Who still drives a stick in 2025?

[Milo]

Toyota didn't put manuals in their (V8) Tundras, the only manuals offered were in the T100 and first gen Tundra (V6 only). I owned a 1997 T100 and 2004 Tundra with manual transmissions, access cabs, and 4x4.

 

[WinterDeere]

Toyota didn't put manuals in their (V8) Tundras, the only manuals offered were in the T100 and first gen Tundra (V6 only). I owned a 1997 T100 and 2004 Tundra with manual transmissions, access cabs, and 4x4.

Sorry, you're right. It was the Tundra I had looked at. The T100 was an older Toyota full-size that a friend owned, years ago.

I always figured Toyota would be the last hold-out on manual transmission, but I think they dropped it from their full-size trucks even before Dodge.

 

[WinterDeere]

So, here's an interesting question: Excluding vehicles that cost more than the average American home, what high-power or otherwise desirable vehicles still exist with a manual transmission option, in 2025?

I remember shopping new BMW sedans and wagons way back in 2010, or thereabouts, and even they had dropped manual from most of their wagons and sedans equipped with the highest-power engine option. Same with Audi, you could not buy a Quattro Passat wagon in manual, as far back as 2010, only a wimpy low-power FWD variant. We ended up switching brands to Volvo, at that time, because they still sold an AWD sports wagon with a 250 hp 5-cylinder turbo engine and a 6-speed manual (V70 2.5T R-design).

When I bought my current sedan (6.4L SRT 392 Charger), I spent about a week waffling on the purchase, because I really hated the idea of buying an auto. The Charger was never made available with a manual transmission, because all of the initial safety/crash testing had been done on the C300 variant of that body, which was auto only. The Challenger was still available in manual with 6.4L or 6.2T, but being a 2-door at a time when I had two kids still in car seats, it was a terrible option for me.

The ZF 8HP90 is an absolutely sublime, fully-programmable 8-speed monster of a transmission, with adjustable shift points, stall point, shift crispness... it has it all. And it out-performs the manual variant of the car under basically every racing and sport condition. But it's still more fun manually rowing gears.

 

[Rockbadchild]

So, here's an interesting question: Excluding vehicles that cost more than the average American home, what high-power or otherwise desirable vehicles still exist with a manual transmission option, in 2025?

I remember shopping new BMW sedans and wagons way back in 2010, or thereabouts, and even they had dropped manual from most of their wagons and sedans equipped with the highest-power engine option. Same with Audi, you could not buy a Quattro Passat wagon in manual, as far back as 2010, only a wimpy low-power FWD variant. We ended up switching brands to Volvo, at that time, because they still sold an AWD sports wagon with a 250 hp 5-cylinder turbo engine and a 6-speed manual (V70 2.5T R-design).

When I bought my current sedan (6.4L SRT 392 Charger), I spent about a week waffling on the purchase, because I really hated the idea of buying an auto. The Challenger was still available in manual with 6.4L or 6.2T, but being a 2-door at a time when I had two kids still in car seats, it was a terrible option for me.

The ZF 8HP90 is an absolutely sublime auto transmission, fully-programmable 8-speed monster of a transmission, with adjustable shift points, stall point, shift crispness... it has it all. And it out-performs the manual variant of the car under basically every racing and sport condition. But it's still more fun manually rowing gears.

Its very odd as Audi do provide a manual transmission in Europe, one of my coworker tried to get a automatic transmission replace with a manual through the dealer and he couldn't, he pointed out the they have them in Europe order one but they couldn't / wouldn't.


I believe these are the only options that would fit the high-power and desirable category.

Ford Mustang GT
Toyota GR Supra
Nissan Z
Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Porsche 718 Cayman
BMW Z4 M40i, M4, M3 and M2

 

[WinterDeere]

Its very odd as Audi do provide a manual transmission in Europe, one of my coworker tried to get one through the dealer and he couldn't.

Yep. I remember arguing this with the local Audi/Porsche dealer, who told me "most Americans don't want manual transmission."

To which I replied, "you're probably right, but most American Audi customers probably do!"

Ford Mustang GT

lol... how could I have forgotten the Mustang! I actually owned a 7-liter Mustang until about 15 years ago, with a manual valve body (C6) transmission. Pretty much built as a dedicated drag car, but I mostly only drove it on the street.

