UPDATE: 2026/07/30 12:46 EST BY SEAN MCMANUS
Other Segments Are Losing Manuals Too
We added a section to discuss the manual transmissions’ fate in other segments in the United States.
The manual transmission isn’t having a great year when it comes to affordable performance sedans. First, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI lost its manual for 2027, and now the Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra A-Spec are reportedly losing theirs as well after 2026 due to new emissions regulations. Honda says it has enough stock to last into 2027, but who knows how the market will react when they learn the $31,495 Si is on its way out.
That means customers are left with just two affordable manual performance sedans, made by Hyundai and Subaru.
Hyundai Elantra N
276 HP For $35,100
2025 Hyundai Elantra N front 3/4 angle in blue while parkedJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
The Elantra N appears to be nearing the end of its production run for this generation. The new Elantra has already been revealed in its regular form in South Korea, with the US reveal likely to follow soon. The good news is that Hyundai has confirmed a new N is coming, and it will even get a bigger 2.5L turbo 4, most likely, along with even bolder styling.
The downside is that it will likely lose its manual, since the current one would likely require modifications to handle the extra power it will probably get, and that might be a hard extra cost to justify for a single, low-priced car with tight profit margins. It was easier to justify when the manual was shared with the Veloster N, which has since sadly departed. But the bean counters don’t always win, so there is still some hope that we will see a new manual transmission with the next generation.
2025 Hyundai Elantra N rear 3/4 angle in blueJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
But while it’s still here, here’s a refresher of what it offers: a 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 that produces 276 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque and posts a mid-5 second 0-60 mph time. It stays well-rounded thanks to big brakes, adaptive dampers, a front electronic locking differential, and a varied assortment of other suspension upgrades and bracing, plus summer performance tires wrapped around sportier wheels.
2025 Hyundai Elantra N interior view of the front cabinJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
On the outside, you get sportier bumpers and side skirts, all with red accents, generously sized exhaust tips connected to an active exhaust valve system that sounds great, and a substantial rear spoiler for good measure. Inside, there are properly sporty seats wrapped in grippy microsuede that include an illuminated N badge, a sportier steering wheel with large drive mode buttons, a dedicated N page on the infotainment screen with all the performance data readouts and timers you could want, plus various other small touches, such as adjustable sounds piped into the cabin.
And it gives you all this for $35,100 plus $1,245 for destination, and still includes Hyundai’s famous 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It’s a fantastic performance bargain that’s enormously fun to drive and live with. We’re lucky to still have it here in America. Get it while you can.
Subaru WRX
271 HP For $32,495
2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
Another great performance bargain, and the only other remaining affordable performance sedan with a manual, is the Subaru WRX. After a pricing misstep last year, Subaru thankfully quickly fixed the pricing for 2026, bringing back the base trim and lowering the prices of the other trims as well. This results in a starting price of just $32,495 plus a $1,195 destination fee for a 271-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-4 engine, all-wheel drive and a crisp-shifting 6-speed manual. It provides a 0–60 mph time of about 5.5 seconds and, thanks to that all-wheel-drive system and pretty good ground clearance for a performance car, will keep on accelerating regardless of what nature throws at you.
It’s not as capable or sophisticated as the Elantra, with the WRX’s adaptive dampers and large brakes reserved for the top GT and tS trims and no active exhaust available at all, but for buyers who don’t mind spending some money in the aftermarket to improve these areas or don’t need something quite as sporty, it’s still a great car in base form.
2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
It also offers a roomy interior for daily driving, even if it is somewhat basic and plain. You’ll need to go to those top trims once again if you want the sportier Recaro seats, the digital gauges, or a more colorful interior, among other things. But the WRX nails the essentials, aside from the slow-reacting touchscreen, with plenty of power, well-done driver inputs, and great handling. And for many enthusiasts, the interior isn’t a top priority anyway.
2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
At this point, the interior isn’t even worth dwelling on, though, because it’s the only all-wheel-drive performance car under $40,000 (unless you include the Mazda3 Turbo), and it features that all-important manual shifter without requiring a significant premium, which leads most buyers to overlook its other minor shortcomings, such as its rev-hang, its unpainted rear bumper and crossover-like cladding, or its not-so-great (for a 4-cylinder) fuel economy rating of 22 MPG combined. Credit to Subaru for keeping it around in an ever-more-challenging new car market, and keeping this rally-inspired road car alive. Even though it isn’t perfect, long live the manual WRX.
Other Affordable Manual Performance Cars Are Still Available
2026 Toyota GR Corolla from the front three-quarter angleToyota
Thankfully, if you’re flexible on the sedan requirement, there are still quite a few other affordable manual transmission cars available in 2026 that are all a lot of fun in their own ways. Assuming we don’t lose any of these to the same emissions regulations, we still have the Mazda3 Hatchback for those who don’t need a great deal of power, the Toyota GR Corolla for those wanting the manual, heavily boosted all-wheel-drive hot hatch that Subaru and others no longer offer, and the Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S for those who want the ultimate form of the front-wheel-drive hot hatch.
For those who can live with smaller back seats and no rear doors, there’s also the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ twins, the Mazda MX-5 Miata for those who can go one step further and dispense with a back seat altogether, and the Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse for those able to spend a little more and place less emphasis on lightweight handling. This is still a fairly small number of vehicles compared to what was once available, but there are clearly still several great cars to choose from if you can live with something other than a sedan.
2026 Subaru BRZ front 3/4Subaru
Those with larger budgets also have the BMW M2, the final year of the current generation BMW M3 and M4, the final year of the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, and the CT5-V Blackwing all as great options. But it might not be long until most of those manuals are gone as well, unfortunately.
Between the increasing demand for manuals in the exotic car market and the increased demand from Gen Z, along with all the other manual fans across the various generational groups in between, here’s hoping that automakers of all types find ways to keep manuals around and that new car buyers continue to support this niche segment of the market with their purchases.
Other Segments are Losing Their Manuals, Too
2026 Toyota Tacoma SR front 3/4 angle in whiteToyota
We’d love to say the death of the manual transmission is greatly exaggerated, especially after seeing how many sports cars are still available with the standard option, but sports cars aren’t the only models affected by the lack of customers’ desire for manual transmissions. For example, there’s only one truck left with a manual: the Toyota Tacoma. Buyers could opt for the Jeep Gladiator with its manual option at one point, but that option was removed for the 2026 model year.
On that note, SUVs are losing their manuals at record speeds, too. The 2026 model year only brings us two options: the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. The Wrangler comes with a classic six-speed that’s built by Aisin in Japan; it’s known as the D478 internally, and remains a reliable option. Ford offers a seven-speed is unique in that it comes with a special “crawler” gear. It’s a super low ratio to multiply torque while off-roading for better control.
Other segments are without manual transmissions entirely now. Station wagons are a dying breed, which lost their manuals about twelve years ago after the Cadillac CTS-V was discontinued. Five-speed manuals are wiped out after the Nissan Sentra was updated for the 2026 model year.
Sources: Hyundai, Subaru
