[angel365]

As for the small car part - I drive a 2 door '99 Civic and haven't had any issues yet, except it can't fit 3 across the back seat. I had not trouble fitting an infant seat in it, and my 6'4" ex sat in the passenger seat in front of it. No - it isn't ideal for long trips, but if you're going to be in the car for hours at a time perhaps then rent one for long trips in the future? I don't know. I don't ever take long trips so it was never something I had to deal with. I put an Evenflo Triumph Advance rear facing and a Britax Marathon rear facing with no problem. It doesn't leave a ton of room for the front seat, it might work better if you install the seat in the middle, and then its possible that the back of the seat shell will perfectly fit in between the 2 front seats. Had I known what I know now when my BIG son was born - I wouldn't have bothered with an infant carrier, he outgrew it at 4 months old. Now would I have bothered with a 40lbs weight limit convertible seat with a short shell (the original Evenflo Triumph). He's HUGE and at 2 and a half years old outgrew, by height and weight, every seat Walmart had to offer. Coulda saved myself time and money had I just bought a Marathon from the beginning.

Here's the ones I think are best, and I'd suggest getting to a Babies R Us and trying some out, also check out the car seat compatibility database and see what other people with your vehicles have had successfully.

The Britax Marathon/Boulevard/Decathalon (These 3 are the same seat, just different variances of luxury additions, with the Marathon being the cheapest base model) can be found for regular price of $269, and on sale at Albee Baby online for $209-$219. The Marathon a wide open easy to route belt path, which makes using it correctly a lot easier, as do the built in lockoffs, which mean you never again have to use a locking clip. I can get it into 4 different vehicles in under 2 minutes. Because of the way the base is made, it fits in most cars. And, it is worth the money, b/c it lasts usually twice as long as most other car seats (all car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture) lasting a baby till they are 5-6 years old, where most at Walmart will only last till 2-4 years old. Rear faces to 33lbs, then forward to 65lbs. and top slots 17inches tall, lasts most kids to ages 5-6 years old.

The Evenflo Triumph Advance (not the original Triumph, make sure it says Advance) is a great seat. $150 version at Babies R Us has padding similar to Britax seats, top slots of 17", harnesses to 35lbs rear facing, and 50lbs forward facing. $120 Walmart version just has little less plush padding. Wide open belt path, easy to install, though it doesn't have built in lockoffs. The harness adjusts at the front of the car seat, you don't have to take the car seat out of the car just to raise/lower the straps. It's one of only 2 seats that does this (The Britax Boulevard is the other, I believE), and it has infinite harness adjustment so the harness always fits perfectly until its outgrown. No more tugging straps to tighten them either. You tighten and loosen the harness using knobs on the side of the seat. As a major bonus, it can be used in a recline position even in forward facing mode. Awesome for kids who still sleep in the car. I LOVE THIS SEAT! LOL My son, who is too big for every other car seat at Walmart has the same amount of room in this as the Britax Marathon.

The Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible seat is great, it is made by Britax, without all the frills. It's the same shell as a Marathon, but for less than half the price. $130 at Albee Baby online with free shipping, or at their eBay name, babysurplus. Rear faces to 33lbs, forward to 55lbs. Easy to use, fits in most cars.

These are the best you can buy that will give you the most bang for your buck. As a single parent I'm always watching the budget - I have no money to speak of, and these are what I would buy. (My son has a marathon and is soon getting a Britax Regent). They will last the longest. I only wish someone would've told me all this before I had him, I coulda saved some money for the extra seats I started out with!

All seats in the US must meet the same safety criteria to sell, so technically they all are safe, however, if its hard to install, then it won't be used correctly and that makes it unsafe. Also, they only must meet the guidelines, some seats barely pass, some exceed them. Britax exceeds the guidelines and is easy to use. You kind of have a double-edged sword here - your cars are small, but you are anticipating a tall child. Just remember that the super reclined rear facing phase doesn't last too long before they can be reclined less and then the seat will take up less room. (Newborns have to have a 45 degree recline to prevent their airway being cut off, babies who have good head control and can sit up can have 30-45 degrees). So some discomfort may have to exist for a few months to make sure you have seat that will fit your child for a long while. The other option would be to get a cheap seat that doesn't take a lot of space rear facing, knowing you will need to get another for forward facing at some point. The $40 Cosco Scenera makes a great rear facing seat b/c it goes to 35lbs rear facing, it has a short shell and short harness slots, so its not the best forward facing seat, but you could get another one for that when the time comes. The Scenera would take up less room rear facing than the Marathon or Triumph Advance.

