A good working autopilot is great for long trips and a safety
enhancement in IFR. They do seem to need a bit of maintenance. Mine has
needed $2200 worth in about 2000 hours. It is currently not working
again. In smooth air my simple Century I flies a very straight line. I
recently took a long trip without it and found myself veering around
more than I would like. I do think someone who flies behind an
autopilot comes to rely upon it. Make sure you are competent without
it. The trip without it did me quite a bit of good, I believe. I don't
use it for training in IFR and only use it in cruise in actual. I do my
climbouts and approaches without it. Of course the airliners all have
them now, and use them almost constantly. Make sure you read the manual
and find out as much as you can about yours. They all seem to work a
little differently.