Automakers have spent a decade tying manual transmissions to enthusiast trims rather than killing them outright, and a stick shift is still on the order sheet in several segments most buyers assume went automatic-only. Sports cars, hot hatches and one SUV carry six-speed manuals as a genuine build option rather than a nostalgia trick. Here are ten cars that still let a driver shift for themselves.
1. Porsche 911: A Six-Speed Halo Car
Porsche keeps a genuine manual option on the 911 lineup through the Carrera T, which pairs a six-speed shifter with a 388-horsepower twin-turbo flat-six, according to iSeeCars’ two-seater data. That output sits near the top of the manual-equipped sports-car segment.
For a buyer choosing between manual and automatic 911s, the Carrera T is the clearest factory signal that Porsche still treats the stick shift as a serious performance option rather than a discontinued feature. Fewer rivals at this price point still offer the same choice, and the pairing keeps the driving experience closer to older naturally aspirated 911s than most modern rivals manage.
2. Honda Civic Type R: The Hot Hatch Holdout
The Honda Civic Type R still offers a six-speed manual behind its 315-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, per iSeeCars’ small-car listings. No automatic or dual-clutch alternative is offered on the Type R in the current lineup.
That single-gearbox approach sets the Type R apart from most turbocharged hot hatches, many of which have shifted to dual-clutch transmissions in search of faster shift times. A shopper who wants the nameplate has to learn, or already know, how to row the gears, since no paddle-shift version exists to fall back on. The manual remains central to how the car is marketed, not an afterthought trim.
3. Mazda3: A Manual Hiding In A Sedan
A manual version of Mazda’s compact car still exists: the 2.5 S Premium trim, rated at 186 horsepower, comes standard with a six-speed manual, according to iSeeCars’ compact-car data. Mazda ties the gearbox to that single, mid-level trim rather than spreading it across the Mazda3 lineup.
Buyers who want three pedals in a Mazda3 have to select the 2.5 S Premium specifically, since the lower and higher trims are not listed with the same gearbox. That narrows the ordering path but keeps the option alive on a mainstream sedan most shoppers assume is automatic-only across the board.
4. Mazda MX-5 Miata: Three Trims, One Gearbox
Three separate trims of the Mazda MX-5 Miata — Club, Grand Touring and Sport — can be ordered with a six-speed manual, each rated at 181 horsepower, per iSeeCars’ two-seater rankings. That spread covers most of the roadster’s trim ladder rather than one special edition.
Because the manual is standard across three separate trims instead of boxed into a single package, a shopper has more room to pick options and still keep a clutch pedal. The Miata remains one of the few affordable roadsters where that choice stays this wide across an entire model range.
5. Ford Mustang: The Coupe Keeps Its Clutch
The Ford Mustang coupe is still listed with manual availability, starting at $31,920, according to iSeeCars’ coupe data. That starting price sits well below most other manual-equipped performance cars on the same list.
A buyer who wants a Mustang without an automatic gearbox can still order one at that entry price. The coupe body style is the one iSeeCars confirms still carries the option forward into the current lineup, a rarer trait among two-door performance cars at this price than it once was.
6. Subaru WRX: Manual By Default
Subaru builds the base WRX with a six-speed manual as standard equipment, rated at 271 horsepower, per iSeeCars’ small-car listings. That output comes from the WRX’s turbocharged boxer engine in its entry configuration.
Because the manual sits on the base trim rather than a premium package, a buyer does not have to pay up to keep the clutch pedal. That keeps the WRX’s stick shift accessible rather than equipment reserved for the priciest version of the car, unlike several rivals that only pair a manual with a stripped-down trim.
7. Jeep Wrangler: The SUV That Kept Its Stick
The Jeep Wrangler is still offered with a six-speed manual and carries the highest quality score of any manual SUV that iSeeCars tracks. No other manual-equipped SUV in that data set scored as well on quality.
That ranking makes the Wrangler a rare case where choosing a manual does not mean settling for a lower-scoring build. It stands out as the clearest manual option for a buyer who wants a traditional body-on-frame SUV rather than a car-based crossover, at a segment where most rivals dropped the option entirely.
8. Volkswagen Golf: The TSI’s Quiet Manual Option
Volkswagen’s Golf TSI can still be ordered with a six-speed manual, rated at 147 horsepower, according to iSeeCars’ compact-car data. That horsepower figure is among the lowest of any manual-equipped car on the list.
The tradeoff is a gearbox built for simplicity rather than outright speed, which suits a buyer who wants a manual daily driver over a dedicated performance car. The Golf’s TSI manual remains one of the more affordable ways to buy a new car with a clutch pedal, without chasing a horsepower number for its own sake.
9. BMW Z4: A Roadster That Still Rows Its Own
A six-speed manual is listed on the BMW Z4 M40i, which starts at $56,100, per iSeeCars’ luxury two-seater data. That price places the Z4 among the pricier manual-equipped roadsters currently tracked.
Choosing the M40i and the manual together puts a buyer into BMW’s most powerful Z4 configuration without ceding gear selection to an automatic. Few luxury convertibles in that price bracket still list a manual as a factory option, which makes the Z4’s inclusion notable rather than expected, and a genuine reason for a shopper who wants a clutch pedal to look at this specific trim first.
10. BMW M3: The Benchmark Sedan Keeps Three Pedals
The base BMW M3 pairs a six-speed manual with 473 horsepower from its twin-turbo inline-six, according to iSeeCars’ luxury compact-car data. That horsepower figure is the highest of any manual-equipped car on this list.
Because the manual comes on the base M3 rather than a stripped-down special edition, a buyer gets the car’s full output without giving up the clutch pedal. It stands as the most powerful showcase of how far a factory manual gearbox still goes in a segment where most rivals moved to automatics years ago.
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