A standard transmission is best for downshifting instead of using brakes while going down mountain passes. And on level ground, a standard won’t quit working because of bad internal seals. It will last much longer than an automatic.
My ‘86 Nissan PU is just about ready for its first replacement clutch — 102,000 mostly city miles. I’m still driving it but if you put it in a high gear on a hill and give it a big hit of throttle you can see 200 or so RPM of slippage. Some clutches go higher mileage but they’re usually doing it on a lot of highway miles.