I've been motoring along for 2+ years with nothing but a smile in my 2008 Mini. Until the pain started. Hamstrings, lower back, glutes. After a ton of physical therapy and opinions the common thread is "it's the seats." Bottom line - it's easy to buy and install some aggressive oriented seats meant to grab you and hold you in place, not so for the opposite need. Any experience out there in getting a more bench seat sort of experience in a Mini?

 

maybe it's the seats.. but it took two years? and no one else complains?

Maybe a lumbar support pad?

 

Good thinking; been there, done that. It's in the hamstrings/hip area. Regarding two years - yes. I have talked to a few folks that have had this sort of issue arise after a long period of time (+ 1 year) to have the issue resolved by a change of vehicles.

 

Good thinking; been there, done that. It's in the hamstrings/hip area. Regarding two years - yes. I have talked to a few folks that have had this sort of issue arise after a long period of time (+ 1 year) to have the issue resolved by a change of vehicles.

 

I have the same issue with my MCS and the sport seats. I love the car to death, but of the 5 cars I've owned these seats are the only ones that have really made me feel like I'm worn out after a long drive. Its sad but I've learned to live with it and adjust the seating position to the best compromise. They really don't have a lot of thigh support, but I'll admit, it's not too bad for me so I can tolerate it.

Recaro makes a multitude of seats for all sorts of applications other than racing. They may have the answer for you.

 

Bogus! Maybe your getting older. Maybe because you injured yourself. And really its not the seats because the MINI has a tight suspension and you might just be feeling it. Anyway pain is weakness leaving the body.

 

Test drive a MINI with lounge leather seats. They're significantly more comfortable.

Try to raise the front of the seat rails on the sport seats.

 

Maybe just keep the heated seats on all the time. I have some gym-stupidity related lower back issues and the heat sure helps.

 

I'm voting for raising the front of the seats. I can't believe how flat they are...

The seats in my E36 M3 are able to tilt, and it makes a world of difference.

 

Justa seats without the bolsters are SO much more comfy......... S seats with high bolsters have less padding under your buttocks.


But your '08 is a Justa per your sig.......

Did you ditch the run flats on the S ?

 

I wish I could. I need the opposite. I need a flat seat; lower the front of the seat.

 

Correct. I'm in the justa, wife motors the S. Her seats are just as uncomfortable on my rear as my non-sport seats.

Have not changed the run flats. The S is mostly a garage queen. Gets about 300 miles per month.

 

I would retrofit the lumbar supports into your seats. Makes the worked of difference. Takes less than an hour and $200.

 

I was having a problem with my lower back, and syatic nerve down my leg. I blamed the seats. Welllll It was an easy fix. I removed my wallet from my back pocket. Presto....... no pain. My wallet was pressing on the nerve. :-)

 

The wallet in the back pocket is a very common source of discomfort while driving, especially for longer trips.
My chiropractor first told me this when I was being treated after a cycling accident.
And guys who have wallets that are thicker than an inch (which could be most men) are most likely to mess up their backs while driving.

 

Cool. I'll gave a homemade version a try for a week and see what happens.

 

Man purse....

 

I was an over the road salesman for 20 years when I started to have hip pain. You must change the position of your seat from time to time. It sounds simple but if you do it every time you notice the pain it will help.

 

PLEASE don't take this wrong! Only trying to help.

• Has your weight changed over the last two years?
• Have you changed any of your workout regimens?
• Are you motoring more today than you were a year ago?
• Are you driving an auto or manual tranny?

All these can adversely affect pain and discomfort in any car.

 

No offense - all great points slimjimtell. The only change is that I moved from cycling to running. I did have a running hamstring/hip injury many months ago; two physical therapists, one coach and one MD all think the seats are causing the issue to not heal. I questioned each about why this would have happened after years of no issue. All state they have seen this before.

Related - Yesterday I test drove a few not mini cars. Pain goes away within 4 minutes. Jumped back into the Mini, pain there within a few short minutes.

 

Boy there sure are a lot of critical people on this forum. You say you are uncomfortable and they assume you are the problem. Unfortunately, a 10 minute test drive doesnt tell you how comfortable you will be on a drive of 30 minutes or more. I was one of those uncomfortable people. No lumbar support. My leg kept falling asleep. The wings started digging into my thighs sending pains down the side of my legs. It took a combo of three mods to fix the problem. I retrofitted the lumbar support to fix the first problem. Jacking up the front of the seat by placing some washers under the seat rails fixed the leg falling asleep issue. For the wings digging into my thighs I took the car to an upholstery shop (Steves Auto Interiors and Sunroofs in Edgewater NJ). They removed the seat cover, cut away the wings and replaced them with a softer foam. Now I am very comfortable. Since I love everything else about the car I am glad I was able to resolve the seat comfort issues.

 

I also have trouble with the sport seats in my Clubman S, they are without question about the least comfortable I've ever had. I've mostly just acclimated to them, cause I can't afford to buy new Recarros.....

I've been looking at the idea of finding some VW GTI seats (made by Recarro, of course) and adapting them to my car. Don't have any idea whether the air bags would play nice with the rest of the car tho...