Manuals are a dying breed. Last year, nearly 10 cars lost their manual transmissions as the market continues to shift (pun intended) to automatics—or worse—CVTs. But that’s not to say all hope is lost.
When we asked automakers earlier this year how many of their shoppers opted for the manual, some of those numbers actually increased compared to 2025. BMW saw a slight bump in manual transmission sales, as did Cadillac, Mazda, Porsche, and a few others.
In 2026, there are still about 25 cars you can buy with a manual transmission in the US. They range from off-road SUVs to sports cars, sedans, and yes, even a pickup truck. Some of these vehicles are on the way out after this year, sadly, so get them while you still can.
Acura Integra
Price: $34,695
A plucky compact runabout with a manual transmission is a rare thing in 2026, and the Acura Integra is just that. It commands a solid price premium over the bargain Honda Civic Si, but shares much of the same hardware, just with nicer leather. Unfortunately, you can only get the manual with the top-trim A-Spec, which forces the price premium. Still, with a slick, snappy, and wonderful six-speed gearbox, it’s hard to find anything like it on the market.
Acura Integra Type S
Price: $55,195
If the Integra A-Spec’s 200 horsepower isn’t enough, the Integra Type S’s 320 horsepower should be more than plenty. You get much of the same equipment as the regular Integra, but it has the heart and engineering from the incredible Honda Civic Type R. The Type S uses the same suspension, engine, transmission, and basic structure, but it has a liftback shape and more leather. Best of all, its best-in-the-business six-speed manual is the only transmission option.
Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
Price: $65,945
Baby Blackwing or not, the CT4-V Blackwing is still a mighty serious sports sedan. With the same Tremec six-speed manual transmission as its CT5-V big brother, the CT4-V shares its excellent, mechanical shifter feel. Despite having just 472 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6, it has plenty to give and offers a great manual experience.
Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Price: $102,795
If you’re searching for the current peak of the manual transmission, it would be hard to look much further than the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing’s six-speed Tremec gearbox. It’s so good that it's almost criminal that anyone buys a Blackwing with the 10-speed automatic, with gobs of torque from a 662-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 easily motivating the super sedan. It even has rev matching and no-lift shift–stuff you don’t get in anything short of a Porsche.
BMW M2
Price: $70,350
BMW, kicking and screaming, still offers manual transmissions in most of its high-performance M cars. The BMW M2, the smallest in the range, offers the sweetest manual experience. With sweet handling, (relatively) short-wheelbase responsiveness, and 473 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six, you get plenty for your $ 70,000-ish base price. You even get most of the interior from the M3, a huge iDrive screen, and genuine daily comfort. Overall, it’s a winner—even if you’re down 37 pound-feet of torque compared to the eight-speed auto.
BMW M3
Price: $80,650
If you want more size, however, you can get largely the same experience with the BMW M3 manual. However, the manual penalty is stronger in the M3. With a full-bore M3 Competition xDrive, you can have 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, while the manual is a mere 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet. Even the track special M3 CS Handschalter, exclusive for the US, doesn’t get the 543 horsepower CS powertrain, because the six-speed ZF gearbox can’t handle any more power.
BMW M4
Price: $83,550
If you think the M2 is too small, and the M3 has too many doors: Enter the BMW M4. It suffers the same hierarchy issue as the M3 in terms of power, but it offers a large luxury coupe experience rather than a sedan one. With highly usable rear seats and a large trunk, a six-speed manual M4 is a unique proposition, but at this point, it's just a matter of taste.
Ford Bronco
Price: $43,485
Crawl till your off-road heart is content with the seven-speed manual gearbox on the 2026 Ford Bronco. Offered on the base, Big Bend, Badlands, and Heritage models equipped with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, the manual gearbox features an extremely short crawling gear that slots in under the actual first gear. You can use it when slowly scrambling over rocky terrain or inching forward at 1 mph in the Starbucks drive-thru. Either way, it’s a neat party trick that’s actually useful in the right situations.
Ford Mustang
Price: $49,490 (GT)
Most unusually, Ford offers two different manual transmissions for the Mustang. You can get the Getrag six-speed in the 5.0-liter V8-powered Mustang GT, or a six-speed Tremec in the 500-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse. Both are great manuals (save for some potential issues with the Getrag), but the Dark Horse is the cream of the crop. You get a heavy, notchy shifter with a no-lift shift program, and a stout powertrain that can handle track use. The GT, on the other hand, is a little more relaxed and still a fun cruiser.
Honda Civic Si
Price: $32,690
Values are hard to come by in today’s market, and the Civic Si is an incredible one. For about $32,000, you get a 200 horsepower, six-speed manual sport compact sedan with a long list of amenities, excellent handling, decent ride quality, and a great interior. That six-speed gearbox even gets a mechanical limited-slip differential, and you get neat shift lights in the dash. And that’s before we talk about how great the transmission is to shift.
Honda Civic Type R
Price: $48,950
But like the Integra A-Spec, the Civic Si may leave you wanting for more. Look no further than the 315-horsepower six-speed manual Civic Type R. It’s the hottest hatch you can buy, and it’s a supremely comfortable and good daily driver. The red-trimmed seats are a real highlight, as is the red carpet, and the myriad of track-focused functions like a data logger, laptimer, and full temperature readouts make the Type R feel truly special. Just prepare to fork out a lot of money for one: $48,090.
