Depends on the grower and what he/she wants to accomplish. Autos work great for me for a number of reasons:
First, I can grow two crops indoors over the course of my long winter. I start in Nov and finish in May with about 1/2 pound of dried flower. This is plenty for me until the next crop comes in.
Second, I get a lot of company during our short summers (the old saying here is, "We have nine months of winter and three months of relatives"). With the grow operation shut down during our busy tourist season, I'm not concerned with suspicious odors and/or questions such as, "Did you know there's a light on in your store room?"
Third, I don't grow as a hobby but rather just for a reliable and low-cost supply. I'm not after "eye candy". Recreational is legal here, but I'm not as concerned with braggin' rights as I am with "Loose lips sink ships." My lifestyle is such that I prefer a stealth operation.
Fourth, I prefer sativa, and sativa photos would quickly out-grow my light capacity even with heavy pruning.