Annual use car seat for super tall kids

[fedoragirl]

We visit my parents once a year and stay for a while so we do use a car daily when we are with them. I would like a seat under $50 (if possible) and one that is safe. I am a car seat safety fanatic and would really like something more than a Scenera. Last time, we borrowed one and it just didn't feel right for my tall DD.
Both my kids are in the 100th percentile. DD is 40 inches, DS is 33 inches. They are both RF at home in Britax Two Way (Swedish) seats.
I have seen a lot of love for the Evenflo Maestro but it is a little more than I can spend right now (we need two car seats).
http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Maestro-Seat-Booster-Keller/dp/B006PB2CT0/ref=pd_sbs_ba_1

I was thinking of the Evenflo Tribute 5 which is under $50 today on amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Tribute-Convertible-Seat-Saturn/dp/B006PB2B6O/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1353875757&sr=1-5

another option is to look on CL but I haven't seen any decent offerings for convertibles. Most posts are for infant car seats.
I would love any suggestions or recommendations.

[legaleagle]

So DD will be ff'ing and DS will be rf'ing or are you just bringing his seat with you?

[nrp]

Your siggie says your DS is 2 months. Is he really 33 inches?! That is tall indeed!

Maybe you could do one Maestro and one Tribute? The Maestro is only FF, but since your DD is almost 3, maybe you're okay with that. I would avoid CL - you just never know what might have happened to the seat that the seller didn't disclose (accident, ran straps through the washer, etc).

[jjordan]

Your price point is going to severely limit your options. Definitely buy new, not from Craigslist or wherever. Even a very nice-sounding person could be lying about the history of a seat and might have no compunctions about selling you something unsafe. Not worth risking your child's life to save some money. :)

I assume that both you and your parents live in the US (although maybe, just maybe you're in Europe, hence the Swedish seats?) and that you're flying to visit them? I will further assume that your baby is flying as a lap baby and that is why you won't be bringing his car seat with you?

Do you just have the one car seat for each of the children, or do they have backup seats for other cars? Also is the Two Way FAA certified for use on an airplane?

If you have a convertible that dd can use on the airplane, I'd bring it, use it for her on the plane, and then use it for ds on the ground. Meanwhile I'd get an Evenflo Maestro or SecureKid for your parents' house and have dd use that there. That way you're only buying one seat, so the fact that it is a little above your original budget per seat is no problem, because you're still under budget overall.

ETA: Otherwise, I'd get a Maestro and a Scenera, which keeps you right about at your original budget of $100 for both seats.

[fedoragirl]

Thank you all. I am so sorry about my siggie. DS is 14 months old--I fixed the date. (*so embarrassed*)
I think I like the idea of bringing DD's seat with us since she has a paid seat. I would prefer she rearfaces when she is in the U.S. but I can live with FF for a month or so. I travel alone with two kids and I was trying to avoid bringing a car seat. We use the CARES harness with DD and it works pretty well. jjordan, you surmised the entire situation correctly. DS will be a lap baby.
I will look into the Maestro. Thanks for warning about CL.