What do you think about cars with manual transmission?
February 11, 2026
I know it may be hard for some people to drive with a clutch and a 5-6 speed stick but I find it fun. Does it look like something archaic or retro for the avg american?
Edit: typo
40 comments
No, I would still drive one if they were more common.
It’s archaic and less efficient than an automatic.
Im almost 50 and ive never once tried. I dont see the appeal. Im more likely to break the car.
Unnecessary. Only for car enthusiasts.
I love them. It’s been a while since I have owned one but would do it again.
There are only a very few new cars with standard transmissions available now in the U.S. market. A couple of low-end economy cars, and some high-end sports cars, basically.
Many, many Americans (especially younger ones) don’t know how to drive a stick.
I think in 2026 they are functionally just a fidget spinner built in to the dash of cars for “enthusiasts” to continue the whole “I’m actually controlling the car, not just pointing it in a direction like you automatic drivers” nonsense.
It’s not 1994 anymore. You don’t actually get better performance or gas mileage out of a manual.
I drove one for 10 years, liked it but prefer an automatic now
The manual transmission has pretty much been relegated to the enthusiast Market here in America.
I prefer it, but the average American consumer does not. I’m currently driving the 2nd car I’ve ever had out of 7 that has an automatic transmission, the other 5 were manual. I’d prefer if my current car was manual, but it’s not sold here in the states with that.
I practiced driving one a few years ago. I was able to get around, but never fully got the hang of it.
I really don’t see the point of them these days. Unless you’re a classic car enthusiast or something, they seem pretty much obsolete.
Most Americans don’t know how to drive stick. The only people I know who drive manual do so by choice and are car guys.
Love it and it’s fun, but very few cars are sold with manual transmission these days (not as efficient as automatic), and we’ve gone electric anyway. I’m a millennial (early 30s) and learned when I was 21
I think this question should be a FAQ at this point. seems like we get it once or twice a week.
I think a manual transmission is fine. I drove one for a really long time. But I do not understand the obsession with older, out of date tech. If you find it fun, great. But that’s literally the only reason to have a manual transmission anymore.
I daily drive a manual and have since I was 16.
It’s fun for someone that’s into cars, but totally get why someone who just sees cars as a mode of transportation wouldn’t want one.
3 of my 4 vehicles are manuals. I like them.
It’s hard to find a manual car to even try on. Most younger people now haven’t had the chance to learn. I’m 50 and haven’t learned because the cars we have had have always been automatic transmission as the base model.
Edit: cat to car. Manual cats won’t allow me to learn, either.
I think they are more fun to drive and am sad i had to buy my first automatic recently due to what was available.
I hate driving. But I love driving my car because it’s a 6 speed.
Raised on em, and fought the hard fight to keep buying them. But the sweet spot is gone for finding them in the US now. Really shitty cars can still have them on order, and there used to be a sweet spot of the luxury sedans having them (BMW, Audi, etc). But now you can rarely get even those in 6MT without going to high level super cars. Acura still makes a few, I think.
I will say when I went to buy a new Audi S4 when they still had the MT option, the dealer pushed hard to convince me to get the automatic telling me “there’s just no way you can drive this car as efficiently as the new transmissions” and he was right.
So unfortunately the market in the US just doesn’t support it and people have moved on.
I find it fun, until I’m stuck in stop&go traffic – which, sadly, is most of the time.
If I was just driving a fun car on fun open roads, I’d be absolutely onboard.
My dad screamed at me for not immediately knowing how to drive manual when he “tried” to “teach” me for about 5 minutes at age 12,so I’ve never had the desire to try and learn again lol
I love mine but I’m also a car enthusiast and prefer older cars in general
It’s an affectation in 2026. There are vanishingly few situations in which a manual is superior to a modern automatic, and none of them are encountered as a daily driver.
There are a few folks who are into a performance driving hobby, but can’t justify a car just for that hobby. But mostly it’s people who fancy themselves as being able to do the performance driving hobby but do it never or rarely. (And also, serious performance cars are all automatics or flappy paddle gearboxes now.)
A lot like pickups.
Source: daily drive a 6-speed.
Fun manual transmission cars are fun, but taking an un-fun car and giving it a rubbery manual transmission only make a bad vehicle worse.
I’m old enough to remember the inflection point at which manual transmissions went from being both faster and more efficient than automatic transmissions to what they are today: Both slower in typical use and less efficient.
