Suggestion for *cheap* seat for Grandma's car

[ltmommy]

I bought 2 MA's at the sales a few months back, but now I need a 3rd seat - SIL was going to hand down a Britax, but now she needs it. Here are the goods:

DD 3 1/2, 33lbs, 37"
DS 7 mos, 17 - 18 lbs, 27"

Mom has an Explorer without LATCH. She already has a RA. She picks up DD from school 2x/wk, about 5 miles away, no highway, and may do occasional errands with DS, but no major driving.

I am tapped out, and need to find something cheaper than a Britax for her car. New seat could either be FF only for DD, or RF then FF for DS.

I keep seeing the Evenflo Triumph Advance and FP Safe Voyage Deluxe mentioned. Are these relatively easy to install without the lock-offs? More importantly, are they easy to buckle the child into? What about the Graco Step 2 - I know it is better for FF; would that work ok FF only, with DD (DS could be RF in the RA)?

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Leslie
DD 7.04
DS 4.07

[Joolsplus2]

If the Explorer has headrests, I'd look at the Cosco Apex 65 (has a few names, but it's a combination seat that goes to 65 pounds then becomes a good booster seat...it just requies a headrest or very tall seatbacks, which is iffy in a Ford... www.albeebaby.com has them for 89-129, they are also at BRU).
The Graco Safestep 2 is super mega enormous... it's challenging for even monkey babies to climb up into that thing (the base is so big there's no space for a foothold on the vehicle seat bottom...).
Graco Platinum Cargo or Evenflo Generations are also probably fine choices, but won't harness past 40 pounds (probably fine for DD, but DS might get too heavy for the harness before he's ready for a booster, you just never know, right?)...that's why I was leaning towards the Apex at first...you can get a lot of use out of it for not much money.