5 Crossovers That Deserve To Have A Manual Transmission

It's no secret manual transmissions have been dying a slow death for a while. Take rates for three-pedal cars are strong on a tiny selection of niche enthusiast vehicles, but when icons like the Corvette call it quits and BMW board members say things like, "It's over," there's no denying this gearhead-friendly mode of shifting is on its last legs. Car and Driver attempted to stem the decline with the Save The Manuals campaign it launched in 2010, but to little effect. 

It's a bummer — driving a manual transmission is a key factor in fun-to-drive cars, and I would know. My daily driver has had three pedals since I passed my driver's test more than a decade ago. I also used to teach adults how to operate manuals at a driving school dedicated to the art.

In conjunction, more or less, with the fall of manual transmissions, is the rise of the crossover. These car-based vehicles have taken over American roads, and even the mighty F-150 has succumbed to its sales dominance (done in specifically by the RAV4). Many of this breed are best known for utility blandness, but some have been crafted with the enthusiast in mind — crossovers with speed and handling prowess in spades, that offer excitement behind the wheel. However, even these could be better, if someone would just put a manual transmission in them.

The Porsche name is steeped in sports car greatness, so you purists can rest easy knowing it's smallest crossover — the Macan — was designed to emulate legends like the 911 and Boxster. It's won a 10 Best award from Car and Driver nine times. In our review of the 2020 Macan S, we said the driving dynamics are more akin to a Cayman than a crossover. Loving owners heap praise on the Macan's ability to take on whatever you throw at it in the handling department. Then there's the GTS. It sits atop the current gas-powered Macan lineup with a 434-hp twin-turbo V6. 

An adaptive air suspension comes standard and high-performance 21-inch summer tires are a no-cost option. It can sling to 60 in less than four seconds and cling to the skidpad with 0.91 g of lateral grip. Reviewers gush over the Macan GTS' steering feel, sharp handling, and chassis that's been setup to blast down back road twisties. And as far as crossovers go, the low-slung profile of the Macan GTS pushes it into hot hatch design territory. 

Really, the only thing Porsche could do to improve its mightiest ICE Macan is add a manual transmission. One of the few automakers to still offer such a setup, with the relatively strange seven-gear setup in some cases, Porsche's three-pedal system is said to give drivers goosebumps upon a successful row through the gears. If ever there was a crossover deserving of a manual transmission, it's the Porsche Macan GTS.

Take a look at Hyundai's marketing for the Ioniq 5 N and you'll get a clear sense of its design intent as a full-on hoonigan. Terms like "corner rascal" accompany footage of lurid, rubber-roasting smoke shows. The all-wheel drive system on this battery-powered mid-sized hatchback is said to be rally inspired. It makes 641 hp when N Grin Boost mode is switched on, and did we mention it's an EV? Forget driving range, however, as this particular variant of the Ioniq 5 is loaded with go-fast gear like customizable torque distribution profiles, an N Drift Optimizer function, electronically-controlled suspension, and 15.7-inch front brakes. Porsche benchmarked its 718 EV against this Hyundai, at least for its pretend ICE sounds. 

MotorWeek chose the Ioniq 5 N as its 2025 driver's choice for the best performance car. It can hit 60 mph from a standstill in three seconds flat, pull 0.96 g in a tight circle, and win — in race trim — runs in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. When we reviewed the Ioniq 5 N, positive feedback including calling it a track star and giving the Hyundai our Select award. Owners are impressed with how connected the Ioniq's suspension feels to the driving experience and expert commentary points out how happily the 5 N zings through hairpins. Just in case you needed more reasons that this electric crossover deserved a manual transmission, Hyundai already sells it with simulated gear changes that try to replicate the action of a clutch. If cars have souls, this poor little Ioniq's is certainly suffering from this electronic tease, so please Hyundai, do the right thing.

