Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We purchased this seat for our 3 year old based on the excellent product reviews and a friend's positive experience with the seat. We used the Britax Marathon for the past 2 years. We loved the Marathon and considered getting a second (her little brother was moving into it), but knew that she would enjoy "big kid" features like cup holders and arm rests. In short, we had a miserable 5-hour car trip that resulted in much fussing and zero sleep for her -- something we hadn't experienced with our Britax seat. I think the problem was twofold. First, the seat is incredibly upright, even if you use the modest "tilt" feature. Second, the seat has awful padding. If you're just driving around town, it's probably adequate. If you do long treks to Grandma's like we do, this seat just doesn't cut it. The back pad has a huge seam across the center (underneath the top cosmetic flap) which has to be uncomfortable over a long haul. We ended up returning the seat and buying a Britax Frontier. The most recent trek to Grandma's went wonderfully. Padding in the Frontier was much better, the sightlines are much more open for looking out the windows, and the recline position is more natural. If you're accustomed to Britax quality, the Graco seat will likely disappoint. If you need it for short jaunts this is probably a good value.