As much as we love a good ‘ole manual transmission in a vehicle, overall consumer interest in these things is simply waning. The demands of car enthusiasts on social media simply don’t reflect actual sales figures—at least most of the time. This has led to the slow death of manual transmissions across all vehicle categories.
That decline is even more pronounced in the SUV and pickup segment. That’s because buyers in this segment often treat them as their primary vehicle, thus serving multiple purposes. It should be capable enough for the occasional off-road trail, whilst being easy to drive when dropping off the kids at school. Combined, only three vehicles in the pickup and SUV segment come with a manual these days, and that’s exactly what we’ll learn here.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources.
The Two Remaining Manual SUVs
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- Base Trim Engine
-
3.6L Pentastar V6 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
6-speed manual
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Four-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
285 HP @6400 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
260 lb.-ft. @ 4800 RPM
-
- Base Trim Engine
-
EcoBoost 2.3L ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
-
10-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
Four-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
275 HP @5700 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
315 lb.-ft. @ 3400 RPM
- Base Trim Battery Type
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Lead acid battery
As mentioned, it is mostly car enthusiasts who are yearning for a manual transmission. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the two remaining manual SUVs on sale with a manual option are also catered to enthusiasts—in this case, those who want to venture into the woods.
The Evergreen Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is perhaps the off-roader with a strong consumer recall, thanks to being in the market for quite a long time already. Whereas most manual vehicles are usually relegated to lower-end models, in the Wrangler, all but the range-topping and well-trimmed Sahara and supercharged Rubicon 392 can be fitted with a stick.
The six-speed manual’s sole engine choice is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which produces 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet. This is good for a combined 19 MPG, if that’s your thing, and it has a base price of $32,690 for the base Sport two-door. Add the versatility of five seats and two extra doors, and you’re looking at $37,290. They’re pretty well-equipped, too, with part-time 4WD coming as standard, along with various terrain modes and underbody protection. Locking differentials, however, are only for the Willys and Rubicon models, though the Brake Lock Differential, which uses the traction control to simulate a locking differential, is fitted as standard for the rest.
The Versatile Ford Bronco
Suddenly being revived after a long hiatus during the pandemic is the Ford Bronco, which finally gave the Wrangler a proper modern-day rival. Like the Wrangler, the Bronco has removable roof and door panels, and a proper seven-speed manual. Wait, what? Yes, it has seven gears, with the seventh being a very low crawler gear that’s meant for very steep inclines. While the Wrangler has a V-6, the Bronco’s manual is hooked to a 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder, which produces 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. It’s also a tad more efficient at a combined 20 MPG rating for the two-door. All variants also come with the manual as standard, except for the Outer Banks and Raptor, which are exclusively fitted with a 10-speed automatic.
The Bronco, however, has a much higher base price of $39,995 for a two-door, while the four-door version starts at $43,080. To be fair, the Bronco also has more standard features, which in this case include:
- LED exterior lighting (the base Wrangler Sport comes with halogens)
- 12-inch digital gauges
- A 12-inch SYNC4 infotainment
It’s also the nicer car to drive on paved roads, thanks to its independent front suspension as opposed to the solid front axle with recirculating ball steering of the Wrangler. Finally, the Bronco can be equipped with front and rear locking differentials as an option, even on the base trim.
2025 Ford Bronco And Jeep Wrangler Performance Specs
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Model |
Ford Bronco |
Jeep Wrangler |
|
Engine |
2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder |
3.6-liter V-6 |
|
Power |
300 hp |
285 hp |
|
Torque |
325 lb-ft |
260 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
7-speed manual |
6-speed manual |
|
EPA Combined MPG |
19 MPG (four-door) 20 MPG (two-door) |
18 MPG (four-door) 19 MPG (two-door) |
|
Max Towing |
3,500 lbs |
2,000 lbs (two-door) 3,500 lbs (four-door) |
|
Available In |
Base Big Bend Heritage Badlands Stroppe Edition |
Sport Sport S Willys Rubicon Rubicon X |
The Last Manual Pickup On The Market
- Base Trim Engine
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I-FORCE 2.4L ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Four-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
228 HP @6000 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
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243 lb.-ft. @ 1600 RPM
What if you want something that isn’t just off-road capable with a manual, but also one that can haul all your cargo? Well, there’s only one manual pickup left for you to choose, and it comes from an unlikely brand.
