Question Convertible for a Corolla with tall parents

After having our infant seat installation checked out and approved at the city hall inspection station only to find out we've had it installed wrong for the past 9 months (center with LATCH - a no-no in a Corolla, and touching both front seats - another no-no), I have lost my trust in that place and I ask here instead.

We have a 2011 Corolla, a 30 inch / 22lb 9 month old, a 6 ft mom and 6 ft dad. We are looking for a convertible seat that will allow us to RF for as long as possible, but also allow us all to be in the car. I have searched for a vehicle compatibility chart, but only find info for SUV's and minivans. Trading in the car is not an option for many many reasons.

Currently, the wee one is in a Cosco Scenera (40RF) which at the proper recline barely fits behind the passenger without touching, if the passenger is willing to ride with their knees on the dash and scrunched up forward. In the middle with a seat belt, it seems to get pushed into the seat back when pressure is applied from the side. That doesn't seem safe. Is there something better out there? Can we get something in the middle back seat?

As we are planning for #2 hopefully soon, it would be great if the convertible could play well with another car seat and still allow enough room in the front to let the adults actually drive the car. The improperly installed infant seat that #1 outgrew is a Chicco KeyFit 30 and I am not sure it would fit behind either of us (even if we're totally squished) without touching our seats. I understand that safety requires some bulk, but these things are monstrous and just don't seem to fit into sedans.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Radian with an angle adjuster The Scenera has the 45 degree angle rule which makes it very reclined. The Radian with the adjuster will be nice and upright and work great for a tall kid.

I have a 2008 Corolla with a stick shift. My husband is 6'3" and drives my car on occasion. While I'm on the short side (5'3"), I'm more comfortable driving with my toes, so the seat is further back than you'd expect for someone my height. And I prefer not to eat the dashboard as a passenger.

I second the suggestion of the Radian with the angle adjuster. Be forewarned that it's likely to obscure a small portion of the back window (in my car it blocks the same amount of the window as the spoiler blocks). I will also mention that the seat leans a noticeable amount when using a locked seatbelt install instead of the locking clip.

For baby #2, I'd consider getting a Coccoro. I know it's a small convertible, and you're likely to have to get a second seat down the road, but it fits small newborns really well, and my not quite 2 year old still fits rear facing and will fit for a few more months, which surprises me because he's all torso and head. (we switched to the Radian because we got a really good deal on the seat. I miss my Coccoro)

Thanks guys - I am glad that there is something out there, even if it costs an arm and a leg. I never even heard of an angle adjuster before. When I search for Radian online, there seem to be a bunch of options. Do you have a recommendation as to which one to get? I seem to get two manufacturers - Sunshine kids and Diono - any idea if they are actually different, or just a case of a corporate buyout?

Sunshine Kids changed their name to Diono, and added boostering capability to the Radian. The problem with this is that when the harness is outgrown, the booster is also outgrown. Plus, if I recall correctly, they have stated 50lbs as the minimum weight for using the seat in booster mode as well.

The differences between the seats in a nutshell is that the Diono R100 (which I think corresponds with the Sunshine Kids 65SL) only rear faces to 40lbs, and the R120 and RXT (sunshine kids 80SL and XTSL) both rearface to 45lbs. The difference between the R120 and RXT are headwings vs no headwings. I have an XTSL, and if I had it to do over again, I'd skip the headwings. Mainly because they block my son's view, and they're likely to be in the way when he gets bigger.

I like a radian with an angle adjuster, too. If you wanted another seat to look at, you could consider the TrueFit, but it only rear faces up to 35 lbs. Good for tall and light kids (I emphatically don't have one of those, so 22 lb at 9 months sounds light to me, but I'm not the best judge). I've not personally put one in a Corolla, though, just giving you the other standard tall kid recommendation.