The number of new cars with three pedals – i.e. manual transmissions – has fallen by 57 percent in a decade, according to a new British study.
New CarGurus survey shows dramatic decline in the number of cars with manual transmissions, but Volkswagen, Citroën and Ford are keeping the three pedals alive.
A new study from CarGurus shows a significant decline in the number of new cars with manual transmissions.
Over the past 10 years, the number has decreased by 57 percent. However, Volkswagen remains steadfast and offers the most cars with manual transmission.
The study, based on data from England, takes into account the selection of the 30 most popular car brands in Europe.
In 2015, there were 192 new car models with manual transmission. That number has fallen sharply since then. In 2023, there were 109 models. In 2024, the number dropped to 89, a decrease of 25 percent.
This year, the number has dropped further to 82 models. This corresponds to a decrease of 8 percent in just one year.
More car brands are choosing automatic transmissions
Several car brands no longer offer manual transmissions at all. Mini and Land Rover dropped the manual transmission in 2025.
They thus follow Lexus, Mercedes, Tesla and Volvo. For a very long time, these brands have had nothing but cars with automatic transmissions on their product range.
CarGurus also found 196 models from the 30 largest brands. Those models are available exclusively with automatic transmissions.
They also noticed something else: Manual transmission models now make up only 29 percent of the options across the top-selling car brands overall.
Last year, the option to have three pedals in the cabin disappeared from seven more current models. If this trend continues, the gearbox could be completely gone from new cars by 2037.
Reasons for the decline and the role of electric cars
The transition to electric cars has not helped the manual transmission. Electric cars typically do not use traditional gearboxes.
CarGurus' Chris Knapman comments on the development. He points to several factors.
– With an increasing number of new cars that are fully electric, and the market's general push towards larger and more premium vehicles, this is no big surprise.
– We can also see that cars with manual transmission have declined in the 12 months that have passed since we last did a similar count.
– The automatic transmission is increasingly something people expect as standard equipment. And not something they have to pay extra for.
However, some car brands stick to cars with manual transmission.
Volkswagen is the brand that offers the most manual models in the UK, meaning that the brand's dealers have seven models with manual transmission ready for customers.
Citroen and Ford have slightly fewer but equally new cars with manual transmission on their programs.
Both Citroen and Ford currently have six models with three pedals. Dacia, Hyundai, Mazda and Skoda each have five manual models in their range.
Although cars with manual transmissions are becoming increasingly rare, there are still enthusiasts for whom car brands build simple cars. Mazda is one of the exceptions. Read more about it here .
