Gatwick Hilton VS Gatwick Sofitel

[Boo Boo Too]

Looking forward to playing in my new car, nice automatic. come on up there, make itr snow hard!

Have fun . Husband and I both have automatics - love it, makes city driving so much more "lazy"...

You realise that you have cursede us to have no more snow this year. don't you?

Boo

 

[PaulaSB12]

Have fun . Husband and I both have automatics - love it, makes city driving so much more "lazy"...

You realise that you have cursede us to have no more snow this year. don't you?

Boo

What is it like driving an automatic? I have never driven one I prefer a proper car with a gear stick. You know where you are with these.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Have fun . Husband and I both have automatics - love it, makes city driving so much more "lazy"...

You realise that you have cursede us to have no more snow this year. don't you?

Boo

I know

BUT after yesterday and the river levels, instead I can look forward to driving through the local fords (the rivers, not the cars )

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I know

BUT after yesterday and the river levels, instead I can look forward to driving through the local fords (the rivers, not the cars )

As for automtics, they are very good for city and motorway driving. The stop start driving you get in cities is ideally suited to automatics especially as if you just take your foor off the brake it will "creep" along
On the motorway, they are relaxing to drive.
the only area that the manual box wins over is on winding country roads with the ability to change gear at the right time for corners, but then as the autos fitted to a 4X4, there isnt much "racing2 throiugh country lanes anyway, more a sedate trundle.
I have had both manual and auto 4x4's before and I always thought that for proper off roading, nothing could beat a manula box, but over the past few years, the land rover auto box has shown me that has changed, the crawling feature of an auto is very good on muddy conditions. Overall though if I was doing serious off roading then I would stick with a manual box I think (never get the time these days)

 

[Boo Boo Too]

As for automtics, they are very good for city and motorway driving. The stop start driving you get in cities is ideally suited to automatics especially as if you just take your foor off the brake it will "creep" along
On the motorway, they are relaxing to drive.
the only area that the manual box wins over is on winding country roads with the ability to change gear at the right time for corners, but then as the autos fitted to a 4X4, there isnt much "racing2 throiugh country lanes anyway, more a sedate trundle.
I have had both manual and auto 4x4's before and I always thought that for proper off roading, nothing could beat a manula box, but over the past few years, the land rover auto box has shown me that has changed, the crawling feature of an auto is very good on muddy conditions. Overall though if I was doing serious off roading then I would stick with a manual box I think (never get the time these days)

Agreed.

I think that the quality if automatic gear boxes can vary significantly: my husband's is really execellent, mine is "ok" but notticably a bit less responsive than my husband's.

Husband has the best of both worlds - his car (audi) has an EXCELLENT automatic gearbox - it is incredibly responsive - and he has "flappy paddles" on his steering wheel (so he can change gears manually if he does want that extra bit of control - think he wants to be a racing driver when he "grows up"... ).

Many people on these boards would have driven automatics in the US. Although some US rental cars are such tanks, that they wouldn't give a good impression of autos...

The other advantage is "no hill starts" - with no clutch to juggle, you are never in a situation of balancing on the biting point trying to get up a hill or out of some parking space on a hill... (not that I have ever burnt out a clutch queueing up a steep hill or anything... )

Husband and I live in a city and most of our driving is either within cities or on motorways/dual carriageways or long straight roads between us. So automatics really work for us.

Boo

 

[jwhiting]

It's all about location and both hotels are great for that. However the Hilton was awful last time we went, very run down rooms, smoke everywhere in the lobby (not much longer) and staff very offhand.

I think it depends on what room you get at the Hilton, previously we have had a much better room booked through Holiday Extras. Last time we booked direct and got the duff room....surely that should be the other way round?

Due to the major disappointment of the Hilton, last year we opted for the Travelodge. 10mins drive away, £26 per night and such a nice girl on reception (even at 4am in the morning).

This year we are having to miss the USA due to lack of funds (we did 7months travel last year) but still going to Crete from Gatwick. We will be booking the £26 rate at the Travelodge once again!!!

 

[PaulaSB12]

I am convinced, I am going back to the Sofitel this year.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

I am convinced, I am going back to the Sofitel this year.

I don't think you can go wrong with that decision

Boo

 

[kristieuk]

I don't think you will be all at disappointed. Enjoy your stay - and your trip