USA: Cars with manual gearboxes are slowly making a comeback (2024)

FAQs

Are manual transmission cars making a comeback? ›

Following advancements in engineering and driving technology, by 2023, approximately 1.7% of all new cars were equipped with a manual transmission. However, according to a report by CarMax, there has been an uptick in sales for cars with a stick shift in the last few years.

Why have manual transmissions downshifted so much in popularity? Less Demand According to CNBC and Edmunds, auto manufacturers have reported that the consumer demand for annual transmission options in new vehicles has declined. Resources are not being allocated to make new cars with a 5- or 6-speed manual option.

Better Acceleration- Modern automatics have better acceleration than manual transmissions. By using the best computers, automatics change gears faster than a human can. Automatic transmissions can propel the car faster than a manual can.

On the flip side, buying a new car in the US virtually costs the same for manual or automatic transmission. Additionally, younger generations of Americans rarely learn how to drive in a manual transmission car. For them, there is really no economic reason to do so since automatics are far more widely available.

Manual sales made up less than a percent of cars sold in the US in 2021, but last year, that number was around 1.7 percent. Not a lot, but not nothing. Many automakers have expanded their manual offerings, too, perhaps most notably Toyota bringing a manual to the Supra for the 2023 model year.

Driving Enthusiasts Rejoice

The inclusion of manual transmissions in the 2024 Toyota models, particularly in the GR Corolla, GR 86, GR Supra and Tacoma, is a testament to the brand's dedication to the joy of driving.

Are manual cars going away? In short, yes. There's no set ban on manual transmission itself, but there is a ban coming into place in 2035 on all petrol and diesel cars.

The clutch is used to engage and disengage the transmission. If you let the clutch out too fast and don't apply enough throttle, the vehicle will stall. And don't be discouraged by stalling the vehicle, it does take practice. Take offs will most likely be the hardest part of learning how to drive a manual.

Is stick shift dying? ›

In the US, less than 1% of new models have stick shifts (compared to 35% in 1980), according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

It's a common myth that manual cars are faster than automatic ones, but that isn't the case.

Two-Pedal Europe

In 2000, 89 percent of all new cars registered were equipped with a manual. In some countries such as Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and Portugal, that number exceeded 95 percent. Norway and Switzerland were exceptions, where approximately 25 percent of new cars were automatics.

New Mexico has the highest rate of manual transmission vehicle purchases at 5.65 percent, followed by Idaho (5.29 percent), Rhode Island (5.16 percent) and Utah (4.94 percent). Residents of Illinois are the least likely to purchase a stick shift, with a take rate of only 2.04 percent.

Only around 18% of American drivers can handle a manual transmission, according to U.S. News and World Report. You know: the clutch pedal and the stick shift—three on the tree, four on the floor or, I don't know, five to drive maybe. Different gears, manually engaged.

The future of manual cars is uncertain, yet they are unlikely to disappear entirely. While their presence in the mainstream market continues to diminish, manual transmissions will likely persist in niche segments and among driving purists.

Chances are the manual transmission won't be with us much longer. It's a dying breed. But don't have your left foot removed just yet: there are still new cars available in the United States with a manual gearbox. (A handful of SUVs come with them too, but we covered those in a separate list.)

Manual transmissions are running about 1.7 percent of new car sales so far this year, up from 0.9 percent in 2021, the Journal reports. That's not exactly a world-beating number. Still, stick shift enthusiasts tend to be really enthusiastic so car companies still want to appeal to them.