why a manual transmission subaru suv is not coming You may have seen the reports. Subaru is asking consumers on the brand’s website whether or not they would be interested in a manual transmission SUV, even going as far as to mention the Outback Wilderness by name. Here at AutoGuide, we’d absolutely love for there to be a manual transmission Subaru SUV, especially one with a turbocharged engine attached. Although all this talk and rumors are purely speculation, sadly, we’re quite confident this isn’t happening anytime soon – if ever. Subaru’s History with the Manual Transmission why a manual transmission subaru suv is not coming Of all the brands that could reintroduce a regular, family-friendly SUV sporting a manual transmission, Subaru would make sense. Just 10 years ago it was still possible to get a manual transmission in every single model the manufacturer sold. Manual Foresters? Check. Manual Outbacks? Check. But as the years went on, we saw these clutch-pedal-equipped vehicles disappear one by one as sales, demand, and costs worked against them. Now, just the sportiest of Subarus, the WRX and BRZ, still offer row-you-own fun when it comes to transmission choices. Why It Probably Isn’t Happening 2026 Audi A6 TFSI: All the Details Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here . Images: Kyle Patrick (exterior), Audi USA (interior) Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8 Section 9 Section 10 Section 11 Section 12 Section 13 Section 14 Section 15 Section 16 Section 17 Section 18 Section 19 Section 20 Section 21 Section 22 Section 23 Section 24 Section 25 Section 26 Section 27 Section 28 why a manual transmission subaru suv is not coming Slapping a manual transmission back into a SUV isn’t an easy thing to do, especially with a Subaru. Famous for symmetrical all-wheel drive, the brand’s transmissions co-house the mechanisms that distribute power between the front and rear wheels. This means switching transmissions also means making changes to the all-wheel drive system, adding to costs. The Subaru Forester and Crosstrek still utilize a 2.5-liter engine that, in earlier iterations, were attached to a manual transmission. So, theoretically, it might not be too hard to reintroduce a six-speed manual transmission to these vehicles, especially if some of those gearboxes are still sitting around a warehouse in Japan. But that begs the question, if this were easily possible, why didn’t Subaru already do it with the latest generations of Crosstrek and Forester? Why would the company suddenly now put the manual back in? why a manual transmission subaru suv is not coming Even harder to rationalize would be putting a manual transmission in the Outback Wilderness. The only vehicle to have a non-automatic transmission paired to the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine is the WRX. Could the performance car’s six-speed easily swap into the Outback? Maybe, but would it be able to handle the strain of towing 3,500 pounds or getting pounded off-road? Also, and maybe more importantly, what happens with X-Mode? This software and accompanying components, such as hill descent control (HDC), are tied to the automatic transmission’s programming. Subaru has never included X-Mode or HDC on a manual transmission vehicle. X-Mode is an important aspect of the Wilderness brand’s capabilities, and removing it would seem to dilute it in our opinion. AutoGuide's Take: 5. Subaru Levorg 2.0 STI Sport 5. Subaru Levorg 2.0 STI Sport As mentioned, we don’t anticipate a manual transmission returning to a Subaru SUV anytime soon. We’d love to be wrong and hope we are. But the business case to put one in, sadly, doesn’t appear to be there. Our idea, if Subaru is really keen to bring more manual transmission vehicles to our shores, is simple. Bring us the Levorg, put in a manual, and now we have the automotive enthusiast's dream, an all-wheel drive, manual transmission wagon. Make sure it’s available in brown. AutoGuide Wrapped: The 10 Reviews Readers Liked Best Sitting before me is the 2025 BMW 550e xDrive, the latest evolution of the brand’s long-running mid-sized sedan. When it launched a little over a year ago, the G60-generation model arrived on these shores with a choice of full-gas and full-electric powertrains, the latter providing the range-topping i5 M60. And then the M5 came along, a 717-horsepower bahn -storming plug-in hybrid. As I settle in for my first drive of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner, “Self Esteem” by The Offspring comes on satellite radio. A dated yet familiar anthem from the '90s, the track takes me way back. For a long time, that’s what driving a 4Runner was like. Familiar, yet from another time. Three years ago, we nearly bought a Volkswagen Taos. It was a finalist during our vehicle shopping process, but ultimately lost out as my wife couldn’t get use to the performance/behaviour of the dual-clutch transmission. Fast forward to today, and it’s time to new car shop again as our lease is about to end. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade has just made my job harder—and easier. It’s a well-worn auto journalist trope that most of us love minivans, almost as much as we love suggesting them to would-be buyers. It’s typically pretty easy: folks want a three-row family vehicle, and what else offers the level of real-world usefulness? Is this the Goldilocks Tiguan? The smallish SUV that’s just right sized for Volkswagen? The original Tiguan was tiny. It was arguably ahead of its time, arriving ahead of the current craze of small SUVs. Many consumers thought it too small, so for the 2018 model year, Volkswagen swung the pendulum the other way, biggie sizing the Tiguan into one of the largest compact SUVs on the market. In fact, it even had a third-row option. Sometimes, the universe has a way of righting a wrong. Due to scheduling issues back in 2023, I had to sit out on our sport compact comparison. Hot hatches are my jam: as a city dweller, the combination of ample power, tidy footprint, and plenty of practicality is a powerful one. I’ve learned to mostly avoid FOMO in this business—there’s simply too much to do—but that one still stung. You’ll miss it when it’s gone. It’s impossible to ignore the thought as I’m winding the 2026 Toyota GR Supra MkV Final Edition around Sonoma Raceway. To say this fifth-gen Supra has been controversial would be an understatement. The Bavarian ties are numerous and obvious, and for some, that’s been a sticking point since 2019. “Nice BMW,” they sneer, with all the originality of a Borat impression. It’s nice to be right. Ever since I drove the 2026 Hyundai Palisade earlier this summer, I’ve been convinced it would be the clear segment leader if not for one missing feature: a hybrid powertrain. The standard 3.5L V6 is good enough to fend off the competition’s default engines, but something with more power, better fuel economy—or ideally, both—would cement its position at the front of the pack. It’s not the most glamorous vacation vehicle, but it makes the most sense. Canada’s East Coast is gorgeous, and the distances between landmarks can be vast. For a five-day trip, my wife and I were presented with a few options, and landed on the largest: the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country. It’d be right at home in the vast openness of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, we figured. Of the internal combustion choices, this would also be the most fuel-efficient, as it packed the torquey Duramax diesel. My job, on most days, is trying to help consumers navigate the muddy waters of the automotive landscape. Everyone has different needs, tastes, and priorities. At AutoGuide, we put ourselves in the proverbial other person’s shoes to assess every new car, truck, and SUV we drive. This week the shoe is on the other foot. I'm now the consumer as the vehicle in for evaluation centers around replacing our household’s primary family car. Our lease is up soon, and it’s time for a new family steed.