The Future of Manual Cars (2024)

FAQs

Are they going to stop making manual cars? ›

At its current rate of decline, experts say that by 2029 the manual gearbox could be all but extinct like chokes, cassette players and wind-up windows. The demise of the manual is being fuelled by the era of electric vehicles, which are all automatic.

However, according to a report by CarMax, there has been an uptick in sales for cars with a stick shift in the last few years. In the report, sales for stick shift cars at CarMax had fallen to 2.4% in 2020. Then in 2021, those sales had seen a slight increase to 2.8%, and then rose again to 2.9% in 2022.

The 2035 Ban on New Petrol & Diesel Cars

As such, all new cars that will be sold on the market from 2035 onwards will be electric (with the exception of hybrids), the majority of which are automatic. This means that you can still drive petrol and diesel cars, but only if they are bought second-hand.

Though declining in popularity over recent decades, a few automakers continue to roll out manual transmission cars. The following includes vehicles with manual transmission options from the 2023 and 2024 market: Acura Integra Type S. BMW M2.

The average manual driver is not always so proficient. In getting the gear right, automatics consume less fuel, save money and emit fewer emissions. These are among the reasons why it's ever harder to buy a new manual-transmission model of any kind in many countries.

Manual transmission cars are largely disappearing in the U.S., but some drivers still prefer to drive a stick shift because it puts you closer to the driving experience. Explore Progressive Answers' auto editorial guidelines to find out why you can trust the car insurance information you find here.

There's no set ban on manual transmission itself, but there is a ban coming into place in 2035 on all petrol and diesel cars. That, by default, rules out manual cars, as all electric cars are automatic. The ban will only restrict the sale of petrol and diesel cars, though.

Manual transmissions require less servicing to remain functional and don't need the same type of oil as an automatic transmission. Cars with a stick-shift usually last longer than an automatic of the same make and model.

The reasons to buy a pre-owned vehicle are also reasons to consider when listing your current vehicle for sale. The resale value of a manual will likely be marked lower than if you were listing the same model of car with an automatic transmission.

Yet surprisingly, when I tell people that fact, they give me a weird look. Honestly that confuses me. So, I did a little research and found that only about 18% of Americans actually know how to drive a stick shift.

Will automatic always beat manual? ›

Perhaps at some point in the past, manual transmissions were truly and undoubtedly faster than their automatic counterparts. But thanks to advancements and innovations that have helped automatic transmissions become more efficient, they've easily surpassed the reliable old manual in terms of speed.

Manual transmissions

Less expensive to purchase – If you're car shopping on a budget, then there's really no contest between the manual and the automatic. On average, a manual transmission will cost you about a thousand dollars less than an automatic of the same model.

The rise of electrification, however, could well be the final nail in the coffin. With the goal to ban the sale of any new combustion-engine vehicles by 2030, this will see the end of many manual cars. New EVs don't have gears and so don't need a manual gearbox as a result.

If you do a lot city driving, an automatic may be easier to maneuver through stop and go traffic than a standard transmission. However, if performance and the driving experience matters to you, you might want to consider a manual. Another factor to keep in mind is if there'll be other people driving the vehicle.

It's here that the scarcity of this feature cuts both ways, making a manual car unappealing to the majority of buyers, even though it might be prized among a small subset of shoppers. This tends to lower the residual value of most manual-equipped models.