well lots of knowledgeable people on this forum but gotta put in me 2 cents.
I love my 5 spd manual for feathering in 4 wd conditions and towing. it gives me full controll. some may argue this so it would be fully correct to say it is personal preference. If you dont know how to work a clutch effectively and efficiently or do not care to put the extra effort in it. you are far better off in an auto.
auto= extra heat and expensive rebuild
manual= pain in the **** in traffic and clutch will not last for ever.
they both have wearing conditions that will eventually fail.