Everyone seems to have their personal preference as to what style of bicycle to use. I have done many kilometers with a flat-bar MTB and always found that my wrists hurt after a while and the fat tires / bulkier frame felt sluggish. I never realized it could be any different until I hopped onto a 1968 Raleigh Grand Prix with drop bars and 27" x 1-1/4 wheels. Since then I've been a big fan of bike-boom road bikes.

I was looking at a modern one at the LBS the other day... I was impressed as to how light it was... I can bunny hop just fine on my steel road bike, I have no doubts it would be incredibly easy on a modern machine.

As to the maneuverability of a road bike, I think it's partly a matter of practice - I'm more comfortable taking tight turns and attempting to track stand on my road bike than I am on my gf's MTB since it's been years since I've ridden one on a regular basis.