Cars and/or Car Seat Implements for Bad Backs

Hey folks,

For those of you that have back injuries (preferably those with previous L5/S1 herniations), have you found any particular implement or seat add-on or cushion that has helped your back in long car rides?

I used to drive a Ford Explorer, and then a Trailblazer (both of which were great on my low back… primarily because I was able to sit high w/o having my hips drop below my knees, and maintain a 90degree-105degree angle w/ my back which is most comfortable for me). I now have an '06 Corolla (which I purchased a few years ago due to the far superior gas mileage and the fact that it is less of a money sink). My back was doing totally fine at the time when I purchased it, but since then I’ve had a re-injury which is just now starting to feel good again. However, as expected, long car rides once again cause my back to act up. I drive ~90min a day and ~6hr every other weekend depending on the month. The long car rides of course are the worst. I’ve contemplated buying a big gas-guzzling trailblazer or explorer again since I know their seats were good on my back, but before doing so I want to try out some seat modifiers for my corolla.

So, two questions really:

  1. Has anyone found any car seat modifiers/adjusters/add-ons that have helped out their back in handling long car rides?
  2. Other than explorers and trailblazers, has anyone found any car model that has had favorable seats for their back?

Thanks.

Best,
DTC