C&D: Every New Car You Can Still Buy with a Manual Transmission

[sygazelle]

Here's an article showing the remaining cars on the market with manual transmissions. BMW is among the few companies on the list.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...smission-cars/

Personally, I still miss the third pedal, but each year I miss it less and less. I just did an M track day at Sonoma and drove the M8 and the M5 Competition each eight laps on the course. The autos are so good now, I have to say I'm pretty much over missing manuals. If you are still longing for the third pedal, go fetch one of these remaining fun cars.

[Alfisti]

Unpopular opinion, despite being an utter and absolute car and motorsport nut I have never liked driving a manual.

Now, if I am hustling the car, really hustling, or I am on a semi rural bit of roads with curves where I am shifting between say 2nd and 4th, I obviously absolutely love it. But for 99% of driving, i just don't like the hassle and 1st always, always seems too short.

[mkoesel]

The list looks good. However the statement that the G80/G82 Competition model can be optioned with a manual transmission is incorrect. The manual is available only for the base model (and is also the only transmission for that model).

Midway through this year, the BMW list will become considerably shorter since the F22/F23/G87 will end production. There will be no F23 successor and the F22 successor, the G42, will not have an available manual transmission. The F87 successor, the G87, will get the S58/MT from the new M3/M4, but it will not hit the market for a couple years. However, all of this will still leave BMW with three performance offerings with manual transmissions which is more than most every other automaker on the list.

The Genesis G70 is also known to be losing the MT after MY2021:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...-discontinued/

And once the current supply runs out (assuming it hasn't already), they will be gone.

On the other hand, the list will also get two new entries later this year when Cadillac's CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models arrive.

[freakystyly]

I still love the manual regardless of the situation. After driving around a pickup truck for work it just feels too lazy. I know it doesn't quite compare to a quicker shifting box or even a dual clutch but the general lack of involvement is there.

There are some oddball cars with crazy tall first gearing, like the C7 vette (0-100kph).

Even my e90 has a first gear around 62 kph and I find it too tall, there's just not enough places to even reach 3rd gear under heavy load in everyday driving. Don't even get me started on Ontario roads or their drivers ... There's some truth in the driving a slow car fast motto especially with roads like these.

If I had to upgrade from my current DD, I would have my eye out for G70 6MTs but they're hard to find. I believe only 5% were made and likely even less sold. Golf R for close 2nd (all personal preference).

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

Even my e90 has a first gear around 62 kph and I find it too tall, there's just not enough places to even reach 3rd gear under heavy load in everyday driving. Don't even get me started on Ontario roads or their drivers ... There's some truth in the driving a slow car fast motto especially with roads like these.

Ontario is the opposite, you need a fast car because the roads offer you NOTHING. Arrow straight and utterly bland, just ruthlessly dull.

[freakystyly]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Ontario is the opposite, you need a fast car because the roads offer you NOTHING. Arrow straight and utterly bland, just ruthlessly dull.

Oh I hear you, I was thinking more of slow car wringing out the gears and staying legal.

[David70]

My weekend car is a manual and I plan to always have a manual. I am sorry to see them go but with close to zero chance of me ever buying a new manual transmission car (just more used weekend manuals) I don't have anything to complain about. Forums love manual transmission cars, very few new car buyers do. As normally comes up in this never ending discussion, auto manufacturers and dealers didn't kill them, buyers did. Almost all cars used to come with a manual.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Ontario is the opposite, you need a fast car because the roads offer you NOTHING. Arrow straight and utterly bland, just ruthlessly dull.

Many parts of Ontario are like that, we just moved out to the Kingston area and I can't wait for spring to take my toy out for a spin. The road here are winding, with drop offs, switch backs and not much in the way of traffic. Oh and the scenery is beautiful. But around the GTA is rubbish.

[M-technik-3]

No manual for the 3/4 series is a shame. BMW brand was kind of made from the dominance of the 3 manual. But it boils down to what the consumer is paying for these days and trends are away from manual gearbox. Funny I am debating swapping my touring to a 6 speed because it's my daily and I miss driving a standard.

My only manual transmission car at the present is my E30 M3, as my E36 M3 and another E30 are in various states of assembly/reassembly. Spring is coming soon.

[freakystyly]

It could be my imagination but it seems no one is buying NEW manuals, but the used market has a premium on manuals vs autos regardless of the car.

[Darth One]

I think that's a pretty good list. Clearly manuals are being offered on models that are designed to give a sporty driving experience and at this point, that's all a manual is for.

Plus you've got cheap econo cars that keep on with the legacy of manuals being cheap to produce and deliver better fuel economy.

The only thing I can hope for, besides these offerings not dwindling further, is for supercar makers like Mclaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini to get in on the action. I do understand that they don't do this because they don't sell, but couldn't at least one of them make a run at the Porsche GT monopoly on wealthy sports car owners who insist on manual?

[Humdizzle]

Auto/DCT/EV --- daily driver

Manual --- fun car.

thats how it will always be for me. I've had a few auto/dct cars in the last few years and the involvement is seriously lacking compared to similar cars with a manual (458, GTR, 335i).

