Eurail/Spain - First Class or Tourist?

There have been multiple complaints here about the inconvenience of using rail passes in Spain. I think you can't make seat reservations online; it must be done in person. I don't know whether that applies to all rail passes, or even whether there is more than one kind of rail pass to use in Spain, but I encourage you to do some Googling to be sure a pass will not be a hindrance--as well as possibly also a waste of money.

All replies are appreciated!
I've been penciling out the costs for point-to-point vs Eurail or Renfe passes, and I'm still in the planning stages (point-to-point will probably win out). I thought maybe I was missing something when trying to make sense of why I should consider purchasing a 1st class Eurail Spain-only pass. It seems like you could buy the 2nd class pass, and then purchase reservations for a 1st class seat (?) Unless, when one makes the reservations in person, you would be required to pay for the class matching your pass...

Where did you get the point-to-point prices for your comparison? If it was from the chart in the Rick Steves guidebook, those are the prices for tickets bought at the station for the next train. Advance purchase tickets are a lot cheaper, just like airline tickets.

I am checking prices on the Renfe site (so far, the site has been behaving).

Just remember to add in the seat reservation fees to your calculations.

Renfe point to point.
1st class for longer journeys, 2nd class for shorter.

More to the core of your question, if you buy a second class Eurail Pass, you can only reserve Second class seats, not first class. With a first class pass, you might be able to reserve second class, not really sure.

However, reservations are mandatory, meaning every trip (except if you find an odd regional train) you need to pay for a reservation. Further, there may not be any seats available for Eurail pass holders. They are limited in number, and often sell out.