Oh - and I totally agree with what Papooses said - steer clear of 3-in-1 'do it all' seats. Safety1st 3-in-1/Cosco Alpha Omega/Eddie Bauer 3-in1 seats. These are all the same company - same seat, just different covers. They stink. Hard to install, b/c of narrow belt paths. Ever tried to wash a skinny cup by hand? Now imagine that skinny cup with pointy edges. That's what putting your hand through these to install them is like. AND they have too short a shell to really go to 40lbs. And they do not make good boosters. Also, most kids have to use boosters until they're at least 8 years old. Car seats expire 6 years after the date of manufacture, so no matter what they say it is NOT the last seat you'll ever need to buy. Will hold a child about the same amount of time as the afore mentioned Scenera, but cost you a lot more.

CAR SEAT COMPATIBILITY DATABASE:
Search: CarSeatData.org - user ratings of carseats fitting into cars
MEAUSREMENTS OF COMMON SEATS:
Car Seat Measurements: CarSeatData.org - user ratings of carseats fitting into cars
EVENFLO TRIUMPH ADVANCE:
Evenflo Triumph Advance DLX - Convertible Car Seat - Sandbox - Evenflo - Babies "R" Us
Evenflo Triumph Advance LX Convertible Car Seat - Wal-Mart
FISHER PRICE SEAT:
Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe Convertible Car Seat in Black
AlbeeBaby where you can find all your Baby needs! Strollers, Car Seats, Highchairs, Baby Carriers, Bouncers, Toys, Activity Gyms, Potty Seats, $100 Gift Certificate$50 Gift CertificateActivity Gyms & ArchesAngel Line - 513 High ChairAvent - 4 oz Bott
MARATHON:
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	Forward Facing Car Seats A forward-facing car seat is one in which the child sits facing the front of the car. The seat should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. Most forward-facing only seats are for children above 20 pounds.

	Britax - Click for more info Britax International has been producing reliable child safety products for over 30 years. Not only does Britax have decades of experience creating car seats and other children's safety equipment, Britax has a long standing reputation as an industry leader and innovator. Britax International is headquartered in the United Kingdom, but Britax car seats are designed and manufactured at facilities in Germany, Austria, and the United States. In the summer of 2002, Britax strengthened their commitment to creating the safest car seats with the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art crash testing facility in North Carolina. Britax car seats have a reputation around the world for being some of the safest, most reliable, and best designed child safety seats ever made.

	Rear Facing Car Seats A rear-facing seat is one in which the infant faces the back of the car. Always install a rear-facing seat in the back seat of your car. This is the safest position for an infant. NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with passenger airbags.

	Convertible Car Seats Convertible seats are for infants and toddlers. The seat can be used as a rear-facing seats for younger children, and switched to a forward-facing seat on the child's first birthday if the child weighs at least 20 pounds. However, experts recommend keeping the child in a rear-facing position until he or she outgrows the weight or height allowed by the safety seat.

	Infant Car Seats Infant-only rear-facing seats are for babies up to about 22 to 30 pounds, depending on the specific car seat. You will need a new seat when your child gets bigger. Infant-only seats have handles that allow you to move the seat from the car to the house or other locations. Some have a base that you can leave installed in the car, so you can just click the car seat into place each time you use it.

	Britax Marathon - Click for more info Increasing the time a child can safely stay in their convertible car seat is a big issue and Britax engineers have come through in a big way with the introduction of the Britax Marathon with LATCH. A LATCH Compatible Convertible Child Seat, the Britax Marathon can be used rear facing 5 to 33 pounds and forward facing from 20 to 65 pounds. Compare the numbers and you will see it is hard to find a seat with these weight limits that is safe and functional.

	Britax Boulevard - Click for more info It is all about the wings with the Britax Boulevard convertible car seat - head and torso safety wings help keep your child from harm in a side-impact crash. And this matters - side-impact crashes are the leading cause of death for 6 - 14 year-old children. Of course, the safety wings are only one of the many safety features that the Britax Boulevard offers: built-in lock-offs, 5-point harness with front adjuster, tangle-free webbing, a push button release LATCH system with Versa-Tether®, and a sculpted base, ensuring an easy installation with a secure fit.

	Britax Regent - Click for more info The Britax Regent is the safe way to carry your older and larger passengers, all the way up to 80 lbs. Known as the "king of all car seats," the Britax Regent will accomodate your little king or queen for far longer than traditional car seats or booster seats. The Regent features a large roto-molded shell, comfy extra-thick comfort foam, washable covers, Patented Versa-Tether™, flexible buckle LATCH system, patented HUGS™ system, and tangle-free polyester 5-point harness.