The manual transmission has not yet gone extinct, but it becomes more endangered every year. Automakers are constantly cutting costs, electrifying their vehicles and incorporating new active safety features — all of which are anathema to the continued use of the old-fashioned stick.
Now, you still can buy some great new cars with a stick shift. But what was once the standard transmission has become a niche item for enthusiasts of certain vehicles. And for certain vehicles in that group, like the Jeep Wrangler, the departure of the stick may only be a matter of time.
Fortunately for those who want to row their own gears, manuals still abound in the used market. You won’t find that immaculate, low-mileage manual Toyota 4Runner for cheap — but you can find quite a few fun cars, trucks and SUVs for not a lot of money. Below, we present 10 manual transmission cars we found on sale for less than $10,000.
2014 Volkswagen GTI – $9,950
There are few affordable things in the automotive space finer than a manual transmission VW GTI. This is a one-owner California car; it’s a pre-facelift Mk7 but still reasonably similar to the version on sale today. The mileage may be a little steep, but the price tag isn’t
2009 Mini John Cooper Works — $8,997
There are cute, stylish Minis — and then there are the hard-edged John Cooper Works Minis. This hardtop Cooper still has some life left, with only 75,000 miles on the odometer.
2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata – $9,887
The Miata is one of the best driver’s cars on the market, and they are very affordable. Here’s a fetching Nordic Green Mica convertible from 2006.
2004 Ford F-250 Regular Cab Super Duty – $8,000
A V8 4×4 Ford truck with a manual? Why, yes, that certainly exists for a decent price on the used market.
2008 Mercedes C300 – $7,795
Manual-transmission Mercedes cars are rare, but they existed well into the 2000s. Here’s a C300 sedan with a six-cylinder engine and a stick shift.
2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara – $9,000
Burgundy may not be the ideal color, but beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to a Jeep in the price range. It’s the “luxurious” Sahara trim, and there are only about 80,000 miles on the clock.
2006 BMW 325i – $8,995
There’s perhaps no BMW more classic than a rear-wheel-drive 3 Series with a six-cylinder engine and a manual transmission. This one only has about 52,000 miles on it.
2005 Ford Mustang GT – $9,000
The fifth-generation Mustang went back to basics, resulting in what is probably the best-looking Mustang since the original. This super clean black-on-black GT with a V8 has fewer than 70,000 miles.
2013 Cadillac ATS 2.0T – $9,981
No, you won’t find that pristine CTS-V wagon for $10,000. But you can get this four-pot ATS sedan, which is a delight all its own.
2013 Nissan Juke NISMO – $9,850
The eccentric, homely Juke crossover is a sure conversation starter. For some reason, Nissan made a 197-hp NISMO version with a five-speed manual.