Hunting For Fuel Efficient Yet IC Friendly Car

[icnmgrjill]

Okay, it's time once again to renew our car discussion. It was almost five years ago exactly that I posted my first brand by brand review of those cars that I found to be the most comfortable for my IC and pelvic floor dysfunction. My beloved Buick Rendezvous, the ultimate IC friendly car, is now costing $70 to fill up. Thus, for a lot of us, our cars have now become too expensive to run. it might be time to look for a more fuel efficient vehicles.

My worry?? Are the smaller hybrids comfortable? I'd like to be able to drive down the freeway without clutching my bladder in pain. Cars and trucks greatly exacerbate our IC symptoms if they have uncomfortable seats and a bouncy suspension. Thus, our goal is to find a fuel efficient vehicle that rides smoothly with, preferably, softer seats.

One of my favorite cars from five years ago was a Volvo sedan. The drive was flawless, very smooth and comfortable. The problem was the car seats. They were hard leather with little padding. After just a few minutes, they hurt like the dickens. Of course, both the Toyota Corolla and Honda Accord get solid reviews for their smooth suspension and gas mileage but, yet again, those car seats were just too hard. The Toyota Sienna and Honda Accord, not exactly fuel efficient vehicles for 2008, were the more comfortable at that time and what made them most appealing was the possibility of placing a portapotty in the rear compartment for road trips. Hey, I'm an ICer. I think about things like that. The Nissan Murano was, IMHO, the best of the most comfortable of the foreign cars back then.

American vehicles were, by far, the most bladder and pelvic friendly. They had thicker, most comfortable cushioning in the car seats and backs, and also offered softer fabric instead of leather seat covers. The mid size SUV's and sedans also seemed to have much better smoother suspensions.

I had a gentleman call me in the office just a few weeks ago raving about his 2007 Lexus because he found the seats were very comfortable and easy to adjust. Not, of course, that I can afford a Lexus but it's worth mentioning.

So, I'd like to hear your thoughts?? What cars are you driving these days?? Are you finding the hybrids a comfortable ride?? If so, which models are you driving??

All feedback and ideas welcome!

Jill :)

[ICNDonna]

We have a Ford Focus and it's amazingly comfortable for me. If we do a several hour trip, I take my cushion to sit on.

Donna

[Claredale]

I have a Ford Explorer that I just love the ride. I know it's not fuel efficient, but it is our second car since hubby and I ride together to work now. He has a Honda Accord and it has always been a bladder friendly car. Especially when I ride with my feet up on the dash with my heating pad plugged in. Hubby can't stand the feet on the dash thing, but it's how I feel comfy. My MIL and FIL have always had Chryslers and they have never been bladder friendly and I really don't have panic fears with trips like I used to, but I rode in my MIL's Dodge Dakota a couple of months ago for maybe a 30 minute ride and by the time I got home, had to take a pain pill since I didn't have one in my purse, then take a very hot bath to calm down. I felt every section of the interstate on that car ride.

We got my son a Honda Fit which is really a cute little car. I was afraid to ride in it at first, because of the lower suspension, but I actually had no problems even riding in the back seat. It was very roomy for a small car. I don't see myself going on a trip in it, but it was much better than several "luxury" cars I have riden in.

T83

[tiffRN83]

Honestly, my Mustang is GREAT! I know, many of you are thinking "A sports car, really??? Well, I can honestly say YES! The seats are comfortable, the seat warmers are in the right place, so if I'm flaring, I turn one on to help decrease the pain. Plus, it has a smoother ride than my past two cars (Monte Carlo's). And it's super fun to drive! :woohoo:

[Claredale]

That's why I love my Explorer. The seats are really comfortable. I wanted a mustang so bad when the new body style came out, since I was born the year the Mustangs came out, I kept telling hubby that I either wanted a horse in the back yard (been an ongoing request for years!) or a mustang in my garage for my 40th birthday. Needless to say, I didn't get either. One of my YaYas at church has one and I have riden with her a couple times. The ride was fine, but my legs got so antzy. I can't do the feet on the dash thing with other people's cars.

My son's best friend got one when he graduated from high school, but it was the actual sport model and I couldn't handle that ride at all. Plus I was in the back seat.

[irfran]

The cars I test drove last year were the Toyota Prius (seat too hard and a bouncey ride), Honda Accord (seat too hard). I finally purchased a Toyota Camry (soft seats and I get 33 MPG on trips and 21 or 22 MPG around town.

Surprisingly, I do okay in my Miata. I've never tried it on a "pee" day.

