Every year, you’ll find a new article detailing the remaining manual transmissions available in the new car market, and every year that article gets just a little bit shorter. And look, people don’t buy them new, so it can be hard to make a business case. We get it, but we certainly don’t like it. Part of what enthusiasts find so enjoyable about driving is engagement. That may seem like just a buzzword at this point, but there is something to be said for deepening your involvement in driving making it more fun. Why else would we all be so obsessed with lightness, communicative steering, and having a more “analog” experience if there wasn’t something to it?Thankfully, there are still newer cars out there with manual transmissions. Most new cars with three pedals are performance-oriented or incredibly expensive. Porsche, Pagani, and even Koenigsegg have found value in offering such an experience at the high end, while Mazda, Toyota, and Honda have held down the fort on the cheaper end of the spectrum. There is, however, a noticeable lack of regular/daily-driver cars that offer you the opportunity to row your own gears. This list comprises cars that, while still modern, were not necessarily designed to be pure performance cars like a Miata or a GR86. Not that a few on the list aren’t performance-oriented, but they are just solid manual offerings that seem to have slipped through the collective enthusiast cracks. Not all of us hoping to drive a manual are also looking for 500 horsepower and a chassis stiffer than a church pew. Sometimes we just want to drive stick in the comfort of a normal car. 2019–2021 Genesis G70 (6-Speed) GenesisQuite unbeknownst to many enthusiasts, the Genesis G70 offered the opportunity to row your own gears for three model years. While it is both incredible and surprising that Genesis, a 4-year-old company at the time of the G70’s release, decided to put a 6-speed manual transmission in their smallest luxury sedan longer than Honda did in the Accord Sport, there are a few caveats. Remember how I mentioned these cars all have three pedals, but are not necessarily performance-oriented? Well, the G70 6-speed is and isn’t a performance car. Firstly, we have to acknowledge that Genesis had the foresight to offer the manual on the Sport trim. This meant that, in order to option a 6-speed, you were also forced to get a limited-slip differential and Brembo brakes, and could only opt for rear-wheel drive. That all sounds very performance-oriented to me, and ultimately, how a car drives is more important than how fast it is.Genesis Perhaps only offering the stick with RWD was a mistake, but what most people find troubling was that Genesis only offered the 6-speed with the base 2.0L engine. At 3,500 lbs, the G70 was fairly light, so it’s not as though it needed a V8, but enthusiasts were primarily drawn to the optional 3.3L turbocharged V6 that produced 365-horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. With the mandatory 8-speed auto, the V6 propelled the G70 to 60 mph in only 4.7 seconds. With the 6-speed and 2.0L combo, the luxury sedan took a rather mild 6.6 seconds to 60 mph. Essentially, Genesis decided to give you all the performance goodies, except for the engine. That said, BMW last offered a manual in a 6-cylinder 3-Series (the M340i) in 2018, so this is literally the very last manual in a luxury sedan ever made. It probably would’ve been a bigger hit if the V6 had been offered with a stick instead of the 4-cylinder, but regardless, it’s a fantastic car and still very much an enthusiast option. And it even has CarPlay! 2013–2019 Cadillac ATS 2.0L (6-Speed) 2015 Cadillac ATSI’m going to be completely honest and admit that I actually didn’t know this one existed until I began doing some research for this article. We all knew about the M3 fighter, the ATS-V, but Cadillac actually offered its compact luxury sedan with a manual until 2019. Now, like with the Genesis, the Cadillac did not offer the manual with a larger engine (unless you got an ATS-V), but this 2.0L turbocharged engine was actually quite powerful. Though it doesn't quite outpace either of the V6 cars on this list, the 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet make it good for a 5.7-second 0-60 mph run.Cadillac What is most impressive about the 2.0L ATS is that speccing the manual instantly means a mandatory LSD. If you get the 8-speed automatic, the limited-slip diff is optional. More impressively, opting for a Premium or Performance trim allows for MagneRide suspension, an incredible option on any car. Having MagneRide, an LSD, and a manual transmission together makes for a well-rounded performance daily driver, even though proper performance is still relegated to the ATS-V. To top it all off, the ATS rides on the extremely well-regarded GM Alpha platform, which also underpins the current CT4, CT5, and the now-discontinued Camaro. In other words, you get the luxuries afforded to a comfortable luxury sedan, peppered with some excellent performance options, and for generally $15k or less. A massive discount over the 454 horsepower 3.6L turbocharged V6-powered V model. 