[sridhga]

Most ofyou might dismiss this since it is a tiny car. I usedto have sevre back pains.AfterI got a Nano, I have not experinced any pain with the car's office chair like seats, better visibility and ease of driving in the traffic. It'smy preferred city car to drive.

[TheARUN]

I would also go with the Safari

Think about this, its Bus and Lorry drivers who spend a lot of time in their seats, look at the seating layout there, the steering is perpendicular to the floor and the seats are upright with a lot of space around them. This then is the best and preferred seating position to avoid back-pain etc. while driving

Now bring that knowledge to cars, find a car which has its steering nearly perpendicular to the floor and has an upright seating position, voila - there is your answer

[KMT]

Guys bumping up an old thread.

I drive my Thar most of the time and my back is beginning to complain quite a bit.
I live in a Rural area with broken roads.

I am looking for an SUVish vehicle, (mostl likely 2nd hand) and my shortlist is -
Duster,
Duster AWD,
Yeti,
Tata Xenon 4x4
Safari 4x4
Previous gen Endy 4x4

Can you please tell me your thoughts on the above options.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by KMT

I drive my Thar most of the time and my back is beginning to complain quite a bit.

The Duster AWD and the Duster have excellent ride comfort, and should be top of the list, in that order (since the AWD gets an independent rear suspension, and the ordinary Duster gets a normal beam-type suspension). The Safari is also a very comfortable vehicle, and I think the Yeti is a good one too.

The Xenon and old Endeavour will have a poor ride & poor comfort, since their suspensions are for rough use.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by KMT

I am looking for an SUVish vehicle, (mostl likely 2nd hand) and my shortlist is -
Duster,
Duster AWD,
Yeti,
Tata Xenon 4x4
Safari 4x4
Previous gen Endy 4x4

Can you please tell me your thoughts on the above options.

Duster AWD hands down, assuming you don't need a more competent offroader because you'd be downgrading in terms of 4x4 use coming from a Thar.

However, there aren't too many AWDs in the used car market so you'd have to be patient.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by KMT

I drive my Thar most of the time and my back is beginning to complain quite a bit.
I live in a Rural area with broken roads.

I am looking for an SUVish vehicle, (mostl likely 2nd hand) and my shortlist is -
Duster,
Duster AWD,
Yeti,
Tata Xenon 4x4
Safari 4x4
Previous gen Endy 4x4

Can you please tell me your thoughts on the above options.

We had a Safari in the early 2000s but let it go due to constant niggles and a brake failure whilst travelling out of station. It was only about 2 years old. I believe (and hope) Tata Motors have upped their QC since then. I preferred driving the Safari to my Honda City (Type II)

Despite the negative experience my vote still goes to the Tata Safari It is roomy, comfortable, well built and a great highway cruiser. Plus the engines are reliable. Tata's service network is widespread and available in many rural/semi rural areas of the country, spares are relatively inexpensive and the dealers are more often than not customer friendly.

[centaur]

Between the Safari Dicor and the Storme, which one is a better bet in terms of back support or for people with lower back pain? Any other vehicles which will be great long drive companions?

[adg_andy]

Originally Posted by KMT

Guys bumping up an old thread.

I drive my Thar most of the time and my back is beginning to complain quite a bit.
I live in a Rural area with broken roads.

Can you please tell me your thoughts on the above options.

Go for Duster, eyes closed. I have driven the AWD and I own a 2WD(2016 model), and both are supremely comfortable for the back. I too, have a lower back pain and chose Duster, since it was way ahead of peers in comfort.

[KMT]

Thanks for your help guys, I guess the Duster AWD is the first choice.
Used AWDs are hard to come by in KA nonetheless, I will begin my hunt.

My issue with a new Duster AWD is that it the same price as a Isuzu VCross (And the vcross will help my midlife crisis but not my back crisis ..!)

[gamerkarve]

Originally Posted by KMT

Guys bumping up an old thread.

I drive my Thar most of the time and my back is beginning to complain quite a bit.
I live in a Rural area with broken roads.

I am looking for an SUVish vehicle, (mostl likely 2nd hand) and my shortlist is -
Duster,
Duster AWD,
Yeti,
Tata Xenon 4x4
Safari 4x4
Previous gen Endy 4x4

Can you please tell me your thoughts on the above options.