[SharonA]

I drive an older model Toyota Corolla. Fortunately, it is for my short trips around town.

Hubby drives a Hyundai Azera. I think it is a 2007. Talk about a comfortable car. It is wonderful. Soft seats, cushy ride, heated seats.

Jill, you mentioned the Lexus. The Azera is Hyundai's answer to the Lexus. The only things Lexus has that the Azera does not are the back up camera, cooling seats and the high price. Hubby and I did a test drive in a Lexus. I can personally testify that the Azera has much more comfortable seating than the Lexus. I really can't explain the feeling I had in the Lexus except to say I felt boxed in. The door seemed way to close to me on my right side and I did not like the way the seat came up on each side of my behind.

I think my favorite thing about Hubby's car is the heated seats. They are wonderful. Very soothing for the tired behind and up the hips to the small of my back. I am only 5'4'', so the heating element does go all the way up to that area. The longest trip we have taken together in the car was an 8 hour trip to Texas. The car was very comfortable, but I did have some soreness and stiff joints from riding such a long distance. My bladder did fine, though.

Hubby told me just today that he is getting better gas mileage in his car than I am in mine. That might be because he has been driving long distances recently and I use mine for short trips just around town.

[sunshine_77us]

I have a Toyota Camry and it's comfortable. Thinking about trading this year and was wondering about Honda Accord. I thought it would get good gas mileage but from what I'm reading, it doesn't.

[mbhbarb]

We like the Toyota Camry hybrid - good mileage, comfortable seats and ride. But we don't need a car that large. What we really wanted was a Prius. We test drove a Prius last winter and even rented one for a week to see how we liked it. They have a long way to go to make that car IC friendly in my opinion. Hard seats. Bumpy ride. Too bad because we loved the hatchback style. Also, my husband was too tall for that car.

It will be interesting to see what Toyota does with their new Prius line. I've read they will produce the Prius in three levels over a period of several years. One level will replace the Camry. We're hoping it is more comfortable and that they make it large enough to accommodate a tall man.

barb

[SharonA]

Hubby and I had a Prius the first year they came out. We were not looking for one, but we actually won it in a contest so we kept it. It was a great car for around town, but like the others have said, I found it to be very unfriendly to my bladder.

We took it on a trip to Florida. Going, we split the trip up into two 6 hour days. It wasn't too bad, but coming home, we drove straight through. I thought I wasn't going to make it. I hurt all over. I was really in extreme pain. We also drove it to Washington DC, but split the trip up so I did not have such a bad time of it then.

We never got the gas mileage advertised except on the DC trip. On the open road, we were able to get 50 MPG for a while. I think it is a lot of hype for very little reality.

We sold the Prius as quickly as we could after Hubby bought the Azera and do not regret it for a minute.

[dg2901]

We have a Honda Element. Its extremely roomy, very comfortable, seats can be laid down to sleep two, back seats can be folded up against the sides or removed completely, back seats are stadium raised, suicide doors, interior is waterproof (its gets dirty just open it up and hose it out!), gets approximately 29 mpg, incredibly comfortable, and we've had people as tall as 6'4 in both the back and front seats--no problem with head or leg room. Wouldn't trade it for anything!

:)
D

[hdb1982]

I bought a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix when my Grand Am got totaled Easter Day. I love Pontiac's. The handle very very well. It handles turns very well and you can barely feel bumps when you happen to hit one. The cars steering is very responsive, you barely have to turn the wheel. It is a powerful car. Mine is a V6 3.8 liter and I get about 22-28 mpg around town. We just did a trip to the beach and I got 421 miles out of a tank. We figured it out to be 31 miles interstate!!!WOW is all I have to say, this car runs. It is a very powerful V6. Even though it is powerful, the is no dive in the front end when you accelerate or hit the brakes. I always hated when you punch the gas or slam the brakes and a car flings forward. Mine is fully loaded and has SOFT heated leather seats with lumbar support. You can adjust the firmness of the back of the front seats. It also has dual climate controls, a plus for us b/c I am always freezing when Adam is sweating. He can sit his on 68 and I set mine on 82. It has front and side curtain airbags. The seats I can not say enough good things about. They are the most comfy I have been in, more so than my dads Lincoln MKZ. It is very roomy too, I am 5'11'' and I do not feel cramped, even when I have to scoot the seat up b/c there are people in the back seat. It has steering wheel controls for the radio,including mute, which are nice. Your hands don't have to leave the wheel. The passenger seat leans forward and lays flat. The back of it is hard plastic and can be used for a writing area when driving. There are cargo nets on back of both front seats. You can program 2 personal option settings. I have one and Adam has one. I hit number 1 and everything electric moves to my preference. The seat location, the mirrors, even the radio. I will be honest, there are a few things I would change if I could. 1)there is only 2 cup holders in the entire car and they are in the front, my Grand Am had 5. 2) there isn't a light in the trunk but I am not sure if there isn't one or if mine is burnt out.lol and 3) when I hit the trunk release it unlocks the trunk but it doesn't swing open on its own. In my Grand Am you had to be careful not to lean too far over the trunk when you opened it b/c it really flung open.

