If you’ve ever stalled at a light and smiled anyway, this one’s for you. Manuals aren’t dead. They’re just picky about where they live. The third pedal survives in 2025 thanks to carmakers that still believe fun is a feature—and buyers who prove it with their wallets. Here’s the state of the stick: what’s new, who’s buying, and where the road seems to lead.
New manual models you can still buy
Not long ago, the story was “manuals are disappearing.” Today, the better headline is “manuals are consolidating.” The menu is smaller, yes, but more focused on the cars that make a manual feel worth it.
Sports cars and coupes: the heartland of the stick
This is where the action is. BMW added a six-speed to the Z4 M40i for 2024, and it landed with a thud of good news. According to Motor1, 65 percent of Z4 buyers chose the manual in 2024. Toyota matched that energy on the GR Supra; the company told journalists that “65 percent of Supras sold here in 2024 were manuals.” Subaru remains a stick stronghold. The BRZ and WRX post sky-high manual mixes by modern standards—various 2024 tallies put the BRZ around 78 percent manual and the WRX in the 80s, showing that when the third pedal is offered, enthusiasts actually pick it.
Porsche keeps the faith, too. Not every 911 variant offers a clutch, but enough do that the brand has publicly said the 911’s manual is here to stay in specific trims. As Autocar quoted 911 project leader Frank Moser: “The manual will continue to be offered in certain 911 models.” In a world of dual-clutch rockets, that’s a reassuring sentence.
Mazda’s Miata stays the answer. Depending on the year and trim mix, the Miata typically sees a majority manual share in the U.S., and owners will happily tell you the six-speed is as sweet as ever.
Sports sedans that still row
Cadillac still lets you shift a 668-hp supercharged V8 by hand in the CT5-V Blackwing, and the smaller CT4-V Blackwing offers the same choice. Take rates have hovered around half for both, based on automaker comments gathered by outlets like Motor1. BMW’s M division keeps manuals alive where they matter most: the M2’s U.S. take rate is roughly 50 percent, while the M3 and M4 manual mixes land around 20 percent and 15 percent. Acura’s Integra is a quiet hero. The Type S is manual-only, and across the whole Integra lineup, about one in five buyers choose the six-speed.
Volkswagen’s enthusiast sedan, the Jetta GLI, still offers a stick, and it punches above its weight in take rate. Automotive Addicts’ summary of 2024 numbers pegs GLI manual mix around 38 percent. That’s stout for a compact sedan.
Trucks and SUVs: still hanging on
Toyota’s Tacoma continues to offer a six-speed on select trims. Yes, it’s niche, but it’s proof the option can coexist with modern tech and safety. Jeep still sells the Wrangler with a manual, though the brand won’t share exact take-rate figures. The bigger news is on what’s gone: the Gladiator dropped its manual for 2025, and Nissan retired the Versa’s five-speed in 2025 after fewer than five percent of buyers chose it in 2024. Budget sticks are becoming rare species.
Who’s actually buying manuals in 2024–2025
Let’s talk buyer mix, because it’s the clearest window into the future. The headline isn’t just “big numbers.” It’s “big commitment in the right places.”
Enthusiast specials are manual magnets. When a car’s personality screams “driver’s car,” the manual take rate follows. The Toyota GR Supra and BMW Z4 both hit 65 percent manual last year. Subaru’s WRX and BRZ attract overwhelmingly manual buyers. BMW’s M2 is an even split. Cadillac’s Blackwings hover around half. These aren’t random spikes; they’re proof that when the manual is treated as the right tool for the job, buyers reward the brand.
Volume matters, too. The Honda Civic had a 7.2 percent manual take rate in 2024. That sounds small until you realize the Civic sells in huge numbers. Motor1 found that this made the Civic “the best-selling manual car of 2024” by sheer volume, with more than 17,000 manual Civics sold. Performance cars create high percentages; bread-and-butter cars create big totals.
