I have good rates on both the Nissan Micra automatic and the Opel Vectra Automatic but can't decide which one to rent. The Micra is considerably cheaper...but much smaller. We will be driving the northern tier of Italy from Milan to Asolo. Part of this will be the AutoWay, part on small roads in the foothills. I'm concerned about the smaller car on the highway vs the bigger car on the smaller roads. Has anyone rented either and what did you think?

How many people are you? Can you get most, if not all, your luggage into the trunk (boot)? Don't leave the car with luggage in view, anywhere, anytime.

I've found that the car you're given is one of a class i.e. "compact", and though you're told what model is in that class, you may or may not get it. It'll be what is sitting on their lot at the time.

Otherwise, I like the compact and have driven the Micra and I loved it. You need a (relatively) small car with a short turning radius for Europe.

We rented an Opel Vectra (manual trans.) in Germany recently. We fit our two suitcases and carry-ons in the trunk, but when we added another adult, we had to stack a couple of carry-ons inside the car. I don't know how the automatic responds, but the manual Vectra was fine. The size was not real large - we fit in nicely in small-town Germany.

bj I haven't rented either but live in Europe so can tell you a little about each model. The Micra is a completely different class of car to the Vectra as I'm sure you've figured out. If you're two adults then it should be fine for you and your luggage. It'll use a lot less petrol (remember petrol is pretty expensive in Europe) and will be easier to park in cities. In Ireland at least the Micra is often bought as a second family car for example to ferry the kids to and from school...I wouldn't worry about the car on the highway, it won't be the quickest to accelerate but will cruise along nicely. The Vectra is slightly smaller than a Camry and so will be harder to park and will use more petrol but you may need the space if you're more than 2 adults. The Vectra is marketed as a large family car in Europe and is also popular with sales representatives who spend a lot of time on the road. Hope this helps.

www.vistaphotos.com

When all the logical web searches fail me, I go to Google and click on their "Images" tab and get plenty of pictures of the model I am researching.

Very often, THESE are connected to the web sites with some ancillary data like cubic feet, etc.

Which car offers more head room for an American male, 6'3"?

I drove a Vectra (free upgrade) around East Anglia for a couple of weeks last year. It was a fine car and we had no trouble with it. The trunk was quite roomy which was nice for keeping luggage out of sight. It was a decidedly larger car than the average and I felt just a tad conspicuous in it as I normally drive a very small car. For me it would boil down to how much stuff I had to hide and go with the smallest that will do the job.