It’s a generally-accepted notion that, when it comes to more technical driving, a manual transmission is preferable to an automatic one. If, for example, you were driving up an extremely steep hill or over an unstable sand dune, the precise control of a manual would be the better option. However, just because a manual is better at handling rough, uneven, or otherwise weird terrain, that doesn’t mean an automatic is stuck in the mud.
An automatic transmission’s automatic gear shifts handle most of the tricky aspects of shifting when handling rough roads, leaving you to focus more on steering and accelerating. As long as the car you’re driving is built to handle uneven terrain, with a robust body and features like 4WD, then an automatic transmission will work just fine for regular driving. If you’re more of a hobbyist driver that wants to get wild with it, a manual might be better, but in most circumstances, an automatic will carry you equally well.
