The difference between the old and new Meridian (other than the more attractive fabric it comes in now), is that you do not have to remove the baby seat to adjust the harness. All you have to do with the new one, is 'tilt and adjust' the head rest and the harness will go with it. THe reason this is better is that 7 out of 10 car seats fitted by parents are fitted incorrectly, so if you decide to pay to have your seat professionally fitted, you wont have to fiddle with the seat once its in there.