[paliontile]

Originally Posted by Visaster

Though higher priced it has the best seats, but the ground clearance when fully loaded is a pain.

Originally Posted by Tachyonites

Even though the ground clearance is very less, you wont be able to scrape the car's belly unless there are 5 people sitting inside.

Thank you, i will keep GC in mind about the honda city.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

The best solution I find is to put kids in the front seat and then they don't feel nauseated much.

Some other suggestions (before you go back to a Sedan!) :
1) Change your Compass tyres to Michelin Primacy SUV 215/65 R16 (since you are on this stock size) . The Michelins have great ride quality and tyre noise is also much lesser. The ride quality will improve quite a lot with this change.

2) You may also need to change your driving style a bit. Nausea in kids is caused by sudden acceleration / Deceleration and changes of of direction and some people tend to drive constantly with fast acceleration and deceleration (my wife does too - and even I get nauseated when I sit on the rear seat when she drives ) whereas when I drive, my son and wife never get nauseated. Also , make sure not to give any liquids like milk/ juice to your kid before long drives - you should give them solids instead and avoid liquids.

3) The Compass seats are not bad and in fact quite good and spacious for the segment and I don't think that they are causing any issues. The suspension is also well tuned - do check your tyre pressure and keep it around 32-33 in all tyres, this keeps the ride pliant and comfortable. Higher tyre pressures tend to make the ride uncomfortable.

I don't think I should put my daughter on the front seat.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

If you think your current requirement is to have a more comfortable spacious chauffer driven sedan, then its worth changing the compass.

However if you are forced to change because your kid feels sick in the rear seat, its either the suspension being worn out - or the obvious - bad driver. This fellow will make even a low set sedan rear seats feel like hell, just takes a longer trip to figure that out.

Just make sure your kids or anyone else for that matter do not read anything while on the move, some of them cannot handle this.

She feels more sick on the highways so far as I observed. I am the designated driver for my family, I don't yet trust our driver while going out with family.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

My first suggestion would be to self drive the car with your daughter and see if the better driving makes any difference (Assuming traffic conditions are one of the key contributors to hiring a driver - maybe do a sunday drive / early morning drive when traffic is sparse).

My daughter feels sick when I am driving the car too. I did try slowing down consciously controlling my acceleration and decceleration. I noticed she feels more sick while doing a steady 70-80kmph on the ORR where there isn't much variation in the speed. I am not sure if it is a late reaction to the previous stretch of bad roads before we get on to ORR. I don't know how this works - motion sickness!

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

If you are open to used cars I would recommend searching for a Nissan Teana;

That's an interesting suggestion, I might take you up on the offer at the end of this thread!!

[smsrini]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

If you are open to used cars I would recommend searching for a Nissan Teana; the most comfortable thing this side of 50 lakhs independent garages like New Mars in kukatpally, would make maintaining it a breeze as well. Considering you're in Hyderabad, I can help you look for one too.

Wouldnt a preowned VW Jetta or Skoda Laura make better sense than a Nissan Teana ? They are newer cars and more fun to drive if you are an enthusiast.

Both my wife and daughter experience nausea in a Hexa with bucket seats but never had this issue in my Safari earlier. With smaller children, planning meal and drink times during a drive is a good preventive measure.

And nothing beats nausea or motion sickness better than sedate driving!

[condor]

Is it the contours of the rear seat that are making you uncomfortable - or the ride itself ?

If it is the seat (check seat when vehicle is stationary) - then can you check with any seat cover shops if some additional cushions can be added to make the seat more comfortable to sit in ?

If it is the ride, then what kind of suspension does the Compass have ? Can any modifications be done to this ?

[Cessna182]

A relatively new Crysta from the used market could be explored. I'd also recommend the Hexa- it really shines in the ride quality department and I have travelled over 1100 km in one go with someone who usually gets motion sickness in any car. That person did not complain at all.

[paliontile]

Originally Posted by EightSix

However, since paliontile is not as enthusiastic about driving anymore, and feels the need to upgrade himself, I’d recommend him an Innova Crysta. (Kia Carnival, but it would be too expensive I think). An automatic means he could drive it himself easily over short distances, and since he is used to the premium ness of the Jeep, the Innova Crysta is his best bet (New or Used whichever fits into his budget). Other recommendations are Creta/Seltos/similar.

I do have another question for paliontile, are you going to replace the Palio anytime soon? Is there a need for three cars, for you might increase your budget and buy a top end Innova AT or something bigger and you’d still have the Brio as a beater.

