Stick Shift in 2026?

[Rockbadchild]

I like driving stick, I like the engagement, the control and the feedback. Also driving during the winter on a slippery curvy road it is a lot more predictable.

 

[Fixastuff]

Skinny jeans are funny.

Old dudes mad about skinny jeans acting like they didn’t wear tight bell bottoms or even worse super short cut off jeans shorts. Thats funny too.

 

[Highlandr]

This list is two years old. I'll guess it would be half that size today. Ex: Chevrolet no longer offers the Camaro, the Nissan Versa is no longer offered with a manual, and I don't think Kia offers anything manual in the US anymore.

As far as non-cars, the Tacoma and Bronco are the only ones I know of, and I'll guess you'd be hard pressed to find a Bronco with a manual.

 

[Jstpssng]

The other side of the "stick" coin is that a lot of people who think that they know how to drive them... don't.
A friend always starts off in second gear. At some point 50 years ago he had a truck with a creeper gear and still drives like they all do. We were on a hill at a stop sign pulling a trailer with 2 snowsleds. If I'd had granny low I'd have gotten it onto flat ground,then either double-clutched or simply stopped. Nope. Even though it was the basic 5 speed F150 transmission he beat on it until it went.
Fried clutch anybody?

 

[sd455dan]

Auto trans have come a long way. Dual clutch autos outshift the best drivers... but again I stress the stick shift cars in my life have been for engagement in the driving experience. Or for function in trucks.
Today only 1-2% of new cars come with a stick shift.

Lots of the dual clutch transmissions are short lived junk. Ford and Hyundai that used them come to mind.

Still get a manual in a jeep wrangler but they dropped the Gladiator manual option.

 

[sd455dan]

The other side of the "stick" coin is that a lot of people who think that they know how to drive them... don't.
A friend always starts off in second gear. At some point 50 years ago he had a truck with a creeper gear and still drives like they all do. We were on a hill at a stop sign pulling a trailer with 2 snowsleds. If I'd had granny low I'd have gotten it onto flat ground,then either double-clutched or simply stopped. Nope. Even though it was the basic 5 speed F150 transmission he beat on it until it went.
Fried clutch anybody?

My 03 RAM 3500 1st seems very similar to the old T 18 BW Never use first unless pulling a trailer.

 

[Jstpssng]

My 03 RAM 3500 1st seems very similar to the old T 18 BW Never use first unless pulling a trailer.

His didn't. The old Mazda 5 speeds were meant to use all 5 gears... especially starting off uphill pulling a trailer.

 

[sd455dan]

His didn't. The old Mazda 5 speeds were meant to use all 5 gears... especially starting off uphill pulling a trailer.

Yes I guess some people have no feel for a manual,or for how the engine is responding and being loaded. Some people can't even learn it, others it comes naturally and are very in tune with the engines happiness.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Off-topic, but I had a Moto Guzzi sideways V-twin, and it only needed two gears. You could shift into third pretty early, but if you stayed in second up to 70 mph, the sound was magnificent.

As I recall, first was stupidly tall.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have to admit that an auto is great for one hand on the wheel and one holding my coffee cup. Learning a stick came easy to me. Perhaps from watching others? I have had and driven many over the years, big and small. Perhaps it's primal but to me, I love the "feel" that driving a Road Ranger behind a ~500 HP diesel gives.