Monday, December 23, 2013

The Elusive Modern Manual Transmission Part 3

This is the third installment of my search for a modern manual transmission; for the full journey be sure to start with the first installment.

I'd love to hear your comments, but to avoid spam I do have comment moderation enabled. I promise to review and publish your feedback quickly.

2013 & 2014 Small and Mid-Size Cars With A Manual Transmission

(under $25k)

By all accounts the first stop in my search was a bit of a flop. In part, this was my fault for not doing a bit of research in advance. Still, half the fun of shopping for a new car is physically seeing and driving what is out there whether or not its actually a match for your needs.

Going into this search the Honda Accord holds the top spot. My brother had a 2003 Manual EX-L and it was a truly fantastic car. I think the Accord will be easy to love so I plan to leave this test drive until I've had a chance to examine my other options; lest I make a hasty decision. Now that Nissan has eliminated itself in classic fashion rounding out the top five will be the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, and Mazda 3.

To organize my search I made a list of the current model years of small and midsize cars offering a Manual transmission. With this list organized I was quickly able to start eliminating options and narrow down my search. I also decided to limit the MSRP to no more than $25,000 to keep my expenses in check.


Drive Make/Model MSRP Notes
Chevy Aveo $12,835 Prize from a box of Cracker Jacks
Chevy Camaro $23,530 2-door, 4-passenger
Chevy Cruze $16,995
Dodge Dart $16,490 Darting through traffic in this sounds dodgy
Ford Fiesta $13,995 Prize from Kinder Surprise Eggs
Ford Focus $16,995
Ford Fusion $20,420
Ford Mustang $22,995 2-door, 4-passenger
Honda Accord $21,930
Honda Civic $16,355
Hyundai Accent $10,705 Could come in a cereal box
Hyundai Elantra $15,625
Mazda 3 $16,595
Mazda 6 $20,785
Mitsubishi Lancer $17,195
Nissan Versa Note $13,990 Hatchback
Nissan Versa Sdn $11,990
Nissan Sentra S $15,990
Scion FR-S $25,255 2-door
Scion tC $19,965 2-door
Scion xB $17,725 Not a sedan
Scion xD $16,500 Not a sedan
Suburu Impreza $18,220 Don't like the styling except for the WRX
Toyota Yaris L $15,240 2-door hatchback
VW Jetta $16,765
VW Passat S $20,845

My next entry will cover my test drive and impressions of the Chevy Cruze; stay tuned!