Oh, it also came from the manufacturer with a remote car starter. There is an extra button on the key less entry remote. You just hit the door lock button then hold down the car starter button for 3 seconds. If it is hot out the AC turns on, if it is cold out the heat and defroster turns on. I wish the heated seats turned on with it but it isn't that big of a deal b/c the seats warm up super fast.

It has 3 lighter ports so you can plug in a lot of things.

The sticker price for the car is about 24000 with the options I have but I only paid 12,100 for it. My FIL is the finance manager at the areas largest dealership and he can do 5 deals a year at 100.00 over what the dealership paid. My Grand Am I bought from him brand new and only saved about 2,000. He can't play with the numbers too much on new cars. But trade ins, rentals or demos he can play with the numbers a lot more. My interest is only 2.9% so my payments are really low. They are 202.00 for 5 years. If you are more of a car person than an suv or truck person, as I am, I highly recommend the Grand Prix. If you go to Pontiac.com you can take a virtual tour where you can choose the options and the interior colors. My car's exterior is a slate blue/blue gray, with black carpet, dash and trim and dark gray leather seats. A car is a personal preference but I love my Grand Prix. I usually want a new car every few years but I think this one I will keep until it is no longer drivable, unless it isn't safe for some reason. I have had a Pontiac Sunfire then went to the Grand Am now I have the Grand Prix. I guess my next option is the Bonneville. My MIL had one and it was sooo nice. It had the SSEI supercharger though and her purse didn't like the gas prices. Hers was also a lease so she had to turn it in anyway. If I didn't drive so much I would lease b/c I don't like to have a car more than 4 years. I had my Grand Am longer but we had other vehicles. Now we have Adams truck, the company work truck and my Grand Prix. 2 less vehicles than we had a year ago.
__________________

[lili]

I drive a Prius that gets excellent gas mileage. I find I can only tolerate 3 hours riding in any car. It feels like the seat belt is pressing on my bladder and I frequently pull it loose. The seat is fine.

[amaranthe]

I am in the market for one too. My current car is a Toyota Camry. It has been great. It gets awesome gas mileage, and the seats are comfortable too. Also, it has a smooth suspension so it doesnt jar me around alot. Best of all, it had 60,000 miles on it when we bought it (though it was 2 years old), and now it has 130,000 miles on it, and has never been in the shop for anything! All I have ever had to do to it is change the oil, rotate the tires, etc. Just reg maintenence and it has never given me a moments trouble.

I dont know if I will get another one, (since this one's been so great), or if I will get something different this time. I am going to start looking in the next month so I will post and let ya know what I test drive and how well I liked them.

This time around, I know I want to get leather seats, heated would be nice too. Also,like someone else mentioned, rear cupholders are a must. I like the keyless entry/remote start features too. (Nothing worse than going out scraping frost on freezing mornings, or getting into a 120 degree car on a 100 degree day! For those of you who pay for AAA right now, dont forget that most new cars come with road side assistance for several years, so you may not need to renew your AAA for a few years.

My husband wants me to get an SUV 4wd, since we live in the country and I often have to go to the Dr and stuff when it snows. Also, it would be handy on our farm when i have to take drinks/snacks to him. But, the gas mileage in those things is the only thing holding me back. I havent found any that get decent gas mileage. I am like you, Jill...I just cant handle paying $70 for a fillup. YIKES! (Right now, I pay $40 for a fill-up, and that usually lasts me for a week and half, sometimes 2 weeks, depending on how much driving.) But at $70, that would almost double my gas expenses per month. So, I dont blame you at all for looking for something easier on gas.

Hope more ppl respond to this thread. It is interesting to see what vehicles are most comfortable for ICers, since most of us are bothered by vibration/car rides.

[justice4j]

DG201,
My E is my most favorite car I've ever owned. I love sitting up high so I can see and I think it's comfortable and great for my standard poodles. It has places where you can use a horse tether to clamp onto their safety jackets and they have a lot of room with the seats up on the sidewall.

