The Stick Shift Is Almost Dead and Nobody Is Saving It

I first learned how to drive a stick-shift vehicle at Renton Airport, next to the Boeing Renton facility. My college summer job refueling airplanes required me to drive the fuel truck, which had a manual transmission. I was literally under pressure.

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If you learned to drive using a manual transmission, you might want to pause for a moment to consider what’s happening to the stick shift.

How One Generation Watched the Manual Transmission Nearly Vanish

Recent data shows what has been happening for years: manual transmissions are almost gone from the American market. For the 2025 model year, stick shifts made up only 0.6% of vehicles built for U.S. sale, compared to about 35% in 1980. That’s not a slow decline. It’s almost a complete disappearance in just one generation.

Modern Automatics Shift Faster Than Any Human — and That's the Problem

The reasons are simple. Modern automatic transmissions have become so advanced that it’s hard to argue against them. Eight- and ten-speed automatics now shift faster than any person can, and they do it more efficiently, more consistently, and with better fuel economy than even skilled drivers. The idea of being "in control" of your car has met the reality that the computer does it better.

Technology accomplished what convenience alone could not. For years, driving enthusiasts argued that manuals offered a connection to the road that automatics could not match. There is some truth to that. Shifting through the gears on a winding mountain road feels satisfying in a way that paddle shifters only come close to, but never fully match. Still, the market has made its choice and prefers ease.

2015 Ford Mustang (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Today, only about two dozen vehicle models still offer a manual transmission option. The Ford Mustang is one of the most well-known holdouts, along with a few sports cars and performance vehicles. In these cars, the stick shift remains not so much for practical reasons, but as a cultural statement.

A Fond Farewell to the Stick Shift — and One Very Steep Seattle Hill

For drivers in Wenatchee Valley who deal with mountain passes, gravel roads, and steep terrain, automatics have been the practical choice for a long time. Towing a boat to Lake Chelan or driving up Blewett Pass in a loaded truck is just easier with today’s automatic technology.

The stick shift had a great run: 45 years of American dominance, a generation of tense parking lot lessons, and a lasting place in driving culture.

But 0.6% is hardly anything, and I won’t miss it when I’m at a stoplight on one of the steepest hills in downtown Seattle, on Marion Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.