I actually enjoy hand flying in IFR and rarely use the autopilot unless on long boring legs. Even then I prefer to fly most of the time.
The bottom line is that any "advanced" training makes a pilot safer. The IR is probably the hardest rating to do, even harder than the inital PPL some would say....and I agree. By contrast the CPL with is VFR is easy peasy. The skills you learn on an IR make you a more accurate pilot but not only that you do learn when "NOT" to go. Aerobatics are also a good skill to have, and no doubt also increase accuracy but unless the aerobatic pilot knows how to fly on instruments, being aerobatic won't do any good in the cloud (other than recovering from the spin below them
). By the way the Bulldog I used to fly was IFR certified and would have made a good IFR tourer - or even useful for recovering back from "on top"....
They are bumpy and rough and sometimes full of ice and hail (they can even very occasionally have granite and aluminium in them) and they will try to kill you, so stay away unless you and the aircraft are suitably equiped and current.
Speaking from a SEP / MEP without radar point of view......If they are full of ice, I won't go. If they are too bumpy (Cb's) I won't go and I'll make damn sure I know where the granite is before I go
