car seat help-please

[ateret]

I am starting to think of the next car seat, right now my daughter is still in a snugride. I want a car seat that has high saftey ratings and is comfortable and easy for me to strap my child into.

We have a corolla and the seat would most likely be in the middle of the backseat.So the car seat can't be too big.

If there is anything else I am not taking into consideration ,please let me know.

[arivecchi]

Hi there. How old is your kiddo? How much does she weigh? Budget? That way we can give you more specific answers.

[AnnieW625]

Originally Posted by arivecchi

Hi there. How old is your kiddo? How much does she weigh? Budget? That way we can give you more specific answers.

plus:

What year is your Corolla?

How tall are you (ie: how far back do you need the seats)?

[ateret]

Hi,

I answered the questions and it did not post them.

Our car is a 2000 corolla and does not have a LATCH system in the middle seat , which is where the carseat would go.So we have to use the seat belt to anchor the car seat.
Our daughter is now in a snugride 22 but she weighs about 15-16 and at her last appointment she was 24 inches tall. Now I know that I probably have at least 2 months if not more for her to stay in the snugride.But I want to start my research now.

I am 5"2 and drive with the seat as close to the wheel as I can, my husband who does all the long distance driving likes more leg room.
We are looking to spend around 250.We want to get her a safe and comfortable carseat that will last her and will also be easy for us to install and buckle her into.

TIA

[jjordan]

I read on car-seat.org that a Radian installs well in the center of a corolla, so that's what I'd go with. Any of the three models (65SL, 80SL, and XTSL) would be fine. The seats are all the same size and have a few, mostly small, differences. The differences are:

*65SL rearfaces to 40# and the 80SL and XTSL rearface to 45# (although, in practice, some children might outgrow the seat rearfacing before or around 40#, so the 65SL might last rearfacing about the same amount of time)
*65SL has a 65# forward facing weight limit and the others 80#, but again, most children will outgrow the seats by height before 65# anyway
*80SL and XTSL come with infant padding (probably not an issue for you)
*XTSL has "head wings"

The 65SL is usually around $200 on sale, the 80SL maybe $225-ish, the XTSL maybe $250-ish, and if you have time to wait, people have found great deals for a lot less (eg 65SL for $150-ish, 80SL for $180-ish, XTSL for $200-ish).

[lorinick]

Hi! I would consider the Evenflo Triumph Advanced ETA, the Graco MyRide or the Britax Marathon MA, or the First Years True Fit. The last two would be better choices since they have lock offs to make installing without latch really easy. The Britax MA usually has great deals on line to get the price in your price range. All will fit in your Toyota. The seat could be installed more up right for older babies.