Manual Transmissions Aren’t Dead. Some U.S. Buyers Are Choosing Them More

Everyone Moved On Except Manual Buyers

Today’s car market looks vastly different from decades ago, shaped by the rise of electrified vehicles and the steady decline of manual gearboxes. Interestingly, however, a report fromMotor1shows that some automakers still saw a notable share of U.S. buyers favoring stick shifts over automatics last year.

Sales of the Acura Integra equipped with a manual transmission rose from 19.8 percent in 2024 to 22 percent last year. Similarly, the ultra-limited Pagani Utopia, the successor to the Huayra, saw manual-gearbox demand climb from 70 percent to 75 percent, while the Lotus Emira posted a two-percent increase to 88 percent. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI improved from 38 percent to 44.9 percent, though the Golf with the stick shift option in the GTI and R trims was already dropped.

The Other Side of the Stick

The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing (61 percent), Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman (46 percent), and Subaru BRZ (90 percent) likewise recorded improved demand for their three-pedal variants. However, the BRZ’s larger sibling, the WRX, saw the opposite trend, with its manual share slipping from 86.7 percent to 85 percent.

That pattern was more common across several models on the list. Manual-equipped vehicles that posted a lower sales share in 2025 compared with the previous year include the BMW M2 (40 percent), M3 (50 percent), M4 (33 percent), and Z4 (50 percent); the Honda Civic Si/Type R (six percent); the Hyundai Elantra N (25 percent); the Toyota GR86 (52 percent), the outgoing GR Supra (56 percent), GR Corolla (71 percent), and the Tacoma (one percent).

The publication also noted that 83 percent of Porsche 911 buyers opted for a manual transmission over the brand’s PDK dual-clutch automatic. However, that figure drops to 15 percent once trims offered exclusively with an auto are factored in.

Where the Stick Shift Goes from Here

Other models on the list without a clearly stated year-over-year increase or decrease include the Mazda MX-5 Miata (60 percent in 2023), the Nissan Z (46.1 percent), and the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (48 percent), which stood at “around 50 percent” in 2024. Automakers contacted but not responding to the publication included Ford and Jeep, both of which offer manual options on the Bronco, Mustang, and Wrangler.

With renewed interest in combustion-powered vehicles heading into 2026, it will be worth watching whether the manual gearbox – long synonymous with driver engagement and performance – can make a more significant comeback in the years ahead. That shift could also be influenced by broader strategy changes, with automakers such as Volvo rolling back earlier all-EV ambitions.