I'm going to rent a car to drive all over Austria. I need an automatic. Can I use a 4 cylinder Opel Astra or a Mitsubishi Carrisma or do I upgrade to a Mercedes or BMW? I'm concerned about being able to get up the mountain roads without having to get out and push the car. <BR> <BR>Any advice is apprciated.

Your fears are very well-founded. The road fom Salzburg up over the Alps en route to Venice is littered with Americans pushing Opel Astras. Pushing a car up a mountain with your bare hands is very hard work and the mere thought of it can cause major disorientation. Many of them do not have the good sense to get out of the fast lane. I killed two of them last year and seriously injured a few this past spring. I think they were going to live so they will know better next time.

Cecile, <BR>If your question is a serious one, which I suppose, you won't have to upgrade to Mercedes or BMW. The smaller the car the easier to drive on the mountain roads which may be narrow. <BR>All I know about cars is how to drive them and that it is not the size of the car that is important but the HORSE POWER. A small Opel Corsa 90PK will do better in the mountains than a Mercedes 60PK. <BR> <BR>

Hope you have a lot of money. Renting an automatic is costly. If you have no more than two people in the car you should be ok. One time we had 4 in a 4 cylinder Opel wagon. We did about 10k going over high passes. The next time it was just my wife and I in a 4 cylinder Opel and we did just fine.

Cecile: <BR> <BR>Save your money and rent the Opels and VW'S. Bothe are very good cars! A report on what Germans buy runs like this: <BR>1. Volkswagon <BR>2. Opels <BR>3. others incl. Mercedes and BMW's <BR> <BR>If the people who live there full time buy these cars, than you will have no worries for a week! <BR>JOHN