it (which would be a pain if I don't get comfortable enough on my seat).

 

Well, it seems that I'm comfortable on my seat now. I tried a lot of different variations with the height, recline, tilt, telescoping, head restraint, and it seems I finally got it right for my body. I hope those who are still having difficulty are able to find a combination that works for you.

 

Pretty car. Hope you enjoy it.