Oh, this is such a hot button for me! I am a retired/disabled paramedic who spent over 20 years working on the ambulance in the streets of Atlanta and then several more years in the ER and PICU at one of our large children's hospitals. During that time, I saw countless infants and children who were severely injured or deceased, simply because their parent was too lazy/stubborn/ignorant/etc. that day to put their child in a PROPER child safety seat. It is so very sad to see a parent lose a child in ANY situation. It is especially difficult to see it when you know they will have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives. One thing that really frustrates me, too, is that many parents do not know that it is not just babies and toddlers who need to be restrained in a safety seat. ALL children should be in a safety seat until they are AT LEAST 80-100 pounds AND 4'9" tall. MANY parents don't know/understand this because in many states it has not been made into law. However, in order to keep your child as safe as possible, they must be restrained in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit properly in a regular seatbelt. Seatbelts are specifically designed for ADULTS ONLY. If a small child is in one without a proper safety seat, they can be decapitated by the shoulder strap that is sitting too close to their neck, they can have severe pelvic/abdominal injuries due to the ill-fitting lap belt or they can be ejected if the shoulder strap is placed behind their back, which many children are taught to do. MANY parents do this, not knowing that it completely renders the entire seatbelt non-operational as it interferes with the mechanism of how it is supposed to work. When I was still working with EMS, I was also a member of SafeKids of GA. SafeKids has SO much info about Child Safety, especially Child Safety Seats. Here are a few links you all might be interested in: (They also have pamphlets, posters, etc. they will sent you.) Car Seat, Booster and Seat Belt Fact Sheet Find A Safety Seat Inspection Station I hope things work out for your family and that your brother and SIL decide to do what is right for their precious little one! Blessings, ~Addy~ Here is a link that might be useful: SafeKids USA

I also started with the Snugride, and loved it. I upgraded when she was about 11 months because she also outgrew her's before her first birthday. I started with the Triumph because of the high ratings. I used it for a week and a half, and returned it. The straps kept getting twisted on me, and the way to retract the straps I found cumbersome. I would struggle with it getting her in AND out, because of the straps. Also, I didn't like how the buckle was so high up. I returned it, and got the Cosco Alpha Omega. Similar to the Snugride, there is a button in the front to adjust the straps. Very easy to use. As she grows, there is a 2 handed lever above her head. You turn and lift, so you don't need to rethread the straps. At the same time it adjusts the headrest. There is a removable cup holder, and two fold-up armrests. I used this seat rear facing until she was about 18 months old, and forward-facing until now (she is 25 months). I provided a link, I remember paying $160.00 for it, but this one is listed for 90 bucks at Amazon. There are several types, I bought mine at Toys 'r us. There is also an Eddie Bauer version. Good luck looking, when I shopped I pulled all the seats on the ground and let my kid jump in and feel it out! Then I researched reviews and made a decision. Beginning with the Triumph, I'm glad I ultimately settled on the Costco Alpha Omega. Christy :) Oh, another resource for finding opinions about products is Epinions.com. Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon Costco Alpha Omega Carseat

We're looking at SUVs right now. I have to say if you are having trouble with low seats, I can totally agree since I currently have both a Ford Fusion and a Hyundai Santa Fe! The Fusion is a pain in the b**t to get out of easily, whereas I'm 5'6" (with short legs) and can slide in/out of the SFe without a problem. I would agree with those that say check out the smaller utes - but also important are the height of the door opening, and how high the vehicle's ground clearance is. Subaru models tend to be high, for example, even on the smaller models, because they are aimed at serious AWD users. My SFe is 7.3" on ground clearance. I would not recommend the Ford Flex; it's basically a mini-van. Unless you have a real need to haul 7 people regularly there is no reason to own it. I happen to love that boxy styling, but for 2 people it is ridiculous overkill. Best for families who are hauling a soccer team around, LOL. We are currently looking at the Ford Edge and the clearance is slightly over 9". Getting into that car is definitely close to the 'pull yourself up' scenario for me. For my DH, who is 5'10", no problem. It's nowhere near as bad as a Nissan Titan, for example, but even without being told you know that Edge is taller than the SFe when getting into it, either as driver or second row passenger. Sometimes ground clearance stats can be hard to find. The Escape has a 7.8" clearance. The Hyundai/Kia have 7.3". RAV-4 is 6.3". CR-V is 6.8". As others have stated, there is no substitute for actually seeing the car and sitting in it. No need to even take a test drive, if you don't want to. The Ford Escape, Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV-4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Chevy Equinox, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Hyundai Tucson all compete in this market. You should note that many smaller models are going to CVT trannies, and you may either like or dislike them. I live in an area with hills and I find the power lag is too severe with a small engine. Don't dismiss U.S. mfgs. Due to the strong dollar, the price increases on Japanese and German cars are making a noticeable difference. The 2017 equivalent of my old Hyundai SFe costs $4K more than I was quoted on the top-of-the-line Ford Edge. Back in 2003 when I was buying the SFe, it was the other way around! I would not recommend the GMC Terrain, Volkswagen Tiguan, or any Jeep or Mitsubishi model. The GMC is little different than the Chevy but priced higher, and the other three have very poor reliability records. If you are going after a luxury level small SUV, the list on Kelly Blue Book is at: http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/luxury-compact-crossover-suv-buyers-guide-new/2000011021/ Happy hunting!

The Matrix is now mine - love it! It will be so perfect for car camping- the back goes totally flat with seats folded down AND the front passenger seat folds down into a little table - how cool is that? Has racks on top A bit bigger and more spacious than Fit & certainly Yaris, but without getting into SUV territory. Will keep the HRV in mind for NEXT time! There are some tiny little rust spots here and there which don't look like they've rusted through.... yet.... Very tiny - have to get close to see any of them - but I know how tiny turns into big - this being WI where they overuse WAYYYY too much salt on the streets.... its pretty much a given that there will be some rust. Is it worth getting repaired or is it pretty much a lost cause? One of my old civics I lost to rust - it started to bend out of shape and could hardly get the doors open