So... I know what the options are, but I don't know what to pick

Let's assume for a minute that money is not an issue. Up to and including a Foonf.

I just found out that Dorel is refunding my Complete Air. They took my CA and THEN realized they didn't have a replacement available. I won't be getting another one because the only color pattern (the one I sent back) is being discontinued. I wish I'd known; I could have sent it back coverless and then they could have sent me one they had in stock... but oh well.

At the moment, DD is fine in her RA55 but she's going to outgrow it eventually. I want to RF as long as possible, and obviously the RA55 is not going to be that seat.

The car is a 2000 Suburban. No LATCH. Seating position is captain's chairs, but bonus if I can squeeze it into the 3rd row center with the lap belt in case we're filling the car up to capacity for a long trip or something.

Daughter's stats:
17 months old
I just weighed her and she is up to 27 lbs!!!! I thought she was 22. Wow, she's growing FAST. I think she was 21 lbs 2 months ago. She's following a strange growth curve; was really slow to grow (like 5th percentile for weight) the first 6 months and has been taking off like a weed since then.
Height: 31"
Seated height: 20"
She's too squirmy to get her torso height right now, but she's *almost* ready to move to the second-to-top slots on the Radian RXT (however, she's using the infant padding and when I take that out she'll lose a little height).

I am currently infatuated with the Onyx/Shadow color schemes, although I'm open to other ideas. Black/silver/grey/pewter colors are a bonus.

So... here are my options:
Radian - I love my Radian. It does require the angle adjuster for the Suburban. It also installs in the 3rd row center with the angle adjuster (without it the belt path geometry makes it hard to get tight). If I get a Radian, which model and which color should I get? I'm not a huge fan of Spring. I'm intrigued by Plum and Cobalt. I don't want Daytona, period. I love Shadow, but I already have one and I'm torn between matching or getting something different. I love plushy things. I'm also torn between the RXT and the R120. Biggest drawback is that it's really hard to install in the pickup because it needs a locking clip and has long belt stalks so coupled with the low belt path it's a PITA. I can do it, but it would be nice if DH could do it without my help.

True Fit Premier - I think it's kind of ugly, but the belt lock-offs are a huge bonus due to the pickup truck issue. Now that I weigh DD, though, I'm thinking the 35 lb RF weight limit is a deal breaker. I had thought maybe she'd outgrow everything by height (she's really long in the torso) by about 35 lbs, but she's packing on the pounds so maybe not.

Maxi-Cosi Pria - Maybe I should go down to BRU this weekend and try this on for size in the Suburban. My impression is that the fabric is really similar to the CA SE (but without the pretty silver swirls). And with the trade-in event the price comes down to about the same as my refund for my CA SE.

I don't want a My Ride. I just don't love that seat.

Foonf - My biggest concern is, strangely, not the price. Rather it's the fact that it sits SO high up off the seat when RF. I'm already having to hoist DD up a long way to get her into the Suburban, and she's getting heavy (another point in favor of the Radian). Other than that, I think it would be awesome. I wonder how it would work in my Civic... probably wouldn't leave much space for my other passengers, though. I need to fill my Civic to full capacity a LOT, and I'm hoping to add another babymunch to the family this year... hmm.

I've heard some stirring about a new Peg Perego convertible? Should I be considering that?

I don't think I want to import a Multi-Tech, but if someone were to convince me that DD wouldn't be able to RF to age 4 (or close) in a US seat I might entertain the idea (but I probably still wouldn't do it).

Did I miss anything?

http://www.diapers.com/p/safety-1st...dium=Affiliate_D&utm_campaign=GAN_D_Skimlinks

I think the new Peg looks cool. Don't know if I would pay that much for it, though. My favourite Radian cover is Shadow, but that's because it matches all my other seats .

I know I theoretically COULD buy another SE, but I only paid $190 for mine and I'm not feeling like I want to fork out an extra $30 or so bucks to get another one. That just doesn't seem fair. Plus I'd need to know the DOM and figure out exactly when those strap covers got discontinued... that was why Dorel took the seat back, because the strap covers were causing problems for us (and I guess for a lot of people, which is why they discontinued them).

I might put the money in the bank for a while to see if by some miracle they bring the SE pattern back before DD outgrows the RA55. And by then maybe the angle problem will be fixed, too.

Does anybody have stats on the Peg seat? Shell height, harness heights, etc.?

And does Peg offer tech pricing?

I voted Radian. I don't like the high base of the Foonf. I don't recall anything about the Peg. There's so much to like about the Radian.

It sounds like your other Radian is working for you, so that's what I voted.

I do like my Radian...

Wow... the Complete Air SE at Diapers.com has a manufacture date of September 2010. (And double-wow that they responded to me SO fast!!) And it's a CA 50, not a CA 65. That's a steep price for such an old seat. But my understanding is that the CA 50 didn't have the harness covers, so in that sense it would actually solve my problem. I don't really care about the 50 lb weight limit... that's a long way off. But it's going to expire a whole year sooner than my 2011 seat did, and that does matter.

Well... are you sure you want this one to last a long long time?

Maybe go with what you like now and re-evaluate next year when there are new seats out.

(I'm a bad influence )

I think the high base seats don't have to be an issue, IF you can train the kid to climb in alone...

I don't think teaching my 17 month old to climb in and out of the Suburban is going to work for a while yet... She's just not there verbally. She understands everything, but she isn't talking yet and loves to do the opposite of what is asked of her. :/ Laughing the whole time, of course.

And I'm sure this won't be the last seat I buy, but I still want it to last.

I didn't mean all the way in. I meant put her next to it.

But yeah, some kids will do it at that age (though foonf won't be out til June/July), some won't. That's why it was an if.

Radian.

You love the fabric/cover. The seat is low so it's easy to her get in/out. RF 45#. You have one and like it.

The Foonf would be my next choice, my hesitation on that is time line and first generation seat. Love the idea of it and really want one, but to be the first to try is isn't something on my list of waiting for potential recalls and/or problems etc. I had a first generation Frontier. Hated it. Everything I hated was fixed on the 2nd generation one...

tam

I have no idea what the manufacture date is but overstock has the CA65 in the SE pattern. http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Safet...nvertible-Car-Seat-in-O2/6348578/product.html

Thanks. I'm leaning toward the Radian, although I haven't totally ruled out the idea of a new CA... Overstock does have them, found that last night. Baby Age has them, too. I emailed them and they have a manufacture date of 12/02/2011, which, in theory, should not have the harness covers on them, BUT - the email I got from Dorel today said they never manufactured that color pattern without the harness covers. And now I'm really confused. If Baby Age is correct, and the ones they have were made 12/02/11, then why couldn't Dorel have sent me one made 12/02/11? That was AFTER I sent my seat back to them! And were they still putting harness covers on them in December, after they said in the Webinar last fall that they'd discontinued them?

I'm starting to toy with the idea of buying one in Canada.

I think I'll wait a bit. I should know a little more about our long-term family size within the next couple of months, and how many kids I ultimately have may play a role in my decision. How badly do I really want a new CA to match my infant seat if I won't have any more infants?