These cars lost their manual transmissions in 2025

As automakers move toward efficiency and convenience, another round of manual transmissions bites the dust. Here are the models that won’t offer a stick shift in 2025.

Feb 17, 2025 - 07:43

These cars lost their manual transmissions in 2025

The manual transmission continues to disappear from new car lineups, and 2025 is no exception. Waning demand has led automakers to phase out the three-pedal experience in favor of automatics, CVTs, and dual-clutch gearboxes. This year, a handful of sedans, hatchbacks, and even a pickup truck bid farewell to the manual transmission. Here’s a look at the casualties.

Honda Civic Hatchback

The Honda Civic remains one of the few cars to offer a manual transmission, but for 2025, the base Hatchback will no longer have that option. While enthusiasts can still row their own gears in the Civic Si and Type R, the standard five-door model now comes exclusively with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It’s available with either a 150-horsepower 2.0-liter engine or a hybridized version producing 200 horsepower.

Jeep Gladiator

One of the last pickup trucks to offer a manual, the Jeep Gladiator, is now automatic-only. Jeep announced the change last September, replacing the six-speed manual with an eight-speed automatic. The 3.6-liter V6 still produces 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, but drivers who preferred a stick shift for off-road adventures will have to adjust.

Kia Forte / K4

Kia’s Forte nameplate is gone, and with it goes the manual transmission. The sportier Forte GT previously offered a six-speed stick, but the new 2025 K4 sedan replaces it with either a CVT producing 140 horsepower or an eight-speed automatic in the GT-Line Turbo making 190 horsepower. For those who enjoyed a sporty compact with a manual, this is another loss.

Mini Cooper

Mini has long been a brand known for its fun, engaging manual transmissions. That ends in 2025. The entire Mini Cooper range, including the performance-focused John Cooper Works model, will now only be available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Buyers can choose between a 161-horsepower base model or a 201-horsepower S trim, but they won’t be shifting their own gears.

Volkswagen’s manual massacre

Volkswagen is dropping the manual option across multiple models for 2025. The Golf GTI loses its six-speed manual, now featuring a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic paired with a 241-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

European 2025 Volkswagen Golf R Black Edition
Volkswagen

Just like the GTI, the Golf R is now automatic-only, with a seven-speed dual-clutch and a more powerful 328-horsepower turbo-four. In a last hoorah of the iconic hot hatchback’s manual transmission, enthusiasts bought significantly more manual-equipped GTIs and Golf Rs than the year before, with sales up nearly 50% in 2024, according to Volkswagen.

The base Volkswagen Jetta no longer offers a manual either, now featuring an eight-speed automatic as the only option. However, the sportier Jetta GLI still has a stick for those who want one.

Final thoughts

The manual transmission’s slow extinction is no surprise, but that doesn’t make it any easier for enthusiasts to accept. With more automakers prioritizing fuel efficiency and mass consumer preferences, the traditional stick shift is becoming a niche offering.

While a few performance models still carry the torch, the days of affordable, everyday manuals are dwindling. If you love shifting gears yourself, now might be the time to grab one before they’re gone for good.

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