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If you plan to baby wear most of the time, I'd suggest getting a convertible only and skipping the infant seat altogether. I have the Chicco Nextfit and it seems to be great in terms of the proper recline for a newborn. Here's a link that might be helpful: http://csftl.org/choosing-a-convertible-car-seat-for-a-newborn/

In terms of a stroller, my B-Agile is awesome and I would highly recommend it. It is easy to fold, very lightweight, and easy to figure out.

Check and see if the infant seat is expired. I don't thin there're my many seats still usable that only have a 15 lb limit. Also, have the seat belts in the VW been updated in the last 20 years? If not, baby can't go in it.

If you want to go offroad, I suggest looking at a stroller with air filled tires, like a bike.

I'd get an all terrain stroller (like a Mountain Buggy) and a convertible seat and call it done. I am all about less stuff, I did make a fair amount of mistakes and did overbuy.

The City Mini or BAgile are good choices. We lived in a small town in England when my DD was little and we used the stroller A LOT. We have a City Mini. It is great. Lightweight, big canopy, easy to fold, easy to clean. Also, their customer service is wonderful. We had a defect with our hinges and they sent us an entire new stroller frame for free. I'd 100% recommend Baby Jogger as a company. Their GT model has e suspension and stuff on the wheels, if you need that. The BAgile is very similar to the City Mini.

You don't NEED the infant seat, but I found it super convenient for those times when she was little and fell asleep in the car. It could be skipped, but I don't regret purchasing one.

As for convertible, we have a Graco My Size 70 and it's a birth-big kid seat. It's got super high RFing limits and can be used pretty much until they are ready for a harnessed booster seat. I'm pretty happy with it.

No idea on the stroller we only have a bob (I was/am a runner) and babywear 90% of the time.

Your sisters infant seat should be great and Id recommend a graco my size 70 (has 4 different names depending on store) it's a great convertible that can go from birth up if you needed it.

@jetsa: I agree with your convertible choice! I love our Graco.

If you want to wait a bit on the convertible seat, you can just leave the infant seat in the car instead of snapping it in and out all the time. You don't necessarily need a second base because you could do a seatbelt install and they are just as safe as long as it is done properly. The base is just for convenience. If you're going to walk to the store, a big basket is really nice. The basket on my BOB revolution isn't the biggest, but I do like the size of the basket on my Bumbleride (it's a discontinued model).

@youboots: good call on the City Mini GT, we love ours and I think it will be perfect for your needs. It handles bumpy sidewalks, grass, gravel, and the groomed trails in our huge local park like a champ. We haven't taken it to the beach yet, but I have no doubt that it would be fine there, too.

If you think you will want to use it as a travel system when the baby is small, there is an adaptor kit that makes it possible to snap the infant seat into the stroller.

@youboots: Have you checked out Lucie's List? It's pretty awesome and goes over everything you really need and cuts out some of the "fluffy" stuff. I am a minimalist, so that really spoke to me. It goes into everything you need, provides cost effective options as well as reviews. Doesn't hurt that it's also really funny.

http://www.lucieslist.com/