The niche cases for really needing one vs. it’s just a preference are getting to be more niche. We hardly have enough performance *cars* left to even care and those remaining often have *so much* power that you don’t need to care about delivering it with anything like precision or efficiency in the real world. Many US brands that used to sell cars, no longer do or have a highly reduced selection of car-height vehicles. Domestics are worse at this than imports. Ford sells one car in the US across all their brands and it does offer a manual in some versions. Cadillac still sells a few cars, but it’s that and the Corvette for all of GM. I think Stellantis is down to one?
What people forget to mention is that they’re insanely more reliable and durable. Transmission issues are so common these days it’s unbelievable.
Absoutely beloved by the car enthusiast community and people that grew up with them.
Everyone else doesn’t think about them at all.
I drive a 2015 VW GTI with manual transmission and I love it!!!
I would always chose a manual over automatic, just more fun to drive
The average American doesn’t even think about manual transmission, like to most it would be like looking at a rotary phone.
They were already pretty uncommon when I was learning to drive and that was almost 20 years ago. Can’t imagine getting one now. I have ADHD so the last thing I need is another thing to worry about while I’m driving 😆
Given the choice, I’ll always take the manual.
Unfortunately, there’s very little choice.
Seems like we have always had at least one manual transmission car in our family. We can all drive them. It seems pretty ordinary to me.
I had no idea that they were normal in Europe until just the other day. Why on earth is that?
I enjoy driving stick but yeah it’s definitely not a popular thing here, you have to go out of your way and be very intentional if you want to get a car with a manual transmission.
It’s fun if you don’t live in a dense traffic-heavy area. I grew up in New England and on winding roads and fairly sparsely occupied highways a manual transmission is super fun.
I live in metro Detroit and I drive for work regularly. Having a manual transmission here is a pain in the ass because of constant stop and go-traffic.
Never owned an automatic and won’t drive one until it’s economically or physically infeasible. Manual is more fun and always has been.
I only buy cars with manual transmissions. Nothing sucks the joy out of driving like an automatic.
I would like to learn, but it’s expensive and unnecessary. Manual transmission cars cost way more than automatic, are harder to find, and most people won’t to teach a teenager to drive manual.
So unless your parents are car hobbyists, most of us never get an opportunity.
Why is the rest of the world obsessed with this topic?
Manuals are fun if you have a sports car or a 4×4
Like an older manual jeep is super fun to drive off roading…and a sports car with a manual is fun to drive
A manual in a sedan or an SUV just wouldn’t make any sense IMHO
40 comments
No, I would still drive one if they were more common.
It’s archaic and less efficient than an automatic.
Im almost 50 and ive never once tried. I dont see the appeal. Im more likely to break the car.
Unnecessary. Only for car enthusiasts.
I love them. It’s been a while since I have owned one but would do it again.
There are only a very few new cars with standard transmissions available now in the U.S. market. A couple of low-end economy cars, and some high-end sports cars, basically.
Many, many Americans (especially younger ones) don’t know how to drive a stick.
I think in 2026 they are functionally just a fidget spinner built in to the dash of cars for “enthusiasts” to continue the whole “I’m actually controlling the car, not just pointing it in a direction like you automatic drivers” nonsense.
It’s not 1994 anymore. You don’t actually get better performance or gas mileage out of a manual.
I drove one for 10 years, liked it but prefer an automatic now
The manual transmission has pretty much been relegated to the enthusiast Market here in America.
I prefer it, but the average American consumer does not. I’m currently driving the 2nd car I’ve ever had out of 7 that has an automatic transmission, the other 5 were manual. I’d prefer if my current car was manual, but it’s not sold here in the states with that.
I practiced driving one a few years ago. I was able to get around, but never fully got the hang of it.
I really don’t see the point of them these days. Unless you’re a classic car enthusiast or something, they seem pretty much obsolete.
Most Americans don’t know how to drive stick. The only people I know who drive manual do so by choice and are car guys.
Love it and it’s fun, but very few cars are sold with manual transmission these days (not as efficient as automatic), and we’ve gone electric anyway. I’m a millennial (early 30s) and learned when I was 21
I think this question should be a FAQ at this point. seems like we get it once or twice a week.
I think a manual transmission is fine. I drove one for a really long time. But I do not understand the obsession with older, out of date tech. If you find it fun, great. But that’s literally the only reason to have a manual transmission anymore.
I daily drive a manual and have since I was 16.
It’s fun for someone that’s into cars, but totally get why someone who just sees cars as a mode of transportation wouldn’t want one.
3 of my 4 vehicles are manuals. I like them.
