Manual cars are fun

The hp 3. And it is quick. The 2,pound Lotus can hit 60 mph in just 3. Only of these will be available for the world each year, so this will likely be one of the rarest manual machines on our list. And if you need more incentive to opt for the manual versus the automatic, the manual car's top speed is mph.

The automatic: mph. We'd show you what the Fiesta ST exterior looks like, but this is literally the only photo Ford has of the ST: just the shifter. Which should tell you something. What that is, we're not sure, but we can tell you that it's big fun to row the ST's leather-and-aluminum-trimmed shifter through the gears as the little 1.

The Fiesta ST is one of those cheap, thrilling machines that, when it's gone, will make us sad that Ford gave up on cars. It was wildly handsome and the first truly engaging Jag sports car in decades. And Jag made sure that there were at least a few manual transmissions in the mix.

Today, the lineup ranges from the new hp four-cylinder up to the fire-breathing hp supercharged V-8 SVR. But only the hp and hp supercharged V-6 models can be paired with manuals. Hey, these cars can hit 60 mph in 5. With the death of the manual-transmission Ram diesel for , the stick-shift pickup options are pretty limited—you're looking at either a stripper four-cylinder GMC Canyon or Chevy Colorado, or the Nissan Frontier, which is so old that it might have a crank start, too.

The Tacoma, though, is a relatively new truck and it proffers a six-speed manual not as a totem to penury but as a cool option—you can't get it on the basic four cylinders, but you can on the V-6 TRD 4x4 models.

While there are zillions of vehicles with Toyota's 3. They all offer a bit more power, handling, and style without turning the car into a hard-edged track weapon. But here that figure is bumped by 12 hp. The Cayman GTS also comes standard with a slick six-speed manual. We particularly like the suede-like fabric used on the seats and steering wheel. The Mini Cooper Hardtop occupies a very unique space in the automotive world.

Mini bumps up the power to hp up 39 hp over the S model and can be optioned with a unique sport suspension to ratchet down the handling even more tightly. Unlike many manual versus automatic comparisons, the manual ALL4 is equally quick 0—60 in 6 seconds, either way. And it weighs 36 fewer pounds. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Top Stories from Years of 'Popular Mechanics'. Richard Pardon. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. And being able to make that planned downshift will make your Wrangler experience that much more satisfying.

The Mustang has long been one of the most popular pony cars for gearheads. The GT version is spiced up with a 5. Today, it's offered both as a speed automatic and a 6-speed manual.

And this is definitely the car you want to drive in manual. In a fully automatic mode, the GT may save a bit on fuel, but that's only because it keeps the engine rpm as low as possible. This makes for a boring and predictable ride. Even more so when you press the gas pedal. Doing this may result in the transmission getting confused as to which gear to choose, so you end up missing out on much-needed acceleration.

The manual avoids these problems, and the one in mustang is state-of-the-art. Updated for the version, it features better synchronizers, and a twin-disc clutch, which provide smooth and crisp transitions between gear and a lightning-fast response.

This brand has been successfully pushing itself into the serious sports car sphere with cars delivering extremely competitive and impressive performance, such as the CTS-V. The ATS-V is its little brother — a compact sports car that comes as a two-door coupe or a four-door sports sedan.

But, the choice here is clear. For the last seven generations of models, the Golf has been a staple inexpensive hatchback for gearheads worldwide. It features either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic. And why bother in such a small and agile hot hatch that has been developed around a manual transmission for generations? Its overstyled Z replacement is partially to blame, but regardless, the older Z's design holds up even in These are fun, quick and relatively practical sports cars that you could theoretically use every day.

They are plentiful on the used market, parts are cheap, and with the right exhaust the VQ35 V6 engine sounds fantastic. The first generation of the S Mustang is one of the best-looking cars of the s. It's simple, clean and purposeful. Under the skin, the car was a little crude and unrefined, but over 10 years later it is an excellent performance per dollar proposition.

Pre GTs with the 4. It wasn't that long ago that the Genesis name was just a single model in Hyundai's lineup. Launching in the late's, the Genesis Coupe was a game-changing car for the Korean marque. It was good-looking and remained so into its second generation , lovely to drive with its RWD layout and critically it was cheap.

Used ones are also quite cheap, particularly the 2. If you've heard horror stories of oil burning, apex seal failure and engine rebuilds every k miles, you might be a little bit skeptical of the RX-8 as a performance bargain. However, if you can find one that was well looked-after and you're prepared to keep up the maintenance, you might find that the combination of a smooth-revving rotary engine, a slick shifter and a beautifully balanced chassis makes all the headaches worth your while.

The first-gen Boxster may be the 's baby brother, but that doesn't make it a bad sports car. In fact, its mid-engine layout and lightweight makes it an excellent handling car, if lacking a little bit of outright speed. When you drive a manual, you have control over exactly how much power is going from the engine to the wheels. This will come in especially handy during bad weather, or when ice and snow cover the roadway.

It's also great to have manual control when you're off-roading. If you ever find yourself with a weak battery, give your car a rolling start and pop it into gear — try doing that with an automatic! Cars and trucks with manual transmissions cost less, which means you can save a few bucks when you buy one at the dealership.

Instead of spending money on an automatic, you can buy some extravagance like heated seats. A well cared for manual transmission is essentially a low maintenance transmission. At some point in a manual transmission's life, you'll need to drain and fill the gear oil most manufacturers recommend this procedure every 75k miles or so, some suggest it over k. You may or may not need to replace the clutch, but if you do, one of our kevlar clutches will last twice as long as the original Contrast that with an automatic transmission, many of which need their fluid drained and filled every 30k miles.

So-called "lifetime" transmissions never need to be drained and filled, but they have a life expectancy of k miles or so. Once they're "kaput", you're out thousands of dollars buying a new or refurbished transmission to replace it.