Automatic and solar watches solve the same basic problem, keeping a watch running without a disposable battery, but they take completely different paths to get there. An automatic winds itself from your wrist movement, while a solar watch stores light energy in a rechargeable cell. Which one makes more sense depends on how much you value mechanical craftsmanship versus low-maintenance accuracy, and the honest answer is different for different people.
Solar wins on accuracy and hassle-free ownership
A solar quartz watch is going to keep significantly better time than any automatic, often within seconds a month rather than seconds a day. It also never needs winding, never needs a battery replacement in any practical sense, and can sit in a drawer for months and still work the moment you pick it up, as long as it's gotten some light exposure along the way. If your priority is a watch that simply works without any thought, solar is the more practical choice by a wide margin, especially for a travel watch or daily beater.
Automatic wins on character and craftsmanship
An automatic watch is a small mechanical object doing something genuinely impressive: keeping time using nothing but gears, a spring, and the motion of your arm. That's a different kind of appeal than accuracy, and it's why people still buy automatics even though quartz and solar movements are objectively more precise. There's also visible motion to enjoy, a sweeping second hand and sometimes an exhibition case back showing the rotor spinning, that a solar watch simply doesn't offer.
If you want a watch that feels alive on your wrist and don't mind occasionally resetting the time after it sits unworn, an automatic like a Seiko 5 is the more interesting choice. If you want a watch you truly never have to think about, solar is hard to beat, and there's no wrong answer between the two.