You Won’t Believe Which Brands Offer The Most Manual Transmissions In The USA

Every year, brands trim the fat to stay lean in a constantly evolving automotive landscape. The transition to electrification keeps manufacturers’ sights fixed on new horizons, with little regard for the past—apart from nostalgic designs and decals. There are still nameplates that keep providing what we enjoy most about cars: the fact that they still need a driver behind the wheel. It’s easy to find a new car that can change lanes, brake, parallel park, and even call first responders upside down. But, what makes a car boring is exactly all of that.

For us at CarBuzz to have an emotional connection with an automobile, we need to feel like the car can’t do anything unless we’re behind the wheel, calling the shots. Manual transmissions are the last line of defense standing between drivers and the inevitability of fully autonomous vehicles with no more emotional appeal than a stand mixer. Defending a driver’s right to row their own gears are the following brands, which still offer cars with a shift-it-yourself gearbox.

BMW & Toyota

Credit: CarBuzz

Both brands are about to lose one model each, but for the time being, we’d throw them a bone, since they listened to fans who wanted a manual in the Toyota Supra and the BMW Z4. The last few examples of the German/Japanese sports car duo are rolling down the production line in Austria as you read this, but don’t shed any tears just yet. Toyota has already dedicated more time and money to giving the Supra a sixth generation, to be made in conjunction with a manufacturer other than BMW.

Manuals are available only on the 3.0-liter straight-six Z4 M60i and Supra 3.0 (Toyota dropped the 2.0 4-cylinder models after 2024), with Toyota offering both automatic and manual transmissions at no extra cost. In contrast, BMW charges $3,500 for the Edition Handschalter package that unlocks a third pedal.

Credit: Toyota

As for the remaining models with manuals, Toyota offers a stick-shift option on the Tacoma base and mid-grade trims (SR, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road). Four-wheel drive is required to option the manual ($3,200), as an 8-speed automatic comes standard on both two- and four-wheel-drive models. A manual cannot be optioned on Tacomas with the hybrid i-Force Max powertrain, or in any other configuration than a double cab with a 5-foot bed.

The GR86 and GR Corolla come standard with a stick shift, and the automatics cost an extra $1,100 and $2,000, respectively. BMW offers manuals on the M2, M3, and M4, with the M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe models available exclusively with a stick. To get an automatic in either, you have to jump up a trim to the Competition trim, where an 8-speed automatic is the only option. The M2 offers you a choice of manual or automatic at no extra charge.

Cadillac, Ford, Mazda, And Subaru

Credit: Cadillac

Just like the Z4/Supra situation, the caveat for Cadillac is the same. The CT4-V Blackwing, one of the two models available with three pedals, is not long for this world. Since a 2026 model can still be had, it remains on this list. Both the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models come standard with manual gearboxes, with 10-speed automatics costing an extra $3,175 on the CT4 and $6,275 on the CT5. The CT5-V Blackwing is one of just two cars remaining in America available with both a manual transmission and a V8 engine.

The other, of course, is the Ford Mustang GT, which comes standard with a 10-speed automatic but can be optioned with a 6-speed manual at no extra cost. America’s pony car keeps the stick in all GT-badged trims and two of the three Dark Horse models. The Dark Horse SC is the last horse in the stable before the almighty GTD and arrived packing a seven-speed dual-clutch.

Credit: Ford Motor Company

The Ford Bronco earns the title as the only vehicle on this list with a seven-speed manual. Yes, we know one is a crawler gear, but seven forward gears are still seven ratios to play with. This achievement is celebrated with the manual coming standard on the Base, Big Bend, Badlands, and Heritage Edition trims equipped with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder. A 10-speed automatic is available for an additional $1,795. Others charging extra for automatics are Subaru and Mazda, both of which still offer manuals in their two-door sports cars and four-door compacts.

The Subaru BRZ comes standard with a stick and charges $850 for an automatic. The WRX offers manuals on a few trims; the Base trim gets a manual as the only option, while the Limited charges $1,000 for a CVT. The GT trim is only offered with the automatic, but the highest-level tS only packs an H-pattern. Mazda offers a 6-speed manual in a single trim of the Mazda3 Hatchback, the 2.5 S Premium, which offers everything the 2.5 S Carbon Edition does, plus a few extra colors.

The MX-5 wouldn’t live up to its nameplate if it didn’t offer an engaging experience, which it thankfully does at no extra cost. If you want an automatic, it’s only available on the top-spec Grand Touring, at $920 for soft-top models and $970 for hard-tops.

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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.