As drivers increasingly opt for automatic gearboxes, the number of new cars available with three pedals has decreased dramatically.
Could manual gearboxes become extinct in the coming years? That question has been posed after research found the number of new cars available with a stick shift has more than halved in the past decade.
According to used car marketplace CarGurus, which analysed data from the leading 30 car brands in the UK, 89 new models are available with a manual gearbox in 2024. That is down from 197 cars in 2016.
A rapid decline for manual
Interestingly, the number of new cars with a manual transmission remained virtually constant between 2014 and 2018, varying by no more than four percent.
However, the decline became noticeable after 2018. And in the past year alone, there has been an 18 percent decrease in new models available with a manual ‘box
Among the manufacturers who no longer offer any new cars with a manual gearbox are Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar, and Lexus.
New drivers switch to automatics
It seems car makers are merely following market trends. There has been a large increase in the number of UK drivers taking automatic-only driving tests, according to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data.
During the 2012-2013 period, there were 87,844 automatic-only driving tests. A decade later in 2022-2023, this had increased to 324,064.
However, drivers taking automatic-only tests are ‘potentially missing out on opportunities for savings,’ said CarGurus. It claims buyers can save £3,466 on average if they choose a used car with a manual gearbox over an automatic option.
“Between the increasing consumer demand for cars with an automatic gearbox and the rapid expansion of new EV models coming to market, we could be approaching the end of the road for the manual gearbox,” said Chris Knapman, editorial director at CarGurus UK.
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