My jeep is a stick...wouldn’t have it any other way!
A recent book on four-wheeling (I think the title is "The Four Wheeler's Bible"--but I'd have to rummage around my bookshelves to find out the title for sure), says that auto transmissions are superior for off roading, because they can respond faster to changing conditions than a human can shift a manual transmission.
So is mine. There is a real advantage to driving a Jeep with a stick down a steep, narrow trail at 10,000 feet in the mountains. Put it in compound low and first gear and crawl down the road without having to touch the pedals.
A Jeep's auto tranny can overheat in those conditions and the brakes will get hot from constantly hitting them as the auto won't hold you back like a stick will.