What is the allowed recline angle RF?
Line level to ground - however, it took up only a hair more room front-to-back than my Radian installed with old (compressed) angle adjuster. I was amazed! In my van, which admittedly has tons of room between the front and 2nd row, I could put my seat all the way back.
I would like to know how the fit is on the highest RF slot, with a child close to that 40" mark. I think maybe a trip to BRU to check one out with my semi cooperative 3 year old, 35lb, 39" model is in order.
This I am a bit disappointed in for kids at the top end of the rear facing specs. My just turned 3 year old, who is 39", and long in the torso, still had 1" of shell above her head. The harness was WAY below her shoulder though. She still had about 3/4"-1" before needing the next (prohibited) 4th slot, so would have pretty much outgrown it RF before that slot, but the straps were so far down I wonder if they'd tend to slip off the shoulders, much like the True Fit can be prone to. The stitching of the newborn loops sat right on her shoulder and that might be irritating against bare skin. Harness covers would be a nice add on.
Other notes -- and just notes, the
extremely grumpy and most unhelpful woman at BRU did not make life easy, and I decided that busting out the camera might mean I didn't get to fully try things.
Grumpy sales lady got even grumpier when I asked for the manual so I could
actually install it. You'd think I asked for her first born child.
There was lots of leg room while RF. Flipping the recline block and doing the velcro bit was easy to do but would be very easy to miss if you didn't read the manual. I could see parents getting creative with that strap, or not knowing what it was for and cutting it off because it dangled in the way.
While FF I am concerned about the apparent lack of modification after reading about the US issue with the loop coming off the splitter plate (which is grey and powder coated - off to check what the US ones looked like. ETA: looks exactly the same as this:
http://www.car-seat.org/showpost.php?p=2520279&postcount=56). The loops are really long, but there are newborn loops too. I didn't read the manual to know when those could be used though.
My 5.5 year old, 46lb, 49" tall daughter who last week took her last ride FF in the Radian as she's now too tall by harness height could probably have used the 2nd to the highest slot. But, with nasty sales person glaring at me I had already set it up on the tallest. There was not enough harness length to buckle her and she's slim. I couldn't even get the chest clip done up. There's absolutely no way a bigger kid -- in height or bulk -- would get into that seat. No chance.
Overall the seat is a super option for RF, and I hope the FF issues are rectified before long. It's lightweight (much like a Scenera), pretty narrow, fits well front-to-back, and a great price point for how long-lasting it
appears to be. It might need one noodle now and then but could probably be wedged into the seat much like the Scenera to maintain the angle most of the time.