Driving a manual transmission car is becoming a dying art, and hopes of a comeback have been shattered. With the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles, only a few die-hard enthusiasts remain loyal to this style of driving.
In the endless universe of auto-related debates, with challenging topics such as diesel vs. gasoline, internal combustion engine vs. electric, or new car vs. used car, in the new vs. retro category, one theme remains a perennial subject of debate: manual transmission vs. automatic. Few automotive topics have such longevity and evoke more passion.
The Gearshift Means Making Decisions
In Romania, traditional driving enthusiasts would not give up the manual gearbox for anything in the world and ironically view automatic transmission, which they consider more suitable for women and beginner young drivers. The gearshift is, therefore, also an attribute of the omnipresent masculinity on the road: - if you want to feel like a driver, "feel the car," you must have a manual gearbox.
But in recent years, "automatics" have gained ground, and in many countries, the manual gearbox has become a rarity, with only a few die-hard enthusiasts remaining loyal to this driving style.
The Washington Post cites the example of Alvaro Puig, a 52-year-old man from Kensington, Maryland. His father was a big fan of the manual gearbox, and in the early '90s, when it was time for Alvaro to get his driver's license, he had to learn how to use the clutch and the three pedals of his father's old BMW models with manual transmission.
It wasn't easy, but he immediately took a liking to driving. "You make decisions: whether to shift gears, when to do it, when to use the clutch, how to engage the speed," Puig explained.
He liked it so much that he now owns two BMW cars with manual transmission and avoids getting behind the wheel of his wife's Tesla, which has an automatic gearbox. Automatic transmission cars are simply different, he says. "It's kind of boring" to drive one, he says.
Manual Gearboxes Disappearing in America
Drivers like Puig are a rarity and on the verge of disappearing in the United States. Less than 1% of new vehicles manufactured for the U.S. market in 2025 were equipped with manual transmission, according to preliminary government data. With only a 0.6% share, this category hit a historic low.
This is a drastic decrease compared to the 34.6% of manual transmission vehicles produced in 1980.
This major shift, gradually phasing out manual transmission, has been happening for decades; auto enthusiasts have constantly lamented the situation, hoping that the nostalgic driving experience could somehow attract a new audience.
However, the popularity of manual transmission has hit new lows in recent years, with no signs of recovery, due to new technologies and a rapidly changing market, as noted by the American newspaper.
...
Drivers often feel the need to be more pragmatic when buying a car compared to the past, as cars are much more expensive today; the average price of a new car has reached about $50,000. In addition, the total cost of owning a new vehicle exceeds $1,000 per month, Jominy stated.
Another issue for manual transmissions is that only about 60% of Americans know how to drive a car with such a gearbox, according to a recent survey conducted among 1,000 people for AmericanMuscle, an online retailer of auto parts.
The percentages range from 83% for the "baby boomer" generation to 39% for "Generation Z."
Respondents' opinions were almost evenly divided on whether the ability to drive a manual transmission car is an important life skill.
A skill on the verge of extinction
Puig noticed this mindset difference last year when he left one of his manual BMW cars with a valet. He watched from the building's lobby as the valet got behind the wheel, saw the gearshift, and gave up; he put the car in neutral and simply let it roll freely to the curb.
"It's a skill on the verge of extinction," Puig said.
However, Puig wanted to carry on this tradition. He taught both his daughters - who are now just over 20 years old - how to drive manual transmission cars.
It's so unusual nowadays in America that one of his daughters included this experience in her college admission essay. "It was the moment I felt the proudest as a father," Puig said.
T.D.