What is the advantage of using a car seat that fixes to a base?

[Snowgirl1]

We are currently using the Maxi Cosi pebble which attaches to Maxi Cosi's Familyfix base. We need to get the next stage of seat for DD now. Maxi Cosi sells the Pearl seat which also fixes to the Familyfix base. But from what friends tell me, the next stage of seat has no 'handle' to lift seat in and out of car (e.g when DD is asleep). So what's the advantage of having a seat that fixes to a base if you pretty much have to leave the next stage seats in the care?

I quite like the look of the Maxi Cos Axis, with the swivel seat. So I'm wondering whether to just sell the Familyfix base on eBay and go for the Axis.

Can anyone enlighten me to what the advantage of using a base might be before I ditch it?!

No advantage that I can see for a group 1 car seat.

I think it is just so you can get a bit more use out of the base. No use at all if you have another baby while your older one is still in the pearl as you will then not be able to use the base for the baby seat

There isn't really one, unless you have two cars and need to swap the seat regularly, then it might make that a bit quicker.

Really though the familyfix base is a con marketing trick intended to make you feel tied into buying the Maxi Cosi group 1 seat, rather than shopping around and winding up buying a Britax seat or something.

Thanks - glad to hear that there's not some blaringly obvious advantage that I'm missing.