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03/01/2025
Manual transmissions used be favored by automakers due to being cheaper to manufacture and more fuel efficient than their automatic counterparts. These days, they aren’t much cheaper to produce due to scale and are comparable in terms of MPG.
With that change, manufacturers who still offer a stick shift primarily do so in their performance-focused models to appeal to enthusiasts still craving the engagement of rowing through gears. Porsche has the 911, Honda has the Civic Type R, and BMW has its range of M-cars, for example.
The only relatively entry-level, base model “boring cars” still available with a standard transmission are the Mazda 3 and Nissan Versa.
Obviously most who are still looking for a new manual in today’s world are likely to be focused on performance. But with the total number of cars still being sold with a stick lowering each year, availability and cost becomes more of a concern for everyday enthusiasts.
Are you happy to see automakers primarily geared towards manuals in their performance cars or would you like to see more everyday vehicles still come with a stick too?
