Manual transmission cars are becoming hard to find

If you’re looking for a little more control behind the wheel, select brands offer manual transmission, or stick shift, vehicles. While most Americans hit the road with an automatic vehicle, there are still a few options for manual car enthusiasts.

Here’s a look at the state of manual transmission cars in the U.S. and worldwide:

Current models

Though declining in popularity over recent decades, a few automakers continue to roll out manual transmission cars. The following includes vehicles with manual transmission options from the 2023 and 2024 market: h Acura Integra Type S h BMW M2 h BMW M3 h BMW M4 h Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing h Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing h Chevrolet Camaro h Dodge Challenger R/T h Ford Bronco h Ford Mustang h Honda Civic h Hyundai Elantra N h Jeep Gladiator h Jeep Wrangler h Kia Forte GT h Lotus Emira h Mazda 3 h Mazda Miata h Mini Cooper h Mini Clubman h Nissan Versa h Nissan Z h Porsche 718 h Porsche 911 h Porsche Spyder h Subaru BRZ h Subaru Crosstrek h Subaru Impreza h Subaru WRX h Toyota Corolla GR h Toyota GR86 h Toyota Supra h Toyota Tacoma h Volkswagen Jetta h Volkswagen GTI/Golf R

Automotive history

Once deemed the standard, affordable car nationwide, manual transmission vehicles grew out of demand in recent decades as drivers began to opt for automatic transmission.

“Because of the way cars are built, manual transmissions used to be the cheap car, the value car because they got better gas mileage and they cost less,” said Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book.

Automatic transmission vehicles became more popular in the U.S. due to the model’s convenience. Now, the majority of cars produced annually in the U.S. are automatic, while manual transmissions represent a specialty interest.

“Most people who are going to get one of these cars are going to opt for the automatic transmission so if you’re looking for a new or used car and you specifically want a manual, you may have to spend a little bit of extra time finding the exact right thing that you want,” Moody said.

Future of manual cars

Automatic transmission vehicles also picked up in Canada and parts of Asia. In contrast, many countries continue widespread use of manual transmission vehicles, including in parts of Europe, Latin America, and Africa, according to experts.

Moving forward, manual transmission vehicles will likely remain a niche category for car enthusiasts, often sporty cars and some off-road friendly vehicles.

“You have to go out of your way to look for a manual transmission car and the specific applications are, it offers a certain kind of control that most people either don’t need or don’t want,” Moody said.