Every new manual car you can buy in 2023 – November update

Still keen to shift ratios yourself? If a used car isn’t right for you, we’ve counted all the brand-new manuals on sale…

The automatic transmission has been Australia’s default for some time now thanks, in part, to the prevalence of affordable locally-made Commodore and Falcon slushboxes. But with even the British and Europeans swapping for autos, the flow of new manuals is more restricted than ever.

There are still some on sale for those who want their three-pedal fix, from cheap-as-chips Kia Picantos to almost-irreplaceable Porsche 911s. Some manufacturers have even revived manuals, with Toyota engineering a new three pedal setup for the GR Supra. Exciting times.

NOVEMBER UPDATE: Aside from some typical price rises, Hyundai’s N manuals are back on offer and the 911 S/T is available to order (should you have a spare $660K lying around)… Oh, and the Mustang’s back ?

We’ve sorted this list by price bracket to guide you through all the manual cars you can buy brand new in Australia right now.

There are some exceptions – fleet special utes, for example – that we’ve decided not to include. Only special, exciting variants of those commercial vehicles have made this list.

So, without further ado, we present to you the definitive guide to the manual transmission in 2023. Let us know in the comments whether you still love changing your own gears.

JUMP AHEAD

• Manual cars under $30K
• Manual cars $30-60K
• Manual cars $60-120K
• Manual cars $120K+
• Further reading

Manual cars under $30,000

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Like the idea of a new affordable car and are able to drive a manual transmission? This list is for those of us who neither want to relinquish the third pedal or a whole wad of cash.

City cars with manual transmissions

Traditionally, all these cars were manuals only! And they were probably all the better for it as four-speed autos do not excel at harnessing the power bands of these small, revvy engines.

The saddest news this month is that the Picanto GT is living on borrowed time – one more fun manual bites the dust.

The WhichCar pick: A manual Suzuki Swift Sport dishes out plenty of hot hatch happiness.

*Denotes national drive-away price.

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Small SUVs with manual transmissions

You can still buy manual small SUVs, believe it or not. This list is generally full of price-leading base models. The only change is a dearer ASX GS.

The WhichCar pick: None of these shifters will set your heart alight. Grab the Jimny manual and enjoy exploring.

*Denotes national drive-away price.

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Small cars with manual transmissions

Only one choice here, seriously? It’s quite incredible they’ve all disappeared – including the VW Golf – but it’s in the name of safety. It’s harder to calibrate AEB and must-have adaptive cruise for manuals, and that’s why we see this class start to disappear.

The WhichCar pick: With the Mazda 3 manual axed, our choice is narrowed down to the i30 N Line manual. The notchy shift isn’t perfect, but it still engages the driver.

*Denotes national drive-away price.

Psst, manuals are proven to make you better looking… sort of

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Manual cars for $30,000-60,000

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This is a mix of truly great drivers’ cars and regular family vehicles. There’s everything from bespoke sports cars, such as the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GR86 to family SUVs like the Kia Sportage.

Small cars with manual transmissions

A little dearer than its hatch cousin, the independently rear-suspended i30 Sedan N Line is a good incognito alternative to a full-fat N car.

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Medium SUVs with manual transmissions

Mazda has ditched the manual CX-30! It joins the CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 as mid-sizers that have lost manuals in 2023. At least Kia perseveres with the Sportage.

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Performance cars with manual transmissions

Worried you couldn’t have fun for under $60K? This wild array of cars suggests otherwise. The driving enthusiast is still well-catered for in Australia. Hyundai’s euro-built i20 N and i30 N hatches are back online, too.

The WhichCar pick: This is a hard field, but we think the well-weighted mechanical shift feel of the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 may be some of the best in the business.

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JUMP AROUND

• Manual cars under $30K
• Manual cars $30-60K
• Manual cars $60-120K
• Manual cars $120K+
• More reading

Manual cars for $60,000-120,000

There are a few options here, but not as many as you might expect. BMW’s new M2, the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z are exciting sports cars, but we’ve also chosen to include some of the tastier utes on sale right now.

Off-roaders with manual transmissions

Yep, there’s a host of fleet-targeted manual utes you can get, but these are the fun ones with a bit of spunk and off-road capability sprinkled on top. The 70 Series V8 manual isn’t getting any cheaper, though…

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Performance cars with manual transmissions

A smaller list than you might have expected, but there are some awesome engine configurations in this bracket. From highly-strung three-bangers to the Ford Mustang Dark Horse’s 349kW ‘five-o’ V8.

The WhichCar pick: Sorry bespoke sports cars, the Honda Civic Type R has the best shift in this price bracket.

*Denotes national drive-away price.

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Manual cars over $120,000

The exotic stuff. These are performance cars for die-hard cashed-up petrolheads. If you want something this expensive with a manual, it’s for a reason. There are three brands represented: BMW, Lotus and Porsche. But thank goodness they still exist.

This author’s pick

Any and all of the Porsches are good, but the Cayman GT4 and 718 Spyder are absolute winners – even with tall ratios.

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BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Other stories about manuals

We’ve talked about manual transmissions, well, a hell of a lot. Not surprises there, right? So here’s a list of just a few that might get your left leg tapping.