Every Crossover and SUV You Can Still Buy with a Manual Transmission
Car and Driver
The field of crossovers and SUVs available with a manual transmission continues to shrink. Stick-shifts are disappearing from the market left and right, with models such as the Jeep Compass, Mini Countryman, and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport going all-automatic recently. That leaves behind only a handful of options for those seeking a tall vehicle that isn’t a pickup truck that also has a row-your-own transmission. We’ve gathered the three new crossover and SUV models—and the specific trim levels on each that come with the human-shifted transmission—that still offer a stick.
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Trim levels available with a manual: Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Heritage Edition, Badlands
The revived Bronco is so exciting enough on its own—and the fact that you can get it with a manual transmission is just a cherry on top. The Bronco’s stick-shift is a seven-speed unit, with Ford referring to the first gear as a creeper gear. It’s only offered with the standard turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four and not the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 upgrade engine. Ford even listened to customer demand and decided to offer it with the off-road-oriented Sasquatch package.
Trim levels available with a manual: Sport, Willys Sport, Freedom, Willys, Sport S, Sport Altitude, Rubicon
Many versions of the Jeep Wrangler come standard with a six-speed manual transmission. (We’ve tested a base Sport, pictured above, so equipped, as well as a Rubicon.) The Wranglers that miss out on the fun of a clutch pedal are those equipped with any of the optional powertrains, including the eTorque hybrid system, the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, or the turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6, all of which are automatic-only. The standard 3.6-liter gasoline V-6—the only engine offered with the manual—can also be had with the same eight-speed automatic as the turbo four, but what’s the fun in that?
Trim levels available with a manual: Base, Premium
The rugged-looking Crosstrek, Subaru’s littlest crossover, comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission in base guise. Step up to the Premium and you can keep that manual transmission and get heated seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel for the affordable price of $26,020 for 2023. All manual Crosstreks use a 2.0-liter flat-four with 152 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard on every Crosstrek, and those not keen on shifting for themselves can opt for a continuously variable automatic transmission; it’s included on the upper trims, including the Sport model with its more powerful 2.5-liter engine. Sadly, the upcoming 2024 Crosstrek will likely stop offering a manual
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