It’s hard to find a manual car to even try on. Most younger people now haven’t had the chance to learn. I’m 50 and haven’t learned because the cars we have had have always been automatic transmission as the base model.
Edit: cat to car. Manual cats won’t allow me to learn, either.
I think they are more fun to drive and am sad i had to buy my first automatic recently due to what was available.
I hate driving. But I love driving my car because it’s a 6 speed.
Raised on em, and fought the hard fight to keep buying them. But the sweet spot is gone for finding them in the US now. Really shitty cars can still have them on order, and there used to be a sweet spot of the luxury sedans having them (BMW, Audi, etc). But now you can rarely get even those in 6MT without going to high level super cars. Acura still makes a few, I think.
I will say when I went to buy a new Audi S4 when they still had the MT option, the dealer pushed hard to convince me to get the automatic telling me “there’s just no way you can drive this car as efficiently as the new transmissions” and he was right.
So unfortunately the market in the US just doesn’t support it and people have moved on.
I find it fun, until I’m stuck in stop&go traffic – which, sadly, is most of the time.
If I was just driving a fun car on fun open roads, I’d be absolutely onboard.
My dad screamed at me for not immediately knowing how to drive manual when he “tried” to “teach” me for about 5 minutes at age 12,so I’ve never had the desire to try and learn again lol
I love mine but I’m also a car enthusiast and prefer older cars in general
It’s an affectation in 2026. There are vanishingly few situations in which a manual is superior to a modern automatic, and none of them are encountered as a daily driver.
There are a few folks who are into a performance driving hobby, but can’t justify a car just for that hobby. But mostly it’s people who fancy themselves as being able to do the performance driving hobby but do it never or rarely. (And also, serious performance cars are all automatics or flappy paddle gearboxes now.)
A lot like pickups.
Source: daily drive a 6-speed.
Fun manual transmission cars are fun, but taking an un-fun car and giving it a rubbery manual transmission only make a bad vehicle worse.
I’m old enough to remember the inflection point at which manual transmissions went from being both faster and more efficient than automatic transmissions to what they are today: Both slower in typical use and less efficient.
The niche cases for really needing one vs. it’s just a preference are getting to be more niche. We hardly have enough performance *cars* left to even care and those remaining often have *so much* power that you don’t need to care about delivering it with anything like precision or efficiency in the real world. Many US brands that used to sell cars, no longer do or have a highly reduced selection of car-height vehicles. Domestics are worse at this than imports. Ford sells one car in the US across all their brands and it does offer a manual in some versions. Cadillac still sells a few cars, but it’s that and the Corvette for all of GM. I think Stellantis is down to one?
What people forget to mention is that they’re insanely more reliable and durable. Transmission issues are so common these days it’s unbelievable.
Absoutely beloved by the car enthusiast community and people that grew up with them.
Everyone else doesn’t think about them at all.
I drive a 2015 VW GTI with manual transmission and I love it!!!
I would always chose a manual over automatic, just more fun to drive
The average American doesn’t even think about manual transmission, like to most it would be like looking at a rotary phone.
They were already pretty uncommon when I was learning to drive and that was almost 20 years ago. Can’t imagine getting one now. I have ADHD so the last thing I need is another thing to worry about while I’m driving 😆
Given the choice, I’ll always take the manual.
Unfortunately, there’s very little choice.
Seems like we have always had at least one manual transmission car in our family. We can all drive them. It seems pretty ordinary to me.
I had no idea that they were normal in Europe until just the other day. Why on earth is that?
I enjoy driving stick but yeah it’s definitely not a popular thing here, you have to go out of your way and be very intentional if you want to get a car with a manual transmission.
It’s fun if you don’t live in a dense traffic-heavy area. I grew up in New England and on winding roads and fairly sparsely occupied highways a manual transmission is super fun.
I live in metro Detroit and I drive for work regularly. Having a manual transmission here is a pain in the ass because of constant stop and go-traffic.
Never owned an automatic and won’t drive one until it’s economically or physically infeasible. Manual is more fun and always has been.
I only buy cars with manual transmissions. Nothing sucks the joy out of driving like an automatic.
I would like to learn, but it’s expensive and unnecessary. Manual transmission cars cost way more than automatic, are harder to find, and most people won’t to teach a teenager to drive manual.
So unless your parents are car hobbyists, most of us never get an opportunity.
Why is the rest of the world obsessed with this topic?
Manuals are fun if you have a sports car or a 4×4
Like an older manual jeep is super fun to drive off roading…and a sports car with a manual is fun to drive
A manual in a sedan or an SUV just wouldn’t make any sense IMHO