10 Fun and Affordable Manual Transmission Cars—New and Used— To Fire Up Your Stick Shift Dreams
It’s just like riding a bike. Really!
Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? It starts with balance. You start, wobbly, with your feet firmly planted on flat ground—unless your parents were daredevils, of course, and started you on a downhill. As you navigate the pedals and the handlebars, you feel clunky, perhaps. Unsure. Maybe a little uncomfortable. And then it clicks! And then you’re rolling on two wheels with a big smile on your face.
Learning how to drive a manual transmission car is similar in that way. Slide behind the wheel of a car with a stick shift for the first time and you might feel both exhilaration and anxiety about learning the language of stick shift driving.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Manuals Are Not A Thing of the Past—Yet
Some carmakers are ending their investment in manual transmission cars, but the good news is that others are not. Carmakers like Honda, Mazda, Jeep, Ford and Hyundai recognize that some of their more serious buyers love a manual. And what’s not to love? If you saw Ford vs. Ferrari, Fast and the Furious, Gone in 60 Seconds, or The Italian Job, all of those thrilling movies featured cars with stick shift transmissions.
But why? Yes, it’s an old-school way to optimize the engine’s function while propelling the car forward. But it’s also one of the most fun ways to drive. Driving a stick shift makes you feel truly in control of the machine; in a sports car, you feel one with the machine and in control of the road. The overall effect is physical and fun, and after a while, it becomes muscle memory.
And, it’s empowering! Mastering the art of driving a stick is not just for gearheads. It’s a way to understand how your car works and feel like you have more control over various driving conditions. Fast… slow… slippery… smooth… you’ll learn how to manage the car’s power to your best advantage.
WATCH: The Toyota GR Corolla Manual Transmission is So Good I Want One!
Where should you begin?
It’s never too late to learn, and there are schools like Stick Shift Driving Academy all over the country set up to teach you how to drive a manual transmission. Google “stick shift driving lessons near me” and you’ll probably find several, depending on where you live.
Then, you can drive any car on the road. There is no “I can’t drive that because it’s a stick.”
The only problem with learning to drive a manual transmission is that to really learn, you need a car that gives you the chance to use it every day. This may not be practical for every driver, especially if you have kids in car seats or don’t want to drive a stick in heavy traffic.
These great stick shift cars are a fun daily driver or a great used car for weekends or when you need to share the SUV with other drivers. Because if you learn once and then never use the skill, then what’s the point?
RELATED: 12 Affordable Manual Transmission Cars, and 3 Splurges
1) The Mazda Miata Is an OG Manual Transmission Roadster
Mazda offers my favorite paint color – Soul Red Crystal Metallic – and this zippy little convertible is perfect for those gorgeous sunny days wherever you live. Starting at just over $29K, it’s incredibly affordable. Who needs electronic controls when you can flip down your canvas top with a few flicks of your wrist?
READ MORE: 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Edition Review: Go Ahead, Put the Top Down and Get Your Hair Messy
2) The Ford Mustang Is Its Most Classic Self in Manual
A Ford Mustang in the driveway will make everyone in your family jockey for time with it; adding a stick shift means you’ll get more one-on-one time with your Mustang. At least, until your sister learns manual too. But you’ll have to go for an upgraded model if you want a stick shift; it’s only available on GT and up as new, starting at about $46,000. Or, shop for older models with a manual transmission; at about 300 HP in Ecoboost-powered models, you’ll have plenty of power.
READ MORE: She Was Supposed to Be Buying Cat Food. She Ended Up Buying a Ford Mustang Convertible
3) Always Fun, Always Open Air, Always Manual Jeep Wrangler
The iconic Jeep Wrangler is ideal for getting off the grid or finding a treasure beach that no one else can access. Picture yourself in a brightly-colored Jeep with a Hellayella paint job with all of the doors and the roof stripped off, and you can almost feel the joy. Need even more incentive to buy it with a stick shift? It’s less than the automatic and starts at just about $35,000.
READ MORE: Decoding Car Design: How Jeep’s DNA Sets the Stage for Off Road Life
4) The Sporty Honda Civic Si Will Win Your Heart
Not only does Honda offer the sporty Civic Si in a six-speed manual, but the brand also only offers it in a manual. Rated for 36 mpg on the highway and starting at $35,000, the Civic Si includes Honda’s Sensing Suite, which is its up-to-date safety and driver-assist package. If you want the thrill of driving a racetrack-ready manual, this is a great one. (Pssst – come a little closer and I’ll tell you a secret: Honda’s Civic Type R is one of the smoothest, easiest manuals I’ve ever driven. It’s worth investing the extra $10K, if you can.)