I Want A Taco, Ma
Okay, that seems like a forced pun, but yes, if you want a manual pickup, your only choice in 2025 is the recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma. The manual transmission—a six-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT)–already takes half of the work with its automatic rev matching during gear changes that enables even a clutch-free standing start of the vehicle. The iMT is available in the SR Double Cab, TRD Sport, and TRD Off-Road.
By opting for the manual, your sole engine choice is a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder branded as i-Force, and it produces 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with part-time 4WD as standard with this transmission. Want a rear locking differential? You’ll have to step up to at least the TRD Sport.
2025 Toyota Tacoma Performance Specs
|
Engine |
2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder |
|
Power |
270 hp |
|
Torque |
310 lb-ft |
|
Transmis sion |
7-speed manual |
|
EPA Combine d MPG |
20 MPG |
|
Max Towing |
6,400 lbs |
|
Availabl e In |
SR Dual Cab TRD Sport Dual Cab TRD Pro Dual Cab |
The Manual Is Offered In Very Few Trims
In the case of the Tacoma, unlike the Bronco and Wrangler, which have only two or three variants without a manual option, the Tacoma is the exact opposite. That’s because of Toyota‘s electrification push, where five trims come with the i-Force Max 2.4-liter parallel hybrid drivetrain. It’s the top-of-the-range engine choice, one that’s more powerful and a tad more efficient. As expected, fitting a manual to the hybrid version is difficult, especially when you need your hybrid system to coast and cruise in electric mode for short bursts.
How long the manual will still exist in the Tacoma lineup remains to be seen, but based on which variants it is available, probably not for long. Toyota offering a manual in the Tacoma’s lower-end trims, along with fitting it with part-time 4WD as standard, is a clear sign that they know there is a small group of off-road enthusiasts who’ll most likely demand such a vehicle. It probably wasn’t even done out of demand, but more of a passion project for Toyota.
The Forces Driving The Death Of The Manual
Now, as you may realize, the manual transmission in general is a dying breed, but that’s even more prevalent when it comes to SUVs and crossovers. Compare it to mainstream passenger cars, and you’ll see that there’s still a manual in a higher proportion of those models.
SUVs And Pickups Are The Default Family Vehicle
Take a look at what the best-selling cars are, and you’ll start to realize why the manual is dying at a faster rate in SUVs and pickups. That’s because these vehicles are now the modern-day family vehicle. Passenger cars, on the other hand, are also sold in sporty forms like the Elantra N and Civic Type R, while more humble sedans like the Mazda 3 are still available in a manual. These days, the passenger car isn’t often a family’s primary car. It would be if you were probably single or simply living as a couple, but when taking kids into account, it’s almost inevitable that families will upsize to an SUV or a pickup.
And when they do, they’ll often choose the automatic instead of the manual. Sure, some folks would daily drive a manual SUV or a pickup, but these are extremely rare and are the exception to today’s market trends. The pleasure of driving a manual is often complemented by the agile handling of a low-slung passenger car or a sports car, not an SUV or a pickup. That’s why we still have manual sports cars like the Nissan Z, Toyota GR Supra, or even the BMW Z4. Pickups and SUVs? They’re a less likely choice for a car or even a manual enthusiast.
Electrification Is Reshaping Our World
Finally, the other driving force as to why manuals are disappearing is because of the need for electrification. It’s nearly impossible to fit a manual in an electrified vehicle, especially one that can shut off the engine and cruise for a certain distance in pure electric mode. Also, manual vehicles tend to be slightly less efficient and thus have higher emissions than their automatic counterparts with intelligent computer-controlled systems. Combined with the waning interest in a manual, especially in this segment, it’s no wonder that only a few automakers think it’s worth spending the extra R&D budget for a transmission that probably won’t earn itself back.