Nowadays, driving a car with a manual transmission puts someone in a sort of cult. Manual transmissions (or stick shifts, sticks, whatever you want to call it) are increasingly rare as more and more automakers opt to offer automatic transmissions exclusively.

Some, like Lexus, argue that a human will never be able to shift gears as quickly as an automatic transmission—and while that’s true, it takes a lot of control and fun out of driving. Some cars, like trucks or SUVs, feel better with an automatic because the lack of feedback can make them annoying to drive with a manual (though, of course, that assessment is subjective).

The point is, if you drive a stick shift, you likely feel very proud to be one of the few who know how to and drive one daily. If you’re looking for a new car that comes with a fun and responsive manual transmission that will give you just the right amount of feedback, this list is for you.

The Honda Civic Type R is for those who enjoy spirited driving

Before you say, “$45,895 is a lot for a Honda,” consider what you’re getting for that price. A reliable, wide-body, roomy, daily driveable, surprisingly efficient, and great-sounding sedan. Oh, and it has a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 315 horsepower.

It also has a gorgeous red interior and a very responsive and peppy six-speed manual transmission. In the digital interface, the Type R has gauges, timers, and even a lap time recorder in case you’re planning on doing track days with it (which, by the way, you should). It also has a zero to sixty time of 4.9 seconds.

With its manual-only setup, the Type R locks newbs out. Because it’s manual only, you don’t have a choice—because if you looked at the Type R and thought, “You know, it would be more fun with an automatic,” you shouldn’t be driving it anyway.

The Mazda2 hatchback delivers a manual transmission experience straight from heaven

There are some cars you get behind the wheel of and immediately think, “There’s no way this would be as fun with an automatic,” and the Mazda3 hatchback is one of them. The little hatchback really does speak to Mazda’s old “Zoom Zoom Zoom” commercials, with a comfortable but sporty ride, excellent visibility, and decent mileage—even with the optional six-speed.

A naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four powers it, delivering 191 horsepower—while the Turbo Premium Plus sticks to an automatic. It’s plenty of pep for a hatchback that size. If you want something smaller but equally as amazing, check out the Miata MX-5. Driving one with a manual is life-changing.

The starting price is also very friendly for first-time buyers at $25,135, going up to $36,985 depending on other options, like AWD or Amazon’s Alexa Assistant.

We wouldn’t dare make a list of the best manuals without at least one BMW

The BMW M3 caught some heat when rumors lit up about the company taking the manual away, but as of 2025, you can still get one with a six-speed transmission. As long as you stick with rear-wheel drive, anyway. Opting for AWD means committing to an eight-speed automatic.

Like the Honda or the Mazda, the M3 is easy to drive daily with four doors, a sizable trunk, great sound system, tasteful exterior and interior design, and BMW’s most potent ingredient: the legendary twin-turbo inline six that excites 473 horses. All those ponies help move the sedan from zero to 60 in just under 4 seconds.

However, all those niceties come at quite a steep cost. The starting price is $77,175, and the max price is $86,475. But that’s just MSRP, you can never predict what a dealership’s markup will be. We will say, though, that if bought from the right seller, they’re a fantastic buy used.

The Nissan Z is great with an automatic, but it’s better with a manual

It really is a shame that Nissan didn’t do that great with marketing the Z or Z NISMO. It’s meant to pay tribute to everyone’s favorite, the 240Z, complete with design inspirations and plenty of easter eggs to keep you busy for a while. It also borrows from the GT-R with its hunkered-down, wide body stance.

If you get the Sport or Performance edition (which comes in a nostalgic orange or bright yellow), a 3.0-liter twin turbo V6 is perched underneath the hood. Those two make 400 horsepower and can come in a nine-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. The NISMO edition is tuned to make an extra 20 horsepower and has minor styling differences, but it’s auto-only.

The standard edition (Sport) has a starting price of $42,970, and for an extra $10,000, you can get the Performance edition. This is a pretty reasonable price when you factor in the intuitive and surprisingly roomy interior, comfortable seats, excellent sound system, and long list of safety features.

You probably expected the Subaru WRX to be on this list

The WRX carries over a lot of what made Subaru so successful in the World Rally Cross. Standard AWD grips the road, the 2.4-liter turbo boxer engine keeps the center of gravity low, and the six-speed manual wrings out every bit of its 271 horsepower.

You can get the WRX in a CVT, but even writing that feels sacrilegious. A car that was inspired by Subaur’s championship-winning race cars and the words “automatic transmission” shouldn’t even be in the same sentence. But here we are.

It’s also a fairly reasonable price for a car that can fit the kids, the dog, groceries, and ski or camping gear comfortably. The starting price is $35,750, and it goes up to $45,705 if you opt for the tS or GT model.