I use my driver for office commute primarily and any other personal work I might be having. For all family (esp. with kids) affairs, I am still the designated driver. I don't need 3 cars, but the Palio is hard to let go of. It hardly fetches 50K probably at this stage but sentimentally we value it more! Brio is my wife's daily commute. Additionally, we use it for any short grocery runs over weekends.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Since a sedan with rear seat comfort and ride quality is paramount, look no further than a recent (2-3 year old) pre-owned Toyota Corolla Altis.

I believe your little one and indeed everyone in your family should be happy with this no nonsense, practical and cost effective (relatively) vehicle.
Cheers

This is one of the first cars I considered when I started looking at used cars. But no rear A/C vents in our scorching summers is a let down!

Originally Posted by basuk

2> Change tyre, regulate tyre pressure and retune the suspension
3> A sedan car, like City, Civic, Verna (new or pre-owned) may sol

Originally Posted by GTO

The biggest mistake chauffeur-driven owners make is sitting at the back. It's like sitting in economy class when you have paid for business . Try sitting in the front - you'll experience a seat that is far superior, adjustable, more legroom and better ride comfort - related thread (Why the fascination with the back seat?!!).

Another thing you can do is switch to comfort-oriented tyres, drop the tyre pressure by 2 PSI (city only) or, last choice, drop the wheel size to 15" with taller tyres (just ensure the braking hardware fits).

I started off using the front seat in the beginning, but over time I felt I have more privacy at the rear and also more room to keep my bag, pull out the laptop, charger, ear phones and their chargers etc etc. as needed. At the front I don't have that much space to keep all these things. I see a world of difference in the front and rear seats comfort though.
Thanks for all your suggestions on the tyres - I will consider the 15 inchers too. If my daughter grows into the car I can live with it.

Any suggestions on the rear bench modifications? Can we modify it for a better recline angle and more under thigh support? Can someone suggest of such options in Hyderabad?

[androdev]

Motion sickness happens when your brain receives conflicting messages about motion and your body's position in space. The conflicting messages are delivered from your inner ear, your eyes (what you see), your skin receptors (what you feel), and muscle and joint sensors

Just curious, what does your daughter do while in the car? Do you keep the car A/C in recirculation mode a lot? Which seat does she occupy? If you read/watch mobile phone screen, sit in the back without looking outside, closed windows and A/C in recirculation mode etc can really exacerbate motion sickness. I can understand motion sickness on long drives but if it's happening even during short city commutes, then I am sure you can try addressing it by letting you kid engage with environment (look outside, keep the windows open once in awhile, keep A/C in fresh air mode and not too cold, listen to music, talk, etc.). You can remove the front-seat head rest or fold it down if it is not occupied.

Expensive and plush cars can also give motion sickness as your body gets fewer signals about motion due better NVH insulation, etc. I am not saying your Compass is not at fault, but just a suggestion to understand why motion sickness happens and try mitigating it before replacing the car.

Also being a Palio and Compass owner, why on earth would you keep a driver? Do something about it

[akash_v12]

If you're looking for a new car, I'd say choose the City since backseat comfort is your priority. It has very good ride quality and comfort, both at the front and the rear are class-leading.

However, if you are also okay with used vehicles, look out for 2017+ Octavias or Elantras. They're both very highly regarded in terms of ride quality, especially the Octy.

Happy Shopping!

[landcruiser123]

If rear seat comfort is a top priority, I don't think you can do better than a used Corolla or Camry (if you find any in good order)

Before changing the car, I'd suggest:
1. Reducing tire pressure by 1-2 PSI
2. Check for suspension wear & tear
3. Get newer comfort-oriented tires

Curious: Is your 8 year old in a booster seat with a seatbelt?

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by paliontile

That's an interesting suggestion, I might take you up on the offer at the end of this thread!!

Definitely I shall pm you my contact details and you can reach out anytime you wish

Originally Posted by smsrini

Wouldnt a preowned VW Jetta or Skoda Laura make better sense than a Nissan Teana ? They are newer cars and more fun to drive if you are an enthusiast.

I think the requirement that the car ought to be comfortable above all else is a very valid one. The OP has a Palio and assuming it is a petrol one, I'm sure he would get more thrills hooning that little thing around the block than any Jetta or Laura would give him. There's quite a different aura about a car that can ferry you in absolute comfort, us enthusiasts tend to have different requirements from different cars

[paliontile]

Originally Posted by androdev

Just curious, what does your daughter do while in the car? Do you keep the car A/C in recirculation mode a lot? Which seat does she occupy? If you read/watch mobile phone screen, sit in the back without looking outside, closed windows and A/C in recirculation mode etc can really exacerbate motion sickness. I can understand motion sickness on long drives but if it's happening even during short city commutes, then I am sure you can try addressing it by letting you kid engage with environment (look outside, keep the windows open once in awhile, keep A/C in fresh air mode and not too cold, listen to music, talk, etc.). You can remove the front-seat head rest or fold it down if it is not occupied.

