The death of the stick shift is almost here

[Zorro]

Driving a manual vehicle is a lost art. Hopes of a revival have fallen flat. With the rise of EVs and autonomous vehicles, only a few die-hards are holding on.

His father was a devoted fan of the stick shift, and so when it came time for Alvaro Puig to get his driver’s license in the early ’90s, that meant figuring out how to work the clutch and three pedals in his father’s old manual BMWs.

It wasn’t easy, but he was hooked.

“You’re making decisions about whether to shift, when to shift, when to use the clutch, putting it into gear,” Puig said.

He loved it so much that today he owns two manual BMWs of his own and avoids getting behind the wheel of his wife’s automatic Tesla. Cars with automatic transmissions are just different, he said.

“It’s kinda boring,” said Puig, 52, who lives in Kensington, Maryland.

Drivers like Puig are rare — and nearly gone. Less than 1 percent of new vehicles made for the U.S. market in 2025 were stick shifts, according to preliminary government data. At just 0.6 percent, it was an all-time low.

https://wapo.st/4gJh1ww

[bucolic_frolic]

1. CVT's

I drove a stick once I think. Continuously variable transmissions were the beginning of the end, or so we were told.

[UpInArms]

2. I love manual transmissions

Will keep mine running, hopefully, as long as I do

[zeusdogmom]

3. I loved my manual Mazda3

I have driven manual transmission cars all my adult life - even in hilly San Francisco. Love the feeling of actually driving the car.

I needed to replace my tired Mazda - manual certainly not in my price range. So I moved to automatic. At 78 I will admit I am less fatigued at the end of long road trips driving the automatic mainly because of some ugly heavy stop and go traffic areas. So the switch was a good thing … I guess 😄

I like my little Mazda but it isn’t quite the same zoom zoom 😊

[EYESORE 9001]

4. I learned to drive

in a 1930s Ford panel truck with a manual transmission that required double-clutching - once to take out of gear, release clutch pedal, step on it again, then put in desired gear. It makes for hyper-awareness.

[Firestorm49]

5. I've always had a stick shift in the car inventory.

[Biophilic]

6. I loved my stick shifts. But...

But eventually I had to give them up. Too bad. Sticks were fun to drive.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. Both of our company's semis are 18 speed manuals and my POV is a 6 speed stick.

It's true, the art of the manual trans. is going the way of the dinosaurs, even most semi's are now automatics.

[Nittersing]

8. At least my little Smart Car has paddle shifters

Not being a particular car enthusiast, I had no idea there were cars with a thing called "paddle shifters" until I bought my first Smart Car. I think that feature alone helped me decide.

I live near the mountains and the ability to choose what gear you want to drive in is really a game changer... especially for a little car like mine.

I learned to drive in a vw hatchback and I really do prefer manual for the added control, but at my advancing age, I love being able to shift with just a click of the paddle.

[Mme. Defarge]

9. Drove a stick shift until

I finally test drove an automatic that felt like I was driving it - not the other way around. It was a Volvo S40. Now I’m still happy with my 12 year old Flamenco red Volvo S60.

[Vogon_Glory]

10. I learned how to use a stick shift on Jeeps

While my Dad was at peace for using automatic transmissions on town cars, he believed that off-road vehicles should use stick shift.

I followed his example and the first Jeep I bought was a 2001 Jeep Wrangler. I enjoyed shifting gears and shifting from 2 wheel high to 4 wheel low on. Jeep trails.

I was eventually forced to give in. My current Wrangler has automatic transmission.

[Hey Joe]

11. Still have my '02 Nissan pickup and it's low mileage

and in decent shape.
It’s a 5-speed and maybe not worth much except for its utility for hauling everything.
I’ll keep her until she dies.

[gay texan]

12. I prefer manual transmissions to automatics

Manual transmission cars are much easier to fix.

[EverHopeful]

13. First time I drove an automatic I almost threw my friend into the windshield

by slamming my left foot down on the brake, back in the day before we were smart enough to wear seat belts.

No longer drive but how do you get an automatic started when the starter goes out? Had a VW bug that I parked facing downhill until I could get to the mechanic to get it fixed.

[intheflow]

14. Rich person with 2 BMWs and a Tesla crying about automatic transmissions going away

is peak late-stage capitalism.

[CozyMystery]

15. Cars with manual transmissions are fun to drive!

I wish I still had one.

[sinkingfeeling]

16. I am driving my first automatic that I bought in Costa Rica. I have been driving 64+ years.

I sold my '99 Saturn and my 2019 Nissan, both manual transmissions, when I left USA last year.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. Varies hugely by country

The manual gearbox is edging closer to extinction in Britain's new car market after new figures revealed that almost 92 per cent of vehicles ordered this year are automatic.
...
Manual gearboxes remain far more common across much of Europe than they are in Britain. In Italy, manual cars accounted for 48 per cent of new registrations in 2025, while they represented 41 per cent in Spain. France has also been slower to embrace automatics, with around three in ten new cars still fitted with manual transmissions.

Because rental companies often purchase lower-cost models in bulk, manual cars are typically the default option. Travellers requiring an automatic may therefore face higher rental costs, reduced availability or both, particularly during the busy summer holiday season.

Germany has followed a trajectory closer to Britain's, with manual gearboxes now accounting for just 18 per cent of new car registrations.

https://www.regit.cars/car-news/manual-gearbox-faces-extinction-as-92-of-new-cars-ordered-in-britain-are-now-automatic

Renting cheap cars in the UK, they still have mostly manual gearboxes.

[kacekwl]

18. My uncle "taught" me how to drive stick in his 65 Ford pick up when I wad 16.

I was to follow him to our job for the day and while pulling away from the light I gave a little too much gas and squealed the tires and was promptly pulled over by the police. Good times.

[Skittles]

19. who else drove a "three on the tree"

I did, in high school

[Hey Joe]

22. The very first vehicle I ever drove was an early

60’s Dodge pickup. Three speed, column shift.
I was restricted to the farm property since I was too young to drive anywhere else.

[Zorro]

23. Yup

62 Chevy. My Dad thought it would be good to learn using a manual, since that's how he learned to drive. It was like getting thrown into the deep end of the pool to learn how to swim.

[valleyrogue]

20. No great loss. n/t

[madinmaryland]

21. I'm still driving my stick shift 2013 Toyota Corolla. Love it.

Will drive it as long as it lasts. Just topped 88k miles.

[Aristus]

24. Coolest car I ever owned was a 1982 Datsun 280-ZX.

With a T-Top.

Silver over black.

Manual transmission allied to a straight-six engine. Acceleration was incredible. I called it the Silver Tyrant.

I loved it.

Had to give it up when I got married because Mrs. Aristus couldn’t drive a stick shift.

[Martin Eden]

25. I drove a stick shift from 1980 thru 2024, and my wife still drives one

When it was time to replace my 2016 VW Golf, my highest priority was fuel economy. I go on long road trips, so an EV was problematical for that reason, and because my wife was dead set against it. I bought a 2025 KIA Niro hybrid, and I've been happy with it. It's very practical, and gets nearly 50mpg.

My wife is on her 4th Subaru. The first 3 were Outbacks, but a stick was no longer available after the 2014 model. Now she drives a 2023 Crosstrek, the last year a stick was available with a stick.

I always felt more engaged with driving when shifting my own gears, and enjoyed it. I was tempted to get the Mazda 3 hatchback with 6 speed manual transmission, but it has less cargo space and the fuel economy (though decent) isn't close to the Niro. The Honda Civic SI would be a good option, but it doesn't come as a hatchback and is too long for my spot in the garage.