Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Which small car offers good comfort for a passenger with back problems?
What do you think of Elon Musk? Have your say | No thanks

Which small car offers good comfort for a passenger with back problems?

I am currently running a Honda Jazz 1.4 i-VTEC ES which I find cheap to run and perfectly adequate for daily runs. However, my wife has a back problem and she finds the Jazz uncomfortable. We are considering options and have a budget of up to £19,000. Friends mention the Octavia and Toyota Auris or Avensis as possible contenders. What do you advise?

Asked on 12 August 2012 by GB, Stockton-on-Tees

Answered by Honest John
The best small car for comfort is a Fiat 500, because of the excellent seats. The best compact car for comfort is the Renault Megane on 195/65 R15 tyres or the Ford C-Max, but the best of all in the compact class is a Mazda 5 TS2 on 205/55 R16 Toyo J48 tyres, which beats the C-Max for comfort, and rides and handles brilliantly.
Similar questions
My elderly wife has a chronic bad back, which severely limits her ability to sit for any prolonged period of time. Our trips are limited to a 50-mile radius of home. She drives a SAAB 9-5 automatic, which...
I have a 2017 BMW X1 on 18-inch, non-run flat tires and x-line suspension. I recently started to develop a back pain and driving the car is making it worse. This car is obviously not for those with a weak...
We've just purchased a 2015 Honda Civic Tourer. Unlike our previous car, a Volvo C30, the passenger seat is neither height adjustable or lumber support adjustable. On a three hour journey yesterday, our...
Related models
Stylish and full of character. Really affordable to buy. Low running costs.
Neatly styled. Increased room and better performance than original Jazz. better to drive. Very versatile. CVT-7 returned in February 2011 replacing i-SHIFT. More reliable than first generation Jazz.
Soft riding, yet fine handling hatchback with superb steering. Improved for 2012 with new 1.2 TCe 115 petrol engine.
Decent combination of ride and handling that might suit some people better than a harder sprung Golf or a Civic. A few inches taller than a Golf of Focus so easier to get in and out.
Hugely practical and robust, refined and quiet on the move, excellent diesel engines, especially the 2.0 D-4D, very reliable.
Neat styling. More practical than a Ford Focus. Fine blend of ride comfort, handling and driver enjoyment. High-quality interior.
Saloon shape but actually a practical hatchback. Far superior interior quality than previous model.