Over the past year, nearly 20% of Acura Integra buyers chose the automaker's six-speed manual over the available automatic transmission. If you've ever driven a Honda vehicle with a stick, it's easy to understand why. The shifter action has a satisfying "snick-snick" feel as you move the lever through the gears. Would an Acura MDX with a manual transmission be unusual? Yes. But it would certainly jive with this big crossover's litany of enthusiast-oriented features and Acura already makes one. The boosted V6 is good for 355 hp, which is not all that impressive these days, but then, Acuras have never been about stoplight racing. 

It'll still clear 60 in a respectable 5.5 seconds and hold 0.87 g around the skidpad, but this three-row crossover also comes with Super Handling AWD, or SH-AWD for short. The Japanese automaker has been perfecting this system for 20 years, and in the MDX Type S, it works in concert with an adaptive air suspension and Brembo brakes to deliver what Motor Week described as "serious handling chops." This sentiment is echoed throughout the automotive review universe, with engaging dynamics a recurring theme. 

We deemed it an Editor's Choice vehicle for 2024, and in our review of the Acura MDX Type S, we were left impressed by the steering wheel feedback and "stupendous" turn-in on windy roads. This is the type of kudos normally reserved for vehicles that you expect to have a stick. Rev-matching downshifts for the slushbox are already part of the Type S equation, so why not offer the real thing?

Mazda canned its catchy "Zoom Zoom" tagline in 2015 and replaced it with the far less fun Driving Matters mantra, but that doesn't mean the cars and crossovers in its lineup have lost their verve; it's just been applied with a bit more maturity. Taking that lame new tagline to heart, Mazda has not lost its zoomy ways with the little CX-30 in turbocharged guise. Fill it with premium and this relatively lithe crossover, weighing in at just 3,444 pounds, generates a potent 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. 

Base models make do with just 186 for both output metrics. The 0-60 and skidpad figures aren't very exciting, but when combined with Mazda's torque vectoring AWD system and brake-based limited-slip differential, the CX-30 Turbo shines in the fun-to-drive arena. Looking at this crossover, it's not unreasonable to call it a slightly lifted hot hatch, especially were you to remove the black plastic cladding, which fits with how it drives. Owners note the tight handling and in our review of the CX-30, rewarding driving dynamics behind the wheel left a good impression. 

I've owned two Mazdas with a six-speed and driven the current-gen three-pedal Miata on multiple occasions, so can confidently tell you that the company makes excellent manual transmissions. They still offer a stick on both the Miata and 3 hatchback, which would suggest that fitting it to the CX-30 isn't too much of a stretch. Don't hold your breath, but were Mazda to take these wishes to heart, I can name at least one person who would be impatiently waiting at the dealership.

Ferrari hasn't put a manual transmission in one of its cars since 2012 with the California. In an interview with MotorTrend, the Italian automaker's chief product officer at the time, Gianmaria Fulgenzi, had this to say: "For a performance car the manual transmission is not something [you want]. When you have your hands on the wheel and you can use the paddles, there's nothing better than that. Nothing, nothing, nothing." I respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree, disagree, disagree. Especially when it comes to a naturally aspirated V12, the stuff of Ferrari legend. 

Like the lump found in the Purosange, a crossover that defies description. It makes 715 hp at 7,750 rpm. The adaptive suspension integrates 48-volt motors — at all four corners — to delete body roll. Multimatic provides spool-valve dampers, the 812 Competizione donates its four-wheel steering, and the Prancing Horse delivers the goods in the form of a 3.2-second 60 sprint and a 193-mph top speed. After a drive of the Purosangue, we called it a super SUV. Other experts claim this Ferrari crossover will best all other contestants when it comes to handling, which it manages like a sports car. 

With a carbon fiber roof, rear-mounted gearbox, and that glorious V12 mounted aft of the front axle, the Purosange boasts 49:51 front-to-rear weight distribution. The F1-derived aerodynamics and torque vectoring are nice too. Really, the only thing that could make this crossover nicer would be the addition of a manual transmission, preferably with an open-gate shifter.