Expensive and plush cars can also give motion sickness as your body gets fewer signals about motion due better NVH insulation, etc. I am not saying your Compass is not at fault, but just a suggestion to understand why motion sickness happens and try mitigating it before replacing the car.

Also being a Palio and Compass owner, why on earth would you keep a driver? Do something about it

She doesn't read or watch mobile or tablet, she keeps talking to me for the most part and is constantly looking out the window or the rear. AC - I switch it to fresh air for the first few mins of the drive and then move it to recirculaation. She sits in the rear behind the passenger or driver seat. You suggest removing the unused front passenger head-rest for better forward visibility?

I use driver mostly for my office commutes due to the odd hours I had to keep over the past few months. I had a couple of near brushes driving back from work after being sleep depraved the previous night. And long commutes mean I can effectively use the time in car attending calls. I bought both the cars for MYSELF and never imagined I would take up a driver one day.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by paliontile

She doesn't read or watch mobile or tablet, she keeps talking to me for the most part and is constantly looking out the window or the rear. AC - I switch it to fresh air for the first few mins of the drive and then move it to recirculaation. She sits in the rear behind the passenger or driver seat. You suggest removing the unused front passenger head-rest for better forward visibility?

I definitely feel motion sickness can be addressed even if the car is at fault - but it will take some trial and error. The idea is to let the body sense and anticipate what is going on and some of things that can help:

Level-1: Make the cabin airy and bright. Fresh air mode, keep windows open on open stretches. Allow as much light in as possible. Keep it tidy and clean without any weird odours (leather, plastics, etc.)

Level-2: Let the kid see the road ahead and surroundings. She should feel as if she is driving the car. Driver rarely gets motion sickness because there is an overdose of signals to the brain about motion. In fact, let her pretend she is driving the car. If front seat is not possible, lower the front seat backrest and keep her in the rear on a booster seat. Or just use a front dash-cam with a screen to see the road Or research a safe way to use the front seat for the kid - you just need a switch to enable/disable front passenger airbag, push the seat backward and put a front facing child seat. Lot of cars abroad come with airbag ON/OFF button for this very purpose.

Level-3: Driving style. Does is get motion sickness during a lot of stop-and-go traffic or does she get sick even on a steady cruise? If the former, improve driving style.

Level-4: Frequency/harmonics of tiny vibrations of the car. Not sure how scientific it is but I remember reading that car suspension harmonics are adjusted to match the harmonics of an adult walking and hence kids suffer motion sickness more. Play with tire pressure - both higher and lower - to some extent, this can simulate softer/harder suspension. Next step would be try different tire profiles+wheel-size combo but maybe you don't have to get this far.

My gut feel is that if you just keep some window(s) partially open and allow the kid to see the road ahead, it may get sorted out.

Changing the car is an expensive proposition especially if the car is relatively new and trouble free. It would be touch to match Compass build quality on a budget.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by GTO

The biggest mistake chauffeur-driven owners make is sitting at the back. It's like sitting in economy class when you have paid for business . Try sitting in the front - you'll experience a seat that is far superior, adjustable, more legroom and better ride comfort - related thread (Why the fascination with the back seat?!!).

May work for gentlemen, but I haven't come across even one lady in my life so far who will willingly sit next to the chauffeur.

In fact, my chauffeured wife approves or rejects her vehicle choices based on the diagonal armpit distance .

No offense meant to anyone, but fact is fact!

[lamborghini]

I've seen some suggestions for a Corolla.
Interestingly the Corolla has a brilliant AC and we've never found ourselves wanting better cooling despite it being 100% chauffeur driven in Mumbai.

That being said, I'd avoid the car for the following reasons:
- The 16" rims don't really provide the most comfortable ride
- NVH is on the higher side
- Heavy & dull steering makes it more cumbersome to drive in the city.

The advantages lie in its practicality : flat floor, higher set rear seats ar senior friendly, good GC compared to peers, and legendary reliability & above average build.

Interesting to note no one has mentioned the CRV, which is based on the civic and could be a good match if you can digest the fuel efficiency numbers.

[Durango Dude]

I think selling the Compass would be a mistake and an expensive one. As said by many a sedate driver and reduction of air pressure would make a real difference in passenger comfort. That said a 2020 Honda City or a Ciaz would be best suited to your needs.

[Behemoth]

If you are really keen to change your car and need a sedate, safe car, you should also consider the Toyota Yaris. It comes with 7 airbags and also roof mounted rear ac vents. The engine with CVT is a very sedate and easy engine with decent mileage. For a chauffer driven car it is a good option.