Hi KMT,

Here are my views on each car you have mentioned:

Duster - Is a stylish and good car. Capable of going over broken roads easily due to high GC and good approach and departure angles (I have test driven it - the sales guy was insisting me to go off road during TD). Will still be costlier in the resale market. Search for a good deal.
Duster AWD - Same as above. Little difficult to find on the resale market.
Yeti, - Since you are in a rural area, be ready to be at the mercy of horrible ASS of Skoda. Spares are costly and car needs to be sent to Skoda service center for breakdowns (since most parts are available at the service center only). If you are on a long drive in a remote area and your vehicle develops an issue or breaks down, you are doomed. On the other hand, should be a reliable car due to Czech engineering and good mileage of 15 kmpl.
Tata Xenon 4x4 - Have never driven it so cant comment much. But as per specs, seems to be just like the Safari but with a different shape and utility and its rear suspension might not give a comfortable ride (Parabolic Leaf Spring). Should be little rare to find in resale market.
Safari 4x4 - If its Safari Dicor - Its half the price of Endy in resale market. Very comfortable, esp. the middle row. Feels like you are driving a tank or an elephant. And you are the king on the road, sitting on a throne (its sitting is quite high and with it comes the great visibility). Has an excellent road presence. Is stylish. Good GC of 205 mm. On the fly switch to 4x4 with a button - handy during a tight situation. Make others jealous - Its many people's dream machine. Only problem I found was the 6 m turning radius. Safari Storme has less turning radius, is modern but costlier than Dicor to buy.
Previous gen Endy 4x4 - Car like seating (not good for an SUV). And its not that comfortable. Cabin felt compact. Has a huge turning radius. Maintenance might be a bit costlier. But has a great road presence. Is stylish.

So all the best to make the right choice and go for the car which is perfect for you and your needs.

[vivek_lm]

Guys, bumping up this thread once again.

I have a herniated disc in my lower back and am therefore looking to upgrade from the sweet little Brio that I currently drive. Brio has a pretty stiff suspension so any C-segment sedan would be a great upgrade for me in terms of ride comfort. However, I'm specifically evaluating Yaris/Verna/City in that order, with Duster also being in contention just due to its brilliant suspension (I otherwise prefer sedan over SUV).

Is Duster still the best option for people with back pain? Or, would the above-mentioned sedans be good enough? Your thoughts please?

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by vivek_lm

Guys, bumping up this thread once again.

I have a herniated disc in my lower back and am therefore looking to upgrade from the sweet little Brio that I currently drive. Brio has a pretty stiff suspension so any C-segment sedan would be a great upgrade for me in terms of ride comfort. However, I'm specifically evaluating Yaris/Verna/City in that order, with Duster also being in contention just due to its brilliant suspension (I otherwise prefer sedan over SUV).

Is Duster still the best option for people with back pain? Or, would the above-mentioned sedans be good enough? Your thoughts please?

You will need a car that is easier for ingress, egress has a relatively higher seating position besides having good ride quality. Since you are inclined towards Sedans, IMHO a cross-over(may be S-Cross) might offer the best of both worlds.

[navin]

Originally Posted by vivek_lm

However, I'm specifically evaluating Yaris/Verna/City in that order

Are you driving the car or are you driven? If it is the former, I would recommend considering an automatic transmission as it is one less hassle especially in city traffic.

That said, I would also add the Maruti Ciaz to that list. The Yaris, to me was the most sorted and mature of the 4 but the rear seat is only usable by 2 passengers. It offers a refined ride and is not easily ruffled by potholes.

The Ciaz is plush and comfortable. It seems to be tuned for comfort in slow moving urban traffic and has the most space of the 4 C class sedans I have sat in (City, Verna, Yaris being the other 3).

Disclaimer: I have not looked at SUV styled cars like the Duster/Teranno or S-Cross (since I was considering only Petrol ATs).

[vivek_lm]

Originally Posted by navin

Are you driving the car or are you driven?

Its around 80% former and 20% latter both in city and on highways (my wife drives too and I give my daughter company at the rear at that time).

Originally Posted by navin

That said, I would also add the Maruti Ciaz to that list.

The reason I'm not looking at Ciaz (and being more inclined towards Yaris) is because it doesn't offer me much on the safety front (6 airbags et al.), which is precisely why I'm hesitant about Duster as well. But having travelled in my colleague's Duster many a times, I can vouch for its superlative ride quality, hence the confusion.

[navin]

Originally Posted by vivek_lm

The reason I'm not looking at Ciaz (and being more inclined towards Yaris) is because it doesn't offer me much on the safety front (6 airbags et al.), which is precisely why I'm hesitant about Duster as well. But having travelled in my colleague's Duster many a times, I can vouch for its superlative ride quality, hence the confusion.

If safety is your top concern then the Yaris is very well equipped. The VX version even has rear disk brakes.

While not comparable to the Yaris when it comes to safety, I believe the Ciaz Alpha does offer ABS, EBD, and TCS. Yes it has only 2 air bags vs 6 for the Verna and City and 7 for the Yaris.