Did they both fold up to about the same "compactness"?
I didn't stand them right next to each other and compare but we could both put them in the same spots in the room so I'm thinking yes they did. They are about the same width and both have 3 sets of wheels. The Citta Twin's handles are a little higher but the width is really what determines how compact the fold is.
And how about manueverablility, did they both ride smoothly except for the feet on the wheel issue (which I am sure will be an issue with us)?
Personally, I like the Citta Twin better but a big part of that is that I'm 5'10" so the higher handles are a big help. With the age of your kids consider that you'll be putting a lot of weight in the stroller. That affects how well it manuvers. We had both of the little ones in one stroller sleeping and the older ones in one stroller and with either situation, the Citta Twin was easier to manuver. The Kolkraft was OK, it's just that the frame on the Citta Twin is sturdier so it handled the weight a little better.
Did you find the baskets big enough to put things in and did you have to empty them to fold up the stroller?
I had most of my stuff in the messenger bag that I hung from the back handles but on the night we did Spectro and would be out late I packed a bag with pants and lightweight long sleeve shirts for the boys and a sweatshirt for me. It all fit into one basket with room to spare. I also had times where I had light spinners and popcorn tubs etc. in one basket. There was room to put my messenger bag into a basket but it was easier to get to stuff hanging it on the back. I didn't kick it or anything when pushing it and it didn't cause a problem if we wanted to recline the seats for the little ones. It made it easier to grab and take on rides and stuff that way. Even if I just took my camera and tickets and left the diapers and stuff in the bag, it was nice knowing the stroller wouldn't tip over. My friend had to make sure she took her bag off the back, got her 4 year old out, flipped the mesh bag over into the 4 year old's seat and then unbuckled her 2 year old to get out or the stroller would tip over and everything would fall out of the mesh bag. Then of course she had to do it all in reverse when we were ready to go again. As far as folding it, soft stuff or small stuff (like clothes or diapers etc. could stay in but larger stuff had to be removed since the seats collapse in with the umbrella fold.
The Kolkraft is cheaper to buy, but won't hold up as well and won't have much resale value. The older child will have less seat room in it (shorter from seat back to the end of the seat) so more of their legs out (thus more feet on the wheels). The Chicco has better leg room and better sun protection and will last longer but is more expensive to purchase (the cheapest I found it was at babyage.com I ordered it when they had a 10% off code so it was like $127 and I got it in less than a week). It has a pretty good resale value. Gently used ones have sold on ebay recently for $120. You can always buy a sun protector like a protect-a-bub or pepenny shade and use with the Kolkraft but then you are getting close to spending the same amount as the Chicco and you don't have to take the shade off to fold it. If your five year old will be in it a lot, I'd go with the Chicco for his/her comfort and your sanity. If s/he is only going to be in it occasionally and you won't need the stroller again, then the Kolkraft may be worth considering because it's so much cheaper.
My pictures are uploading to web shots now. I can post a link to each of our kids in their strollers as we went into
MNSSHP so you can see a little bit of the comparison. Our 4 year olds are about the same size. My younger one is 2½ and hers just turned 2 so my son is a little bigger but her daughter is big for her age too.
I can actually give you a comparison of the Citta Twin and the Kolkraft one. On this trip it was just me and my DSs, ages 4 and 2. DH stayed home. We were going to meet two of my girlfriends there. One was with her DH and their 2 kids, the other shared a room with us and had her 2 DDs (also 4 and 2) with her...again, no DH. I had the Citta Twin, she had the Kolkraft. My sons are 47 and 35 lbs. The only problem I had with the Citta Twin is that my 4 year old would lean forward and push down on the footrest strap and it would rub on the wheels basically acting like a brake. I spent most of our first day saying "feet up, please!" My girlfriend had the same problem with her Kolkraft only hers went one step further. When we were in Epcot on our next to the last day her 4 yo DD sort of bounced in the stroller putting her weight on the strap and it completely broke off. She had no where to rest her feet after that and it became a real problem. They traded seats and the 2 year old sat there but even her feet were hitting the wheels.
