These Are The Most Uncomfortable Cars You Have Ever Owned

Last week we asked you to share the most uncomfortable cars you've ever owned, and you had a lot of stories to tell about uncomfy cars. There were too many great anecdotes to share here, so feel free go back and read through the other comments as I just selected my top 10. The contenders for most complained-about cars were Jeep Wrangler two-doors, classic Volkswagens, sporty cars, and pickup trucks. 

As car enthusiasts, it can be all too tempting to buy a car that you've read about or watched The Stig whip around the "Top Gear" test track, but those cars are rarely the cars that you're going to want to be in if you've got a back injury or loose fillings. The pursuit of driving fun can easily overtake the pursuit of logic in the mind of the car nerd, and you know what? I respect the pursuit. Read on to hear about some of the most uncomfortable cars that the Jalopnik readers have ever owned.

My first car, a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. I froze my behind off, and the windows always were covered in ice in the winter. Plus, there was a lingering aroma of buttered popcorn, courtesy of a drive-in date where I used the glove box door as a makeshift popcorn holder. Unfortunately, someone kicked the shelf, and the butter smell never fully disappeared. But it was my first car!

Submitted by: Luc Desaulniers

Volkswagen Phaeton W12. I was forced to purchase of these commoner cars when my Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was having one of its ten radiators replaced. The seats reminded me of riding on a cloud, as opposed to the anti-gravity feeling that I'm used to. "Volkswagen," that's a brand for people who have jobs! I might have just vomited a little. And come on, merely a W12? What am I, some sort of regional manager? Ugh.

(I miss Fancy Kristen.)

Submitted by: Beloved Jalopnik alumni Mercedes Streeter

I currently have a 2008 BMW Z4 coupe. Beautiful to look at, a ton of fun to drive, but it's obvious it wasn't ever intended for downstate New York roads. Our decaying infrastructure combined with what could charitably be called a harsh ride leads to back pain every time I take it out. I flat out refuse to go to certain places (Brooklyn) in it due to the desire to keep my spine from telescoping out the top of my head. That all said, if anyone's interested in buying an uncommon and fun sports car, I have a car I'd like to sell you.

Submitted by: Robert Danziger

1968 Dodge Power Wagon. It was a 3/4 ton four wheel drive short bed pickup. 318 (5.2L) V8, NP435 4 speed manual, divorced transfer case. It wasn't the lack of air conditioning, and the seat was really not bad.

A previous owner had carpeted the roof, around the leaky aftermarket sunroof. I found out why the carpet was there pretty quickly. This truck resisted all attempts at a smooth ride except on one occasion – when I had a little over half a ton of stone in the bed for a landscaping project. Normally it rode at the very top of the suspension travel, and was so bouncy that it had snapped both of the front shock mount brackets, which were a basic piece of angle iron, clean through. I replaced them with homemade brackets of thicker metal, and it snapped the grade 8 bolts that I used to secure the new shocks to the brackets. I felt my head hit that roof carpet numerous times.

One time I drove down a newly resurfaced concrete road and it was so bouncy that I seriously considered pulling off the road and driving down the railroad track that ran alongside the road. The truck basically had no suspension and you relied on the tires to act as springs.

Still wish I'd never sold it though

Submitted by: Rob5

It kills me to type this, and I still miss this car so much, especially when it's nice outside, but my now departed 2022 MX-5 RF. I'm almost at maximum height for being comfortable so I knew when buying it, comfort was going to be down the list. But two years ago, I had major cervical spinal surgery. And that was the beginning of the end of keeping the car. The seats are rock hard and the headrests, complete with Bose speakers in them, are concrete blocks that don't adjust. So, given my height, the head rest was pushing my head and neck slightly downward. Two+ hours of that was my limit before I had to get out and stretch my neck and back. I did 700 mile (1400 mile round trips) in that car, and it did turn into a torture chamber, between the noise and the pain and twitching the pressure the headrest was putting on me.

And I can't easily do two cars with the sky high insurance rates here, plus tough parking, so for comfort's sake, I traded it in. And I was told the used car manager at the Audi dealer put it aside and purchased it for himself. And I hope he is having as much fun with it on a warm evening like I had with it...sigh.

Submitted by: Xavier96

Hands down, my most uncomfotable vehicle was my 1989 Jeep Wrangler soft top. With its solid axels and four wheel leaf spring suspension, I felt every expansion joint, piece of gravel, or inconsistancy of road surface, no matter how small. On road surfaces with consistently spaced expansion joints, the Jeep would hit resonance and buck like a horse with a spur under its saddle. In the rain at any speed over 40mph, the 1/2 door zip-up windows would flap violently causing your ears to pop with the constantly changing cabin air bressure. The radio was useless as the road noise and the top flapping would drown out the speakers even at warp volume. There was no AC so rainy hot and humid summer days meant sweating your 'nads off or getting soaked with the windows partially unzipped. The less than air tight and uninsulated top combined with a low volume blower meant winter driving was like driving inside of a refrigerator.

That being said, I loved that thing. There was nothing better than that Jeep on a warm sunny day with the top & doors removed heading to the beach with my best girl and our dogs. Had to let it go because the was no safe way to mount a child safety seat... kids ruin everything (not really, but by having them, it did ruin this).

Submitted by: Ted Blumstein

My 1998 Prelude. Test drove it and everything was fine. Took it home, and 30mins into the drive, my lower back started hurting. The car had no lumbar support adjustment (really, Honda?), so I had to buy a small cushion. Thankfully I never took it on long trips.

Submitted by: Riley Escobar

Mini cooper S, it would make your teeth shutter,

But on the positive, it handled surprisingly good, and if you had kidney stones it will dislodge them in a jiffy!

Submitted by: Foren Mier

2011 Civic Si sedan. I'm 6'3" with shoulders and ribcage like an NFL lineman and a rotund figure. I got along OK with the seat bottom, leg room and head room but the heavily bolstered seats were too narrow for my back to sit against the seat, I was jammed into the bolsters with pressure points from them.

Loved the car, especially the last year for the high revving K20, but the seats were unbearable for an hour or longer commute after a long day at work.

Submitted by: cintocrunch1

My then wife's 1973 VW Thing (Safari to the rest of the world). It was eye catching to drive and kind of fun, but the car was drafty, no AC and the gas-fired heater didn't work so winter driving meant being bundled like an Eskimo. Yet, I'd love to have that car back today.

Submitted by: Pelican Flyer