Purchased this seat in 2003 and my son has been using it for nearly a year now and we love it. It is a bit larger than some seats so check to make sure it will fit in your vehicle. Simple to install and if you have the latch system in your car this seat, if installed correctly, will NOT BUDGE and inch. I love that you can adjust the shoulder harness w/ease - especially if you put a coat on your child and need a little extra room that day. I just can't say enough - we are expecting another child in April and I'm buying another one of these seats.br /
I researched the internetfor two weeks, talked to other parents and found this was the best seat on the market. It's held to higher crash standards b/c it was originally made in Europe.br /
Seriously, do not buy anything else!

The Britax Marathon has been tested in all crash situations, not just head-on, like everybody else. It has also been tested at speeds of 60 mph, as opposed to the competitors' 35 mph. These were the selling points for me. I mean, come on, how realistic is it to drive at 35 mph?? The extensive testing is what warrants the high price tag So, it was totally worth it, IMO. It is easy to install, but heavy, like somebody else said. But does it matter ?? I mean, it sits in your car! Besides, heavy is good-- you want it to protect your child, right? The tether (which prevents rebounding) adds extra safety. My daughters both love their Marathons, too! No complaints when getting in the car; it's nice and comfy.

When my first child was born, we bought one of these for my vehicle and we bought one of the cheaper car seats (the Evenflow) for my husband's vehicle for occasional use. This was a case of "you get what you pay for" for me. I love the Britax! It is easy to pop in and out (I use the latch system). My son is very comfortable in it and it is easy to get the cover off for cleaning. I liked it so much that I bought a second one for my husband's car because we couldn't stand dealing with the other one. Now that my second child has arrived, and my first child is only two (still using his- and probably for a while yet) I already knew that I would be using this car seat for her as well. Crazy I know, but when you find a product that is convenient, I say you should spend the money.

This seat is versatile and safe and my daughter is very comfortable in it. It fits very young babies through preschool-age children and I think it's a great bargain when you consider the cost the safety rating against the number of years of use you'll get from it. We have one in both of our vehicles. Well worth the money.

I could not be happier with the Marathon! I am an obsessive car seat buyer (6 seats, 2 years, 2 kids, 2 cars...see my Roundabout review). This is the seat I wish I had purchased on day one! I bought the Roundabout for my first child when it was time to move out of the infant carrier (after trying the hideous Cosco Alpha Omega and all right Graco ComfortSport), and I loved it from the minute it came out of the box! She enjoyed sitting in it, she didn't slump forward, and it feels like it is very well made. When baby #2 came along before big sister was ready for the booster seat, there was not a question in my mind which seat I would be getting...the Marathon! It is big enough to hold her for several more years. I haven't tried it rear facing, but imagine it would be a tight fit in some cars as it is a large seat. If you have a big baby (#2 is 23 lbs at 6 months), this is the seat for you! It's safe, it's durable, it's comfortable! If you are debating whether or not to purchase the Britax, rest assured, there is no better car seat out there!

I've used several carseats over the years and this one tops the list. It is easy to figure out how the features work, it has safety features that are above and beyond federal standards, and it is comfy for baby. I love the little details like the one-handed strap adjustment and the velcro tabs to hold the straps out of the way while you're seating your child. It does weigh a bit more than other carseats, but that's because it has steel construction as opposed to merely plastic -- ensuring that the seat won't break in an accident. I wish I'd forked out the cash and gone with Britax from the very start with my 10 year old instead of one of the cheaper and less convenient seats.

I have a evenflo carseat for my oldest son, once he grew out of it and my second son was born he started using it. Well he hated it, I mean hated. After months of listening to him scream in the car, and me going insane or close to it from all the crying I investigated the Britax. I finally decided to get the roundabout but when I went to the store I figured since my son was already 9 months old I would get the Marathon instead. Well guess what? All crying stopped immediately. It was a miracle. I cannot tell you how happy I was with the purchase. It was super easy to install in my car (Nissan Maxima 00') and the straps never get twisted. He is super comfortable and the pad is easy to remove and wash (I know I am now on son # 3 and he loves it too). Also it gets great safety rating which is very important to us. Well worth the money, I would buy another in a second if anything ever happened to mine.

i love the car seat is perfect, friends dont worry about how much it is, your cargo is much more precious.br /

We purchased this seat when our daughter was 4 months old, however we used it for our 3 year old -- 40 pound nephew until she was ready for it. This is the best seat -- he was always comfortable and we never had a problem with him trying to get out or asking to {like he does with some of his other seats}. When it was time to move our daughter into this we got the Britax Husky seat for him. She loves this seat. It is easy to install and installs perfectly eveytime. The straps are easy to adjust and we love the fact that when no in use they attach to the sides so there is not messing with them when we are putting her in. When we went to the store to get a seat for my husbands car we ended up buying another Marathon for his car. We put her in other seats and she didn't look comfortable or we didn't like the way the straps adjusted. It was just icing on the cake that the salesman told my husband that this is the safest seat on the market.