If you want a brand-new pickup truck with a manual transmission, you have exactly one choice — and it might not be around much longer. The stick shift was once standard equipment in American truck culture, a badge of honor for drivers who wanted full command of their rig. Manuals were cheaper to maintain, more engaging to drive, and delivered a level of mechanical control that early automatics simply couldn’t match. But modern slush boxes have closed the gap in every measurable way, and the market has voted with its wallet.
Once automatics caught up, the sun began to set on the manual transmission truck. It turns out people would much rather let the truck do the work for them — not to mention the improved fuel economy that comes with modern automatics. Today, only a single pickup truck remains available with a manual transmission: the Toyota Tacoma, standing alone as a relic from an analog age while the rest of the truck world charges full steam into the future.
The Manual Truck Is Nearly Extinct In America
We know it may be hard to believe for some of our younger readers, but not that long ago, nearly every automaker offered a manual gearbox on at least one of their trucks. This applied to everything from tiny Ford Rangers to Chevy Silverado HDs, giving drivers greater control over their truck’s performance in all situations. In the 2000s, however, the tide began to shift. Automakers — some of which were strapped for cash and responding to shifting consumer preferences — decided it was time to move on to automatic transmissions that offered greater fuel efficiency and more power potential.
Here are some notable trucks from the last 20 years with manual transmissions:
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2006 – Ram SRT-10
- The last performance pickup truck available with a manual transmission. You could get a standard cab truck with a 6-speed manual and a V10 under the hood. Ram deserves more respect for this one.
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2008 – Ram 1500
- However, the company changed its tune just two years later, taking the last manually equipped light-duty truck off the market.
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2012 – Ford Ranger
- With the death of the third-generation Ranger, Ford killed the 5-speed manual along with it. There’s something fitting about a Ranger with a manual, so this one hurt.
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2018 – Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon
- Discontinued the six-speed manual after the 2018 model year, but it was only on the base trims.
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2018 – Ram 2500 Heavy Duty
- Ended manual availability with the launch of the fifth-generation model in 2019, taking the last heavy-duty truck with a manual off the market.
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2019 – Nissan Frontier
- The final model year to offer a manual before a refresh removed it in 2020.
By 2020, only two pickups remained for stick-shift enthusiasts: the Jeep Gladiator and the Toyota Tacoma. The former was aimed squarely at off-roaders who wanted more control on tight trails, while the latter only offered the manual on lower, base trim trucks. Even off-roaders couldn’t save the Gladiator’s shifter, though — at the end of 2024, that truck said goodbye to the manual, taking a truly unique option off the market.
The 2025 Toyota Tacoma: America’s Final Manual Pickup
And then there was one.
With the manual Jeep Gladiator heading off to the junkyard in the sky, the Toyota Tacoma earns the bittersweet distinction of being the only new pickup truck offered today with a manual transmission. This was a pleasant surprise when the fourth-generation Tacoma was originally announced, but it wasn’t surprising to see that it would be a limited option. Only three trims can be outfitted with the manual as a no-cost option: the SR, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road — and only when ordering a Double Cab truck with 4WD and a 5-foot bed.
The entry point for a manually equipped Tacoma is the SR Double Cab, which starts around $39,910 before taxes and fees — only about $5,000 less than a similarly configured TRD Off-Road or Sport. It’s a bare-bones truck, but pairing it with the manual unlocks the more powerful version of the i-Force engine: 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, versus the 228 hp and 223 lb-ft you get with the automatic. That’s slightly less than the 8-speed automatic’s output in TRD trims (278 hp and 317 lb-ft), but it’s not a dramatic difference. Unfortunately, since the manual isn’t compatible with the i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, any hope of a manually equipped TRD Pro or Trailhunter is off the table.
2026 Toyota Tacoma (Manual)
Engine
2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission
6-speed manual
Drivetrain
Part-Time 4WD
Power
270 hp
Torque
310 lb-ft
Towing Capacity
Up to 6,400 lbs
Bed Length
5-foot short bed
Cab Style
Double Cab
Available Trims
SR, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road (4WD only)
Fuel economy takes only a small hit compared to the automatic option, achieving 18 MPG city / 23 MPG highway / 20 MPG combined versus the automatic’s 19 city / 24 highway / 21 combined. A small price to pay for control, in our opinion. Power also comes on differently in the manual trucks, with torque peaking at 2,800 rpm and horsepower peaking at 5,400 rpm — simultaneously earlier and later than the automatic.
Fortunately, the manually equipped trucks don’t take a towing capacity hit the way the Gladiator did — they can all tow 6,400 lbs. With its availability on the base model and two mid-tier off-road trims, it’s clear Toyota is targeting contractors and off-road enthusiasts who want a little extra control. Toyota cares about the fans, and that much is obvious, but while we love the effort, in the real world we have to admit the manual Tacoma isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Will The Manual Tacoma Survive Much Longer?
The manual in the Tacoma comes with automatic rev-match downshifting (which must be engaged every time you start the truck) and a no-clutch starting option designed to protect you while off-roading on tight trails. The former is a feature you’ll likely use every single day, while the latter may only come into play once or twice over the life of the truck — but it’s great to know Toyota was forward-thinking with its design.
However, we regret to inform you that the experience behind the wheel is a tad disappointing, at least according to CarBuzz‘s Road Test Expert, Jared Rosenholtz, who said after driving one:
“The base SR certainly isn’t quick, but the other grades will leave the old Tacoma in the dust with ample turbo torque and transmissions that finally have enough ratios. As much as we love driving a manual, we think the automatic feels more suited to the power band of the engine.”
He felt that in day-to-day driving scenarios it was a bit of a dog, and the numbers back that up: the manual runs 0-60 mph in just over 7 seconds, compared to about 6.5 seconds for automatic models. It’ll be fine in most situations as long as you’re not wringing every gear out, but don’t expect the experience to be deeply satisfying — that satisfaction comes purely from knowing you’re driving a modern-day unicorn.
It’s the last of a nearly dead breed, the lone survivor of a lineage stretching back over 100 years. Regardless of what brand you drive or how you feel about powertrains, you have to respect this truck — and we hope that alone gives its sales a boost. Whatever those numbers are, though, we doubt they’re enough to justify its long-term existence.
This option is a passion project that shows Toyota still cares for enthusiasts, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what the rest of the brand’s truck lineup hauls in. As Toyota continues to push toward hybridization and emissions regulations grow stricter, the odds that the manual transmission even survives to the end of the fourth-gen Tacoma’s life — let alone beyond it — are slim. We may be witnessing the last manual transmission truck ever sold in the US, so appreciate it while you still can, because when it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
Soon, There Will Be Two
2020 Jeep Gladiator front 3/4 angle in redJeep
After briefly dropping the six-speed manual for the 2025 model year, Jeep has signaled the return of the stick-shift Gladiator. In an era where two-pedal automatics dominate assembly lines, the initial decision left the Toyota Tacoma as America’s sole manual pickup—a loss felt deeply by three-pedal purists.
Rejoining the lineup alongside the Wrangler, the manual setup pairs with Jeep’s proven 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, pushing 285 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. While automatics may shift faster, off-road enthusiasts know a manual offers unmatched mechanical control, low-speed crawl capability, and raw engagement on technical trails.
Bringing back the clutch pedal isn’t about setting sales records; it’s a direct nod to Jeep’s core identity and driver involvement. For those who believe an open-air truck built for rocks, dirt, and utility should involve all four limbs, the manual Gladiator’s comeback is a triumphant win.
Sources: Toyota