Hyundai Elantra N
Price: $36,845
The average person would buy a Civic Type R, but the thinking man would strongly consider this underdog: the Hyundai Elantra N. It has much of the same performance tech, and some members of Motor1’s staff would argue that it drives better than the Civic. Best of all, it’s around $10,000 cheaper than the Type R, and has a decent six-speed manual. But, to be frank, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic may be the move.
Jeep Wrangler
Price: $38,030
A manual Jeep Wrangler is something of an American institution. Through thick and thin, there has always been a three-pedal gearbox in everyone’s favorite open-top off-roader, and that hasn’t changed despite slow sales. Enough folks want total control over rock crawling and daily driving that Jeep continues to offer a surprisingly decent six-speed manual transmission, exclusively with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine.
Lotus Emira
Price: $112,900 (V6)
The Lotus Emira is the last car standing in the $100,000 mid-engined manual transmission sports car segment, and it carries the torch with pride. While the turbocharged 2.0-liter AMG powertrain comes in automatic only, the supercharged 3.0-liter Toyota V6 comes exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. It’s an analog, back-to-basics sports car with hydraulic steering and precious little between the driver and the road.
Mazda3
Price: $38,225 (Premium)
Normal manual commuter cars are nearly dead, but the Mazda3 manual holds the fort down. Available only with the hatchback body style, the six-speed ‘box is slick, light, and easy. It’s no sport compact, like other cars on this list, but just a nice daily driver with a great interior and plenty of tech as standard.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Price: $31,665
We’re lucky to still have something as simple, joyful, and well executed as the Mazda Miata. With a recent refresh, the ND still has plenty of life in its bones, and still has one of the best manual transmissions in the business. You can, of course, get an automatic, but the Miata is spiritually matched with its short, sweet, and sublime six-speed manual. A true sports car, this is.
Nissan Z
Price: $44,265
The Nissan Z was never considered great because of its manual transmission, but Nissan has decided to soldier on with its chunky and firm six-speed manual. In fact, it added the transmission to the once automatic-only Nissan Z Nismo, and we thought that it improved the car substantially. Though the ergonomics are slightly odd, there’s still plenty to like with a 400 horsepower twin-turbo V6 in the base Z and a 420-horsepower variant in the Z Nismo to motivate the party.
Porsche 911
Price: $150,350 (Carrera T)
The number of 911 models available with a manual gearbox is shrinking, but it hasn’t yet reached zero. Yet. That’s good news. The bad news is that you’ll need to spend boatloads of money if you want a 911 with a proper stick. You’ve got two choices: a 911 Carrera T or a GT3. Maybe that’s not bad news after all, assuming you’re flush with cash.
Subaru BRZ
Price: $37,055
Simple, lightweight, and practical, the Subaru BRZ fills a niche almost no other car can. It has plenty of performance, plenty of space, and comes with a snappy, delightful six-speed manual transmission. It shares almost everything with the Toyota GR86, save for some fancier suspension parts and nicer trimmings, and has the same 224 horsepower 2.4-liter flat four engine.
Subaru WRX
Price: $33,690
We may remember the WRXs of yore more fondly, but the current WRX is fun, cheap, and practical. With a 271-horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four and a six-speed manual, it offers tons of performance, and Subaru’s excellent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive puts all the power down with zero fuss. While the plasticky shifter leaves something to be desired, the overall package is quite delightful.
Toyota GR86
Price: $32,560
If you know the Subaru BRZ, you know the Toyota GR86. It has the same equipment, just with a slightly different flavor. If you want a more aggressive throttle map, more playful handling, and a different face, the GR86 is your move. Still, it’s a simple, lightweight, and easy sports car to drive, and can easily be the one car for any single person.
Toyota GR Corolla
Price: $41,680
We love the Toyota GR Corolla. It’s a fantastically bubbly hot hatchback, with an effervescent turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder that snarls its way to boost and a chunky six-speed manual transmission that never gets old to shift. It’s plucky, fun, and unrefined, representing the peak of down-and-dirty fun on our list. You can get an eight-speed automatic, but we think the GR Corolla is best enjoyed with a manual.
Toyota GR Supra
Price: $59,460
The GR Supra makes it on our list, but only just. It’s due to die in the next year or so, with the latest Final Edition making the rounds before its official send-off. It’s a shame, because Toyota made BMW’s six-speed manual transmission feel notchy, tight, and direct, something BMW could never do on its own. While the ZF eight-speed automatic is objectively perfect, a six-speed Supra is something to cherish for as long as we can.
Toyota Tacoma
Price: $38,900 (SR)
It’s incredible that Toyota still sells a manual Tacoma—even if it makes up around 1 percent of total sales. Enough of you asked for it, so Toyota delivered with an underbaked transmission that was largely borrowed from the old V6-powered truck. With a long, vague shift lever, odd gear ratios, and slightly jumpy calibration, it’s a tough gearbox to truly love, but it is an option for the control freaks out there.
Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Price: 35,020
The Volkswagen Jetta GLI will be no more in 2027, but for 2026 you can still have one while the iron is hot. While it's the same six-speed manual from the last two decades of VW product, it still offers a low-effort high-reward experience that makes rowing your own gears fun, even if it isn’t the best experience it could be. Beggars can’t be choosers, however, and VW already killed the manual Golf GTI. If you want a new manual Dub, this is your last shot.
