• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, July 15, 2024

Editor's Note: This story ran in a previous edition

Save the Manual: It’s a rallying cry among automotive enthusiasts who still relish the art of driving. 

There is absolutely nothing more fun than driving a curvy road in a sporty car with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Unfortunately, the opportunities for doing that are becoming few and far between as consumers spend much more drive time in heavy city traffic. That’s likely the reason why the take-rate on manual transmissions continues to fall, even in Europe. 

I recently had the opportunity to joyfully test drive three manual transmission vehicles: the Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 Autobahn, the Toyota GR86 Premium and the Nissan Z Performance. 

I especially relished my time behind the wheel in the Golf GTI since the 2024 is the last model year the manual transmission will be available in that model.

Manuals are popular among U.S. Volkswagen buyers, but the take rate has been falling globally. And since the GTI is a globally sold vehicle, a case could not be made to offer the six-speed manual going forward. 

According to Motor1, the Volkswagen Golf GTI manual transmission take rate in the U.S. was around 50% in 2023, but only 5% of global GTI customers opted for the six-speed transmission.

I can understand the need for comfort and ease, especially in rush-hour traffic. I ran up against this quandary myself while test driving the Nissan Z, which got more comments and admiration from strangers than just about any other vehicle I’ve ever test driven.

The week I had it, I had to drive to downtown Detroit in the pouring rain in morning rush hour traffic for jury duty. I ended up leaving it behind in my driveway and instead driving my personal daily driver, a mid-sized SUV with an automatic transmission. 

The Z offers a lot for the money.  It’s a good deal with a starting price of just over $52k. The model I drove was $55,510 with the addition of premium paint, a floor mat package and an illuminated kick plate plus destination charges. 

About that paint: the Seiran Blue exterior paired with a matching blue and suede leather interior is simply stunning. And people took note. I had several folks stop me in parking lots and stoplights to ask about the vehicle. It also lives up to the “Born to Thrill” tagline with 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. 

Comparatively speaking, the special-edition 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 (starting at $40,625 plus $1,150 destination charge) offers 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The Toyota GR86 Premium (starting at $31,900 plus $1,095 destination charge) provides 228 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. 

The GR86 I drove was a close second to the Nissan in terms of its eye-catching “Track bRED” red paint color.  It also received its fair share of questions and compliments from other drivers. I’d call it a steal for the money, although it gets the second worst gas mileage of the three vehicles I drove — 20 city and 26 highway for a combined 22 mg.

The Z (which offers the most power) offers 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway for a combined 20 mpg, while the GTI tracks at 23 mpg city, 34 mpg highway for a combined 27 mpg. I actually experienced a combined 28.3 mpg average during my week in the vehicle.

It’s hard to say which one I like best. 

The Z looks like a way more expensive car than what it costs. But I don’t recommend trying to use a drive-up ATM --  it’s nearly impossible to contort yourself through the driver-side window to reach the buttons. Yeah, I know: first-world problems. 

The GTI has an actual usable backseat which folds down flat giving a decent amount of cargo space. But it's much more understated and didn’t generate the attention of the other two. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you don’t have a “look at me” personality.