Some brands saw a last dance surge. Volkswagen’s manual GTI and Golf R ended production in 2024, and take rates jumped before the curtain fell—around 41 percent for the GTI and 52 percent for the R, according to roundups of VW’s data. The lesson is simple: supply the right manual, and people will move quickly to grab it.
Even the outliers hold steady. Hyundai’s Elantra N, a hot-sedan sleeper, sees around a 30 percent manual mix. That’s a third of buyers choosing a clutch in a world of fast automatics. It’s not just nostalgia; it’s taste.
The big-picture numbers
In the full U.S. market, manuals are still a slim slice. J.D. Power and Motor1 both noted that manual share rose to roughly 1.7 percent of new-car sales in 2023, up from about 0.9 percent in 2021. That’s tiny, but trending up. The stick shift is now a specialty item, like a chef’s knife: it’s not in every kitchen, but the folks who know what it’s for won’t cook without it.
The model count has shrunk. By early 2025, fewer than 30 models in the U.S. still offered a manual. Some of those are niche trims. Others are halo cars. But the list is balanced with familiar names—Miata, Mustang, WRX, 911, Supra, M2/3/4, Integra, Z4, CT4-V/CT5-V Blackwing, Elantra N, Jetta GLI, Tacoma, Wrangler, Nissan Z—and that’s enough to keep the flame bright.
Why manuals survive where they do
Manuals live on for three reasons: emotion, identity, and math. Emotion first. A good stick makes a normal drive feel special. It gives you a job—balancing clutch, throttle, and shifter—that makes even a slow corner feel like a moment. Identity next. For a car like a 911, Miata, or WRX, the manual tells the world what the car is about. Kill the stick, and you risk blurring what makes the car different.
Then there’s math. Automakers follow take rates. If half of M2 buyers or Blackwing buyers choose the manual, killing it would leave money on the table. As one industry watcher likes to say, “Saving the manuals isn’t a slogan; it’s a business case measured in take rates.”
Outlook: the road ahead for the third pedal
Short term, the manual looks steady in enthusiast lanes. BMW says M manuals are holding firm. Cadillac appears committed while the Blackwings last. Toyota and Subaru keep serving the faithful. Porsche has already said the 911 manual will live on in select trims. “The manual will continue to be offered in certain 911 models,” Frank Moser said, and if anyone understands the power of tradition, it’s Porsche.
Medium term, expect more concentration. Mainstream, low-margin manuals (think base sedans and small crossovers) will keep fading. The Versa already did. Jeep trimmed back in the Gladiator. Safety and efficiency tech, plus demand for driver assistance, push most buyers to automatics. That doesn’t doom the stick. It just moves it where it shines: cars people buy with their hearts.
EVs muddy the long-term picture. Electric cars don’t need conventional transmissions, and EV market share keeps climbing. But there’s still a long tail for gas performance cars, and a manual is part of their charm. The most likely outcome through the decade is a stable niche: manuals remain optional in a handful of performance models, command strong take rates there, and become even more of a calling card for brand identity.
Final gear: shopper tips and parting thoughts
If you want a new manual, plan ahead. Many stick-shift models are built in smaller numbers or locked to certain trims. That means allocations, waitlists, and dealers who may not stock exactly what you want. Order if you can. Be flexible on color and options. And remember that some manuals, like the Integra Type S or Miata Club, create their own resale safety net because demand stays strong.
Above all, pick the car that makes you want to drive. The market has spoken, and its voice is more nuanced than “manuals are dead.” What the data really says is, “Manuals are alive where they matter.” Or, as Motor1 put it when naming the Civic the volume champ, “The Honda Civic was the best-selling manual car of 2024.” That’s not a eulogy. That’s a headline.
So yes, the stick shift is still here. Fewer models. Stronger mixes. A clearer mission. In the places where fun still matters, the third pedal is doing just fine. Now get out there and practice your heel-toe. Your future self—and your left calf—will thank you.