RELATED: Honda Civic Si Review: What If An Inexpensive Stick Shift Sedan Could Actually Be Fun?
5) A Classic Euro Manual Transmission Car: Fiat 124 Spider
This six-speed manual with rear wheel drive is a coveted used car for its incredible drive experience because it pairs the dynamics of Fiat, an original Italian racing brand, with the Mazda MX-5 Miata. They were built at the same factory in Japan on the same line and using many of the same components, giving them that twin sisters/different mister look. If this one catches your eye, look for the Abarth trim, the most powerful and valuable, and an absolute joy to drive. If you get a chance to drive this car on a track, you’ll find that the back end kicks out delightfully, which may cause giddiness while driving. With a manual, you’ll like it even more.
RELATED: Fiat Abarth Celebrates its 70th Anniversary with the 2019 Abarth 124 Spider
6) The Toyota GR 86 and its Twin, Subaru BRZ, Are Stick Shift Charmers
Toyota realized a few years ago that many of its core fans really love a manual transmission, and the company is leaning in on this. When they decided to end the Scion partnership with Subaru, they kept a few models in production, among them the Toyota 86, a beautifully shaped four-seat coupe that is literally built for fun driving. And, for driving with a manual. Now, you can get an 86 used or go for the new and more powerful GR 86 (priced from $31,000). Subaru, like Toyota, didn’t abandon this model either; the Subaru BRZ (priced from $35,000) holds the fun drive dynamics of the 86, including its 228 HP output. Older non-GR 86 models deliver slightly less power.
RELATED: Introducing the All-New 2019 Hyundai Veloster: A New Kind of Sports Car Experience
7) The Dodge Challenger Adds Muscle To the Manual
A few years back, my friend Jack bought a brand-new Dodge Challenger Hellcat as soon as it was available, and he let me drive it in the parking lot. The manual transmission was muscular and powerful, and the sound of the engine alone made me swoon. Truly an enthusiast’s vehicle, the Challenge is loud, proud, and a blast to drive. If you want this baby, manual or automatic, you’ll have to shop the used market. But you’ll find a manual on the 2020 and 2021 Challenger R/T, R/T Scat Pack, and Hellcat models.
RELATED: Your Mom Drives a Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody!
8)This Classic Manual Never Gets Old: Toyota Corolla
While often car brands delegate manual transmission models to the bottom rung of the lineup, Toyota reserved the manual for the upper-end SE model. Priced at $23,000, it’s pretty nicely loaded with features likeApple CarPlay, premium JBL sound system, sport seats and exterior details like a spoiler and LED accent lighting. But best of all, this model, as with all Toyotas, has Toyota Safety Sense driver assist and safety features standard, including adaptive cruise control, lane trace assist and more. These are great for a new stick-shift driver or simply a new driver.
READ MORE: It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, So We Toured Iconic Latin Culture Destinations in a Toyota Corolla
9) The Nissan Z Will Shift Its Way Into Your Heart
If a fancy, drool-worthy sports car was on your vision board in high school or college, get that board out and update it: The Nissan Z deserves a place there. When it was redesigned for the 2022 model year, Nissan went back to the classic heritage designs of the old 270Z and 280Z models, bringing its simple lines, distinct shape and front and rear proportions into the modern era. And it’s a show-stopper.
Since it’s been several years since it was redesigned you should have some good choices new or used; new it starts at about $42,000, and used it should be available in the mid-$30K range.
READ MORE: Nissan 370Z NISMO: A Track-Worthy Sports Car That Gets Your Heart Racing, Too
10) The Manual Transmission Car That Does It All: Subaru WRX
The Subaru WRX might be the perfect cross between Subaru’s reputation for fun-to-drive cars and cars that are so practical they make their owners fall in love. That’s because the WRX is spacious, capable, equipped with all wheel drive—it’s a Subaru, after all—and yet, really fun to drive.
The WRX, with its powertrain that delivers 271 HP, is one of the most powerful in the Subie family and frequently outfitted for off-road rally driving thanks to its manual transmission and AWD, sort of a rare combo. But if you really just like driving a powerful stick shift, but need room for the babies, the groceries, and the pups, the WRX, priced from $37,000, could be the perfect car for you.
Did we get your attention yet? Manuals are fun; give it a chance and you might find yourself humming along with the sound of shifting gears as you get ready to pilot your own.
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