Fiat Punta
 

I will be renting a Fiat Punta 1.2
Has anyone driven one? I am interested in the trunk capacity and the comfort of the car.

We've rented several Puntos. The trunk capacity isn't very large and although it was only my husband and I travelling, we always had to put at least one medium sized duffle and a carry on in the backseat. The front driver and passenger seats are adequate but certainly not plush. If you are tall, I'd consider a larger car. Reverse is sometimes a tricky gear to get into until you are used to it.

I've never driven one of these but had the unhappy experience of being behind one trying to get on a highway. It took forever to pick up any speed - which could be dangerous when you're trying to merge with traffic dong 80/90. (I didn't realize that it was 1.2 liters - that explains it). I would go for something with a bigger trunk and much more zip.

Wife an I rented one for 2 weeks last summer and thought it was just fine. I guess it depends on what you are used to driving. If you require a Lexus or BMW here at home, you will be disappointed. It doesn't have a lot of power, so you have to merge and pass with more care, but I didn't find it unsafe due to lack of power. Great gas mileage.

Sorry! My remark was not meant to be snobbery - I was commenting on safety. And for the record -I drive a 5 year old Accord - hardly luxury or race car material.

If you think of doing all of Italy's highways with it, then the Punta is a bit light. It is a great car in busy town traffic, small town streets and very acceptable for touring in the countryside and admiring the landscape.
Normal trunk size, normal suspension for that small a car..., certainly big enough for 2... Low fuel consumption.

I rented one in Italy in 1999. It was just my girlfriend and I. The trunk was tiny (it was more like a hatch-back) and you could only fit 2 carry on size bags in it...which was good because that's all we had. It does have a small back seat which held our purchases of ceramics etc..

We rented them also. Perfectly fine for two people. Not a lot of trunk room. And the gas mileage is great. This is something you will be happy about. Putting a lot of miles on a car in Europe can mean a hefty gasoline bill.

I don't know how old the Punta NYtraveler was following in his post, but the 4 door Punta I rented in Siena was plenty fast and maneuverable for me. Very easy to park too. We (2 adults)drove it all over Tuscany, into Florence, to Assisi, and on the last day of our trip drove it from Siena to FCO. I had absolutely no trouble keeping up on the A1 or any of the secondary highways. Get in and out of the fast lane as quickly as you can, however!!! We are the consumate "overpackers" and had no trouble getting three pieces of softsided lugage in the trunk, plus a ton of carry on's for souvenirs. I think it is a very popular rental. I didn't keep track of the gas mileage but "felt" that it was much better than any other car I have rented.