There are two types of people in this world: those who love cars with manual gearboxes and… assassins. Okay, I should explain myself.
Pretty simple, though. Manual gear boxes are being killed off by the soulless, unromantic savages who want a car with an automatic transmission. Which is nearly everybody. So, the car manufacturers are making hardly any manual cars now. But for the few beacons of hope trying to save this rare animal from extinction we’ve made a list of new cars still with manuals that are for sale in Australia. But for how much longer? Who knows?
The death of the manual gearbox is a reality in our lifetime, if not by the inability or want of drivers to shift gears themselves then by the coming of electric vehicles that will do away with anything other than one gear.
But for now the demise of this beautiful engineering marvel we call the manual is being caused by a low take up of cars with them. Is this caused by fewer people learning to drive a car with a manual in the first place? Are we becoming a nation of lifetime auto-only people? Is the art and skill of driving a manual being lost? Is it really driving if you’re driving a car with an automatic transmission?
I could go deeper into the intimate connection between human and machine as we listen and feel for the perfect time to shift up and down through gears, running hand-on-stick and foot-on-clutch through fast, winding roads into the night. I could liken it to a bass guitarist and drummer lost in each other’s rhythm, nothing without the other… but I won’t. Instead, as promised, the list of the last ones left.
There are 53 new models offering manual gearboxes left in Australia. By the time you read this sentence that number may have dropped to 52. That’s out of a total of 296 models for sale on the Australian market (144 cars and 148 SUVs).
Mazda, Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen and LDV and the big five when it comes to models with manuals.
For Mazda it’s the MX-5 roadster of course, but also the CX-3 and CX-30 SUVs, the Mazda2 and Mazda3 sedan and hatch, and BT-50 ute that come with manuals if you want one.
Toyota offers a manual in the GR Supra and GR 86 sport cars, the HiLux ute and the HiAce van.
Kia does a manual in the Stonic and Sportage SUVs, and the Picanto and Rio small cars.
Volkswagen’s Transporter is offered with a manual gearbox, same with the Crafter and Caddy, and the little Polo hatch.
LDV also has four models with manuals, but they are all commercial vehicles. There’s the Deliver 9, G10 and V80 vans, along with the T60 ute.
Hyundai offers a manual gearbox on three models – the i30 (N, N-Line and sedan), i20N hatch and the Venue SUV.
Porsche has kept a manual gearbox option with the 911, along with the 718 Cayman and Boxster.
For BMW the M3 sedan retains a manual, so do the M4 and M2 coupes.
Nissan’s Z sports car comes with a manual and at the other end of the spectrum so does the Navara ute.
Subaru’s WRX and BRZ have manuals.
Mitsubishi only has two models left in its line-up that come with a manual – the ASX SUV and Triton ute.
Mercedes Benz has just one – the Vito van.
There may be new manual Peugeots galore in France but here it’s just the Expert and Boxer vans.
French cousin Renault offers one on the soon-to-be-discontinued Megane RS hatch, along with the Trafic and Master vans.
Ford’s Mustang muscle car and Transit vans couldn’t be more different but both come with a manual.
Suzuki’s Jimny is wonderfully analogue and its manual suits it perfectly. The Vitara and Swift have them, too.
Then there are the one-manual-model-only brands.
Ssangyong has one on the Musso SUV. Honda does one on the Civic Type R. Isuzu on its D-Max ute. Mahindra on the Pik-Up, er pick up. And Fiat on the Abarth 695 pocket rocket.
And that is the list of the last manuals. It’s confronting to see just how few brands and models there are left offering manuals. And shocking that brands you’d think would offer them don’t. Sure Ferrari and Lamborghini haven’t for ages, but Alfa Romeo, Mini, Jeep?
We only have ourselves to blame for the death of the manual – well those who don’t want them, anyway. It won’t be long before they’re gone forever. We’ll check in again this time next year with an update on the list – which manual models will be next for the chop?
My advice – buy one and drive one now while you can. And don’t be that assassin.
Keyword: Subaru WRX, Porsche 911, Ford Mustang... the shrinking list of cars with manuals left in Australia | Opinion