Car seat for a carless family....

Hi, ladies. I know the Chicco Key Fit has been a popular choice for many reasons, particularly its high safety rating. I've been trying to find one through second hand (which I'm doing for the majority of my baby finds), but finding one in the style I like AND for a good price AND that is somewhere I can get to to pick up (since I don't have a car) is kind of proving difficult. We don't have a car and are not going to buy one when baby arrives (which will be hopefully in the best of scenarios). We're just going to rent one to bring me and the kid back from the hospital. I want to make sure that the car seat I end up buying has not exceeded its expiration date or been recalled. But I'm now thinking I don't need to rule out other car seat brands. What do you think?