Convertible car seat for Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix

Hi all,

I think I'm ready to take the plunge and get my DS his convertible car seat. He still fits in his infant car seat fine but lately with the thicker fall/winter layers he seems more cramped in his seat. I am careful not to buckle him in with a jacket/coat on but still he seems very snug in his seat. We have a Peg Perego PV and it's worked fine for us and I like it but since I will eventually have to get a convertible I kind of thought what delay the inevitable. I have a Pontiac Vibe and really would like to get a Britax, preferably one that goes to 65lbs hoping that DS will use it for that long since as it is he's only in the 10th percentile for weight at 7.5 months, he's fairly tall but he's all leg and has two inches above his head with his infant seat. I know that the Britax car seats are the best on the market and like other may have said I am favoring safety over costs. But still I have a few questions:

1. Are there any car seats that are more affordable than the Britaxes that are just as safe?
2. I know the Britax Wizard has been discontinued and since I can't find it at a store will it fit in my car, since I will have to order it online.
3. Just for reassurance sakes, is there anything bad about the Wizard I should be aware of?
4. What car seats in general fit in the Vibe?

Is there anything else I need to consider before buying? I do plan on going to BRU and trying the seats out and seeing what DS might dislike or like better.

Sorry so many questions...but I just feel lIke I have to be as informed as possible before I make a final decision and buy a seat. Since DS still fits in his infant seat we are thinking of using it in DH's car for now as our spare until he grows out of it.

Thank you in advance for your help.

try www.carseatdata.org to see if anyone has reported any success or failure in that car...I'm sure it won't be a problem to put any Britax in it, though. The WZ is the same seat as all the others (Marathon/Decathlon/Boulevard). Do you think your kiddo will mind the headwings? (That's the reason it was discontinued, sooooo many kids and parents hated them...the Boulevard is much roomier in that area).
Safetywise, all seats are fine (barring the Alpha Omega with the base on it and untethered...it fails with the three year old dummy, and I don't know why there's no recall on it yet!)... it's just "ease of use" that makes the Britaxes shine (well, and the most EPS head foam, and rearfacing tethering, and nice LATCH and good seatbelt lockoffs and cute covers...lol)

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

Hi. Just wanted to let you know that I tried the blvd in a matrix when I was car shopping and it fit well for me but when my dh had the seat adjusted for him it didn't (rf). But...this problem with his seat happened in every car we tried.
Also, I'm sure when you searched you found that the wizard wings were tighter than the blvd and that bothered some children.
My dd screamed in every car seat we tried her in at BRU so the trip didn't help much.
Better luck to you.
Melissa
http://b1.lilypie.com/JSe1m4/.png

Thank you so much for your help everyone! I ended up ordering a Britax Wizard since DH wasn't too keen on spending $289 for a car seat. He wanted to get a Triumph but I couldn't stand those supid yellow nobs...I ended up just tightening than loosening. Anyways, I got my Wizard today and spent most of the afternoon securing it and installing it. Ugh a lot harder than an infant seat. I did have that lockoff issue that other have and ended up using the lockoff by the buckle since the other one just kept popping open since the lap part of the belt just kept pushing it open. But I finally got it so it didn't wiggle and I even tethered it and that helped a lot.

On another note I'm so relieved to have gotten a Wizard...the harness adjustment is soooooooooo easy. And altho DS looks confined in the headwings he didn't complain too much when sitting in it in our living room. :) Thank goodness he has a small noggin. Oh and luckily the Midnight color matches my blue car with black interior quite nicely too. :)

Thank you again for all your help.