Now would i want to drive a manual to work everyday when i'm tired in the morning and just want to listen to a podcast? not really.

[David70]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

It could be my imagination but it seems no one is buying NEW manuals, but the used market has a premium on manuals vs autos regardless of the car.

I agree. Depending on the car I think it is often because of how it will be used. The new car is far more likely to be a daily driver, very likely leased, the 5 year old car is far more likely to be more of an enthusiast using it as a 2nd car.

Some part of it is demographics, the person getting a new M3 vs. the 4 year old M3.

Some part of it is we are on an enthusiast website and a far greater part of the people here (compared to general population) prefer manuals.

Or if you are looking for a used, manual Accord, you will be willing to pay a premium when you find the right one as 97% of Accords are automatics and it's not as easy to just find another one.

When they decided to stop making manual Ferrari's everyone except most of the actual new buyers were upset. Now the last of the manual Ferrari's sell for a premium over the automatics. For this instance I again think it is often a different type of buyer new vs. used.

[Moflow]

I'm coming up on 40 years old here in a year or two and I've never owned a car with fewer than 3 pedals. If the Supra were on this list, i'd be on some MKV Supra forum, instead of here. Good job BMW for still making a few cars with a proper stick.

That said, there's nothing wrong with different people liking different things. I understand they're not for everyone and people have different priorities when they're driving.

For me, I always want to be having that conversation with the car.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

BMW brand was kind of made from the dominance of the 3 manual. But it boils down to what the consumer is paying for these days and trends are away from manual gearbox.

It does boil down to what the consumer is paying for. Manuals were a no-brainer when automatic transmissions sucked. ATs were inefficient and robbed power. That is no longer the case. I love manuals and I would love to have another manual car. But consumers have been moving to AT because it is simply better for everyone but the enthusiast. That lack of demand has caused manufacturers to reduce the number of models with manual, causing less demand and the spiral continues. At this point, its just a matter of years before MT is no more.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

It does boil down to what the consumer is paying for. Manuals were a no-brainer when automatic transmissions sucked. ATs were inefficient and robbed power. That is no longer the case. I love manuals and I would love to have another manual car. But consumers have been moving to AT because it is simply better for everyone but the enthusiast. That lack of demand has caused manufacturers to reduce the number of models with manual, causing less demand and the spiral continues. At this point, its just a matter of years before MT is no more.

Bah. Porsche, VW, Subaru, Jeep and Mazda will likely continue to offer manuals in some models. I think EV's are the bigger threat to both transmissions though. There very likely won't be pedestrian cars like 3ers, X3s or any of the goofball fwd things before too long that aren't BEV.

[TSM330i]

Three of the four cars I own are manual (two on the list posted by the OP).
Driving an automatic sports car for me is B-O-R-I-N-G. I don't care about 0-60 times at all or straight line acceleration. All get old very quickly.
Nailing heel-toe downshifts going through the twisties is where it's at. Total driver immersion all the time.

[XutvJet]

I guarantee you that if you go to a car meet or similar and you've got the manual version of said car, the majority will say "F-yeah, that's the right choice". There's still a very big love for manual transmissions in performance cars.

Many enthusiasts want that involvement. RARELY do you hear of a BMW/Porsche/VW manual owner wishing they had the auto, but you read countless posts of auto owners wishing they went manual after they realize that driving the auto is a bit boring/stale.

Automakers love automatics because:

1) They take the user out of the equation. They don't have to fight warranty claims because of syncro and clutch issues, abuse, mis-shifts, etc.

2) They have control over the automatics operating parameters.

3) They don't have to design a separate transmission and related parts. More profits!

4) Autos are more fuel efficient this help meet CAFE.

[E92inNC]

I don’t know much about the Euro and Asian market but I’d assume they make variants of them in manual over there. Why can’t we just order it? It doesn’t change the emissions standards they’d have to meet in the states.

[David70]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

I don’t know much about the Euro and Asian market but I’d assume they make variants of them in manual over there. Why can’t we just order it? It doesn’t change the emissions standards they’d have to meet in the states.

Until Covid I was spending a lot of time in Thailand and BMW has a plant there, no chance what they are manufacturing there meet all U.S. DOT crash and emission regulations.

[detroitm2]

Originally Posted by E92inPHX

I don’t know much about the Euro and Asian market but I’d assume they make variants of them in manual over there. Why can’t we just order it? It doesn’t change the emissions standards they’d have to meet in the states.

From what I understand, particularly in the US, a car with a manual transmission vs. an automatic transmission has to be NHTSA certified separately. The additional cost involved for doing this could be enough of a reason to not manufacture/release the manual variant here.

[erickonphoenix]

Something to be mindful of is with the proliferations of ATs, development of good manuals has suffered. I didn't mind the manual in my S550 Mustang GT but it was not the bolt action crispness I remembered from my e30 and the car was nearly 20 years newer. I still think the manual connects you better with the car but they're not getting better.

One good thing, when we got my daughter her first car we did get her a manual Mini to keep her off the phone behind the wheel and it stuck. She just bought a Mazda 3 and did get the MT. Just because she grew up on it.