Love my E! It's silver. What color is yours?

[dg2901]

Janet--my E is orange. Like you, I absolutely love it! Wouldnt trade it for anything (except for a new one!.hah). I've never seen a vehicle so versatile..Honda did right by this vehicle, no doubt!

:)
Diana

[lfane]

I was driving a 2006 Volvo S80 and loved it! However, we added a 3rd child this year and decided we needed something with 3 rows of seats. My hubby took the Volvo and bought me a Tahoe Hybrid. I love it! It is amazingly comfortable. The farthest we have drove it so far was 3 hours and I had no problems. We are going to take it for 4.5 hours Thanksgiving week, so we'll see how that goes. My husband said he understands if we have to stop a time or two to rest.

The hybrid is not getting the gas mileage it advertises. The ads say 20 mpg. The only time we got near that was the 3 hour drive to Austin. I average around 17-18 mpg, which is fine. I do drive alot - it's a 20 mile drive one way to my kids' school. It does take a lot to fill up, usually around $75. However, I am really happy with my truck. It doesn't ride like a truck, much smoother ride and it has the heated seats as well. Which, in south TX, I don't use a lot. I did use them one day when I was having some pain and it did help a lot. I just cranked the air on high.

[Want2BPainFree]

I drive a 2006 Audi A4 3.2L Quattro. It is all wheel drive, and a V6, so it doesn't get fantastic gas mileage, but it isn't bad. I do mostly around town driving, and consistently get 24 mpg. If I wasn't a lead foot, it would probably be better, but alas, I enjoy the power of this car.

I bought this car as a certified pre-owned, so it was significantly less expensive than a new car. It is fully loaded.

As far as IC, it is the friendliest car in our driveway. It has heated leather seats that have many adjustments. I use the highest lumbar setting and also push it into my back as far as it will go. I sit as far back as I can and also tilt the back into the back seat a little. I use the adjuster to adjust the part of the seat that your butt is on downward toward the floor, so it does not have my pelvis in a "V" shape. This helps keep the seatbelt more across my low hip/top of thighs. This car's ride is very tight, so when a larger bump is on the highway, it does wrench the car, but briefly because the suspension doesn't keep on bouncing afterward.

The other cars we have in our driveway are:

1983 Volvo....I despise this car in the summer b/c it is a diesel and when you run the A/C, the car shakes horribly.
1999 Dodge Durango....total bladder killer!
2003 BMW M3 Convertible.....this car is better than the other two above, but it rides so low to the ground that I do feel every bump. It is enjoyable to ride in on a good IC day, but definitely not with a flare up.

[jaime15]

We just traded our car for a Honda CRV!

I love it..........it has a sunroof and heated seats........there are more cheaper versions but I really wanted these features. Plus it burns unleaded.......

We traded my Mercedes C240..........I will miss it but not the fact that I had to put high-test in it. And with the recent gas shortage in our area (you can hardly find mid and high grades) I couldn't have done it at a better time.

The CRV gets up to 32mpg!!

Hope you get enough good info to decide!! Have fun shopping around!

[Briza]

lol, so I can't say that I know of any full size truck that is good on mpg, except to go with 6 cylinder rather 8 cylinder engine. As for comfort, when I was shopping around, Chevy is the most comfy I've found, so that is what I bought, and thankfully I did because not long after I got IC.
As far as the mini-trucks go, they are generally a pretty bumpy ride, but the mid-size Chevy Colorado seems to be more comfy and smoother ride than the others. The Nissan mid size very uncomfy and bumpy ride.

[NewLife]

I test drove a 2008 Volvo S40 and was very impressed with how smooth the ride was. I think the seats are power adjustable so you can make them fit your figure because there are so many settings. Also, Saab 93 was not bad but, as far as I remember, not as smooth a ride as Volvo.

Corollas are known for being comfortable cars. Also, we have a 2002 VW Passat in the family--it's also very comfortable.

I think Mercedes could also work. I heard people raving about noise isolation and the smooth ride. Also, I remember one of my friends had a Lexus sedan (not the smallest one, IS 250) and that one was a very comfortable ride.

You can also soften the suspension in most cars, I think, to soften the ride.

Also, I would think that SUVs have a more comfy ride b/c they have bigger wheels, although we have an Acura RDX with a sporty suspension and it's very bumpy. I would look at the new small VW SUV. Also, my boss raves about their Toyota Highlander and its comfort (and I think they make a hybrid). I remember we one had a Chrysler SUV loaner that it was a very smooth ride.

[NewLife]

And, by the way, I definitely recommend heated seats for IC.