It’s always a manual stick shift for me - no automatics, please!
advantages of a manual: more control, better economy, smoother driving, absolute control of how the vehicle behaves with respect to acceleration / braking, the raw feeling of really enjoying a drive, getting a’feel’(of course, this is a cultivated situation) of the vehicle, and lots, lots more.
disadvantages of an automatic: too easy . driving should be a little tough. there is always a concern that automatics practically guzzle the gas - true, your automatic-transmission engine needs to run at a higher rpm than the good old manual one - if at the minimum, to ensure you do not stall.
of course, down slopes / in crazy traffic - a lot of other reviewers have pointed out my thoughts too - so will not include them here.