2014–2018 Mazda Mazda6 (6-Speed) MazdaStepping down a bit in performance, the Mazda6 is the most “regular” car on this list. It’s also likely the cheapest, with many clean examples available for $10k or less with relatively low miles. This will also be the cheapest car to maintain, with the 2.5L SkyActiv 4-cylinder being a real gem of an engine with respect to reliability and maintenance costs. Though this comes with the territory of being the least performance-oriented and most economical car on this list. The 184 horsepower engine (187 hp for 2017-2018) isn't much, but Mazda still made the Mazda6 as engaging and joyful to drive as possible. It’s no Miata, but it’s got that Mazda DNA we all seem to enjoy.Mazda Given the manual transmission option was discontinued after 2018, you only get one year of standard CarPlay, but there are ways to cheaply retrofit 2016 and 2017 model years for CarPlay if that’s a deal breaker for you. One weird thing: Mazda allowed you to spec a manual on the Touring trim through 2017, but in 2018, you could only get it on the Sport. As a result, the 2015-2017 cars are the sweet spot, as they benefit from a 2015 facelift and allow you to get those nice leather seats on the Touring trim. Unfortunately, despite this era marking the beginning of Mazda’s move upmarket, heated seats are very rare. Though I’ve opted for more enthusiast-focused cars with my purchases, this has always been a consideration. And not only because it’s nice to drive and reliable, but because they also happen to be gorgeous. I love almost all the cars in the mid-size sedan market, but none have been quite as pretty to look at as the Mazda6. 2010–2014 Acura TL SH-AWD (6-Speed) AcuraThis list includes some real deep cuts. Modern manuals in highly usable packages are few and far between, but the Acura TL offered a 305 horsepower V6 paired with a beautifully crisp Honda 6-speed AND all-wheel drive. Even in the dead of winter in the northern U.S or Canada, you’ll be all set in one of these. Not only is the AWD system good for snow, but it does something very similar to what the Audi RS3 does. Essentially, Acura’s SH-AWD allows up to 70% of the torque to be sent to the rear wheels (assuming certain conditions), and 100% of that could be directed toward one side. This means that, unlike the FWD version, the SH-AWD can actually get a bit of rotation on corner exit. That and unlike all the other high-powered FWD cars, the AWD TL can actually put all 305 horses to the ground instead of immediately turning 30% of it into tire smoke and rendering full-throttle in first gear useless.Acura In addition to mad power, Acura claims that with the manual, you get stiffer suspension, a front limited-slip differential, much stiffer engine mounts, and a specially calibrated EPS (electric-assist power steering). The 6-speed also has closer ratios, so overly long gears aren’t a problem like on a 986 Boxster. As for daily-driver duties, the TL comes standard with heated leather seats, and it's very comfortable for long journeys. The “Acura Beak” may be a somewhat controversial styling cue, but one that we could all look past, given the impressive spec sheet on this car. As with all awesome manual cars, it seems these are a bit on the rare side and can be tough to find. However, if you do find one, they are typically between $10k and $15k, and most have been well cared for. 2008–2013 Nissan Altima Coupe (6-Speed) NissanWith my first car being a 1998 Infiniti I30, I’ve always had a soft spot for Nissan and Infiniti products, despite their reputation over the last 20 years. One model that escaped my orbit until 7-8 years ago is the Nissan Altima Coupe with the 3.5L V6 and 6-speed manual transmission. A former student of mine bought one shortly before he graduated, and I’ve kept an eye on the market ever since. If you’re familiar with the Infiniti G35 or G37 Coupes, you can consider this a FWD version of those. Unfortunately, it does feature an open differential, so, like the “red badge” Honda Accord and Focus ST, it’s kind of a torque-steering monster, but we like that.Nissan While these aren’t as rare as a 2006-2007 V6 manual Accord sedan, they are still tough to find with the desirable V6/manual combo—it’s even tough to find manual 2.5L cars. That said, if you do find one, you’ll almost certainly be spending under $10k. For that money, you won't get many modern tech amenities besides Bluetooth, but you will get heated leather seats, three pedals, and a 270 horsepower V6. And not just any V6, but the legendary VQ35DE. Though this particular VQ has its issues, the Altima never received the “rev-UP” version of the 3.5L, so oil burning, though still a thing, is not nearly as burdensome an issue with the standard-output motor. This is the oldest car on the list, but it still offers relatively modern safety, a super fun powertrain, and enough reliability to make for a competent daily driver. It’s no 350Z, but that’s okay. Sometimes it’s just nice to drive around in a normal car, gear lever in hand, and something to do with your feet.Sources: Acura News, Car and Driver