Toyota GR Supra

I have such a deep distaste for all Japanese autos, that I will almost surely never buy one, but I do have to admit I've always liked the Supra. A buddy had one years ago, true RWD sports car.

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

Will have to check this out. I had Cadillac on the short list, when replacing the aforementioned Volvo V50 T5 R-Design, thinking they still made a high-power wagon. But as of 2020, it was only available in a totally anemic 4-cylinder configuration. I honestly don't understand why anyone would ever buy a Cadillac, for any reason other than some of their apparently-former big-displacement engine options. It is honestly their only appealing aspect, IMO.

Porsche 718 Cayman

Beautiful car. But price jumps from $80k to $160k, as soon as you put a decent engine in the thing. The standard 300 hp configuration is more for housewives and nimrods who want to wear a pretty badge, than a car I'd actually want to drive.

I can afford a $160k car, but I'm not spending that, when I can buy way more smiles per dollar in other brands.

This thread actually has me thinking about the next car move. When I bought the SRT 392 Charger back in 2016, I had figured I'd be replacing it with the Cobra 429 S/C I'd always wanted, as I'm no longer carting kids around in a back seat. But our climate isn't exactly super-conducive to an open-top roadster, and I've also always loved those ultra-gaudy gen.3 Corvettes.

I see $20k-$40k is presently the going price on a manual transmission gen.3 Stingray... seems like a deal. I wonder how much horsepower you could put through that gearbox and rear, before you start breaking things? There are some mighty nice supercharged small blocks on the market today, seems like an easy re-power job. Maximum smiles per dollar.

 

[Oaktree]

only column 4 spd. I ever drove.

My mother had a Saab in the late 60s, and that had a 4 speed column shift. Kind of a PITA for someone like myself with large hands...I'd keep bumping the wiper switch every time I'd shift.
It also had the free wheeling option, which had to be experienced to really understand what it was. It essentially automatically put the car in neutral in situations where you'd normally do engine braking. IIRC it's intended purpose was to improve fuel economy.

 

[Oaktree]

The column shifter would sometimes get stuck between 1st and second if I remember right.
It was my job to go with my mother if she took the truck into the Co-op or town to pop it out of the stuck position.
As a little guy I'd pop the hood open, scramble up on the fender and with a small crowbar pop the linkage back into place.

Wasn't just GMs that had that problem, high school friend had a mid-60s Valiant that did the same thing, as you noted most often when the weather was bad and/or he was all dressed up. None of the Ford cars I owned had that problem, but I had an F100 that would occasionly do it too.

Other than my mother's old Saab, can't think of any foreign vehicles I've seen with a column manual.

 

[5030]

One definite plus about driving any vehicle with a standard tranny is, you don't have to worry about some kid stealing your ride because they cannot drive it anyway as they have no clue what that lever is for. If it's not PRNDL, they are totally lost. I leave my keys in the ignition all the time because of that fact. The other nice aspect it, your brakes last twice as long because they don't have to fight against the slush box when slowing down or coming to a stop. Compression braking is always a plus and why most big trucks have exhaust brakes. Mine does, 3 stage Jacob's brake

 

[Rockbadchild]

Yep. I remember arguing this with the local Audi/Porsche dealer, who told me "most Americans don't want manual transmission."

I hate that comment, like it will certainly be the case if you don't offer it at all.

I might have forgotten the Subaru WRX which could fit in this category. I personally have mix feeling about the WRX but I am curious what is your take on it.

 

[WinterDeere]

I hate that comment, like it will certainly be the case if you don't offer it at all.

lol... yeah. I understand the numbers game they're playing, but like Milo said, I think there's room for more of them to capture the part of the new car buying market that does want a manual.

One thing we've always faced, is that manual is more desired by young males buying used cars, than by the older buyers buying new cars. That has always been the case, and especially with cars like the aforementioned Corvette.

I might have forgotten the Subaru WRX which could fit in this category. I personally have mix feeling about the WRX but I am curious what is your take on it.

I think the WRX is an engineering marvel. I wouldn't buy one for myself, I just don't dig the whole Subaru image and ethos, but I can totally understand why those cars have such a huge fanbase.

Along the same lines is the Mitsubishi Evo, which a friend tried to convince me to buy many years ago. I see the Evo and WRX more as "kids cars", something that must be very appealing to young guys, who have less nostalgic attachment to big-displacement American V8's.