Gen Z Kids Are Saving Manual Transmissions — Sort Of

Zoomers and Zillenials aren’t ready to give up on the manual transmission just yet. A new report from The Wall Street Journal says that while manuals accounted for just 1.7 percent of total new vehicle sales in 2023, that’s actually a tick in the right direction!

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The report says data from J.D. Power shows that last year, manual transmission sales were at 1.2 percent, and the year before that they hit an all-time low of just 0.9 percent. Autotrader also apparently saw a 13 percent rise in page views for manual cars so far in 2023 compared to the same time last year.

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According to The Journal, the reason for the uptick in manuals doesn’t have to do with anything other than drivers wanting a more connected and analog driving experience in an increasingly automated world. The contrast is especially stark when you compare it to the fact that more and more buyers are switching to electric vehicles with just one forward gear.

A number of automakers like Mazda, Acura and Mini have been big backers of the manual transmission recently as more and more people seem to want them. Mini recently reintroduced the six-speed to a number of models in its lineup, and Acura brought back the manual on the Integra. It’s the first time since 2015 that the automaker had a manual transmission vehicle.