About 7 percent of all new cars sold in the United States so far in 2012 have been equipped with three pedals and a manual gear lever, according to researchers at Edmunds. Last year, just 3.9 percent of all new cars were manual transmission models.
Nearly two-thirds of all new cars are available exclusively with automatic gearboxes and the number of mainstream stick shifted models is dropping every year. Recent additions to the "no manuals" list have included everything from high-profile performance cars like BMW's next-generation M5 and M6 to small crossovers like the Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe.
Just why are more buyers suddenly opting for stick shifts? Edmunds speculates that it's a combination between the perceived benefits of lower fuel consumption and the lower cost of a manual transmission model. However, the site rightfully states that many new automatic transmissions are actually engineered to achieve even better fuel economy on the EPA test cycle than manuals, while some cars - like BMWs and a number of GM products - charge the same regardless of gear lever.
If you're in the market for a stick-shifted car but want something a bit out of the ordinary, we'd recommend checking out our list of 10 cars you don't realize offer available with manual transmissions.
