rf advice needed

I posted this in the main forum so sorry to post twice.I have a dilema my daughter is 9months old and like 16lbs.My problem is having her rf is pushing me and my passengers to the dash.I would like to keep her rf as long as possible.What would you do if you were in my situation?She is riding in an evenflo tribute because at the time I got the seat it was from the health department because I could not afford a seat for my step daughter.I am currently trying to save a few more weeks for a marathon which I really can not afford.The scenera is out of the question only because I would like to get more than 2 or 21/2 yrs of use from the seat and it too like the marathon takes up a lot of space in my car. I drive a 2003 kia spectra.please give me any advice you can on how to deal with this.I did not know any better with my step daughter so by 9 months she was ff.Thank god now I know better.Sorry to keep rambling but I was just wondering why it seems like when I post I don't get much help.I am a single motherwith limited options so I also wanted to let you know a new car is out of the question.For those of you who did not read my other posts I am trying to get the marathon so my friends daughter can use that seat when she rides with me and the rest of the time it will be my daughters primary seat. Sorry this is so long I just felt my posts were ignored.

The marathon can be installed more upright for your daughter. I am able to fit a marathon rfing in the back of my elantra (probably about the same size as your spectra) without having to move my seats up, because the seat is more upright than the 45 deg. When you install the seat, push it at the belt path as you tighten the belt. This should put the seat in more upright. If you need to adjust the angle, Britax allows you to tether the seat to a non moving part of the car and then tighten the tether to recline the seat a little bit. Also, putting the seat in the center may allow more room for the driver and passenger seats to move back some.

For a child 9 months old, you can have the seat pretty upright. Rear facing is very, very safe in any location (center or outboard). So, play around and see what position you like best. Can you put her on the outboard passenger location so at least the driver isn't pushed forward? Or, in some cars the center position works really well because the car seat kinda goes in between both the driver and passenger seats? The MA CAN touch/brace against the front seat, so don't worry about that. It makes it very safe. (Some carseats don't allow this, but Britax does, FYI.)

The Scenera 5 point will not last as long as a Marathon, but at only $40, its still a GREAT value (Under $20 per year, even if it only lasts from 9 months - 3 years!). If you went that route, you could choose a combo booster when its outgrown. At that time, hopefully more options will be out. My daughter is pretty tall and still lasted to 3.5 years in her Scenera (FF) before getting too tall. I was bummed to give it up! And, in RF mode its very long lasting too (high seatback, high weight limit). Her primary seat is a MA, but neither she nor I ever had any complaints about the Scenera, especially for the price!

But, if you're set on an MA, its a great seat and I won't try and talk you out of one! I briefly had one RF in our old Honda Accord 2-door (tiny car). My son was 20 months, so I was able to put the seat very, very upright. It was tight, and a big pain to get him into it (b/c it was a 2-door), but a passenger was able to ride in front of it.

When your friend's daughter rides with you, will she be FF or RF? You'll swap the Tribute and the MA around and reinstall? I'm a little confused on that point. You'll have to move the strap heights, etc. (When I have friends in the car, I find it easiest to just use their seat in my car, but maybe that's not possible?)

The center seems to be the only place the marathon wiil work.This still puts me and my passengers up against the dash. I tried the marathon from bru center and outboard.For some reason a lady I work with has a daughter with an elantra and she to has a marathon and outboard she has lots more room than I do.I will have the installation checked even though the tech at usa baby said no way would the marathon work in my car.That guy is their store manager and helps people install seats bought from usa bay all the time.I still do not know if I trust his installation.

Sorry I could not edit but my friends daughter I would like to rf to the seat weight.The scenera is out of the question because I want my daughter harnessed as long as possible and it did not give me any more room than the marathon.I have to have all 5 seats available because my sister has 2 kids in bpb and she has no car so to put the marathon outbard just will not work.The tribute will have to be the one outboard rf but rf weight is 30lbs.