Does Ford Still Sell A Manual Transmission Car In 2025?

Manual transmissions used to be the standard in the automotive industry. No, really, they used to be called "standard" because they were the more common transmission, and often the only option. It was considered a rite of passage to learn how to operate a manual transmission, and in most cases, they were the less-expensive transmission choice in any given car. In 2025, however, the majority of manufacturers have made the switch to a lineup full of automatic transmissions only. From basic crossovers to family sedans, most cars you see on the road today use automatic transmissions — especially electric vehicles, where manuals aren't really an option. Thankfully, if you're an enthusiast who wants to shift their own gears though, there are still some manuals left in 2025. 

For 2025, Ford has two cars left that still offer a manual transmission — the Mustang and the Bronco. Hot hatchbacks like the Focus ST and Focus RS have been retired, along with the rest of the Focus lineup, and pickup trucks like the Ranger and F-150 offer only automatic transmissions, so that just leaves the sporty muscle car and the off-road brawler. You have to do a bit of searching and selection to find a trim with a manual transmission, but it's there, and we'll help guide you to it. 

One of the few American sports cars left, the Ford Mustang has a long history of appealing to enthusiasts. Currently, it's offered in six different trims: EcoBoost, EcoBoost Premium, GT, GT Premium, Dark Horse, and Dark Horse Premium. Under the hood of the EcoBoost models is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that's paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It puts out 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, but that power is only available with the automatic – no manual for the four-banger.

The Mustang GT uses Ford's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 — a staple for the pony car. The V8 produces 480 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque (486 hp with the active exhaust). It's available with the 10-speed automatic, but the six-speed manual is standard fare. Based on our recent experience with the manual-transmission in the Mustang GT, it's a choice we definitely recommend. A few different axle selections are available for the Mustang, including a Torsen Limited-Slip.

At the top of the Mustang trim-level ladder is the Dark Horse, which also uses Ford's 5.0-liter V8 engine, but it squeezes some extra power out, producing 500 hp (and the same 418 lb-ft of torque). The Dark Horse comes standard with the Torsen limited-slip rear axle and a Tremec six-speed manual transmission.

Like the Mustang, the Ford Bronco is available in a number of different trim levels, but only a select few offer a manual transmission. The Bronco trims for 2025 are as follows: Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Heritage Edition, Badlands, Stroppe Edition, and Raptor. Unlike the Mustang, however, the Bronco doesn't offer a manual transmission on its higher performance models. The Bronco Raptor, for instance, comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that puts out 418 hp, but it's exclusively paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The base Bronco (along with the Badlands) comes standard with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed manual transmission. The engine, branded EcoBoost like the Mustang's base four-cylinder, produces 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque — respectable numbers for the class. The manual can be swapped out for a 10-speed automatic if you choose, but it'll cost extra. The Outer Banks and the Heritage Edition get a choice between the standard four-cylinder engine and a larger, more-powerful turbocharged 2.7-liter V6, but the V6 is automatic only. The 2.7-liter engine offers a significant power increase (330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque) which we thoroughly enjoyed in our review of the latest Bronco Heritage Edition, but it loses the engagement factor of shifting your own gears — which can be particularly fun when you're cruising with the top down.