[wjones14]

And #10 in Road & Track's list is:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...uals/?slide=10

[aaaaah]

Helps confirm that upgrading to the LCI lights on a MG looks good too.

Also it's only a matter of time before the Huayra is a manual. Mr Pagani does what his customer wants overall.

[Rayscott]

Probably an older car, like my 66 GTO. Newer cars have much better trannys than the old ones and I had my share of sticks over the years. Love my 228ix with drive.

[ambystom01]

I'd buy a 240i xdrive if it came in manual.

[DaleHeinz]

Well, I did by the M240 Xdrive. It is an amazing car, but holy hell do I miss shifting gears. I've driven and owned only manual shifts for 24 years (since I was 16). This is my first automatic. The ZF-8 transmission bangs through gears in sport+ like a manual, but there is no substitute for being more connected to the car via a nice 6-speed manual. My 335i coupe and Audi S4 (4.2l V8) were both 6 speeds, and were so much fun to drive. All of my commuter cars have been manual as well. A younger me, would punch older me square in the jaw for buying an automatic. There are days when I regret getting the auto, and days when I just don't care either way. I'm sure I'm not alone.

[B_Rice]

I'd go with the plymouth prowler.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by ambystom01

I'd buy a 240i xdrive if it came in manual.

I might buy one too if they offered them with a manual. I currently drive a Mini as a daily driver/winter beater, and the M235i is "that trophy in the garage" as my wife calls it.

But now an option I am considering is downsizing to a single car I can drive year round in New England. A sporty AWD would be perfect. If the Audi S3 and M240 xdrive were offered with a manual, I could live with either one.

[aozer]

yea im sure the AT is the thing stopping most people from buying a huayra...

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by wjones14

But now an option I am considering is downsizing to a single car I can drive year round in New England. A sporty AWD would be perfect.

New England? AWD? Aren't you sort of obligated to have a Subaru WRX?

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

New England? AWD? Aren't you sort of obligated to have a Subaru WRX?

Ha ha, yeah. I did own a Subaru once, but it was a Forester and it wasn't my cup of tea. No debating a Subaru's ability in snow though. If I had to choose between a 6-speed WRX and the M240 xdrive, that would be a tough decision. If it was a 6-speed STI, well that decision is much easier.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by wjones14

If I had to choose between a 6-speed WRX and the M240 xdrive, that would be a tough decision. If it was a 6-speed STI, well that decision is much easier.

Happy shopping!

[No Boost]

Nice list. I'll add one more: 991 Turbo (S)

[champignon]

Originally Posted by wjones14

I might buy one too if they offered them with a manual. I currently drive a Mini as a daily driver/winter beater, and the M235i is "that trophy in the garage" as my wife calls it.

But now an option I am considering is downsizing to a single car I can drive year round in New England. A sporty AWD would be perfect. If the Audi S3 and M240 xdrive were offered with a manual, I could live with either one.

The STi has everything but class. It drives very well however there is zero sound insulation, and at highway speeds the gear ratios dictate tons of cabin noise even in 6th gear due largely to high revs. It is a practical but exceptionally ugly car that looks like it should belong to the teenager who mows your lawn. I owned one for a couple of years as my "practical" car and I could not wait to get rid of it.

If you are looking for "sedate" with power in a grown-ups car in this class, you wouldn't go too far wrong with a Golf R 6MT, my current "utility" car. The interior is acceptable, and the exterior very forgettable. Major downside is that it feels a bit too "clinical" when it comes to driving it. The manual transmission is OK but no better than that. The electric steering is tolerable, but way less pleasing to drive than the STi's hydraulic rack. On a practical side, the 5 doors (including hatch) make the car very usable for hauling stuff, and more than 2 people.

On the plus side, it gets hugely better mpg than the STi, and like the STi is designed for driving in foul weather, with its Haldex AWD system.

You could do a lot worse in this segment.

[F22_Matt]

Surprisingly good list! Very similar to what I might have come up with. Wouldn't buy a Charger either way and I'm not familiar with the Pagani so id probably swap those out for the Mercedes C43 and the Audi RS3.

Transmission was a big issue for me when deciding on a new vehicle this past July. I didn't realize how scarce manuals are becoming and it limited my choices considerably. Absolutely no regrets however since im loving the heckfire out of my 240i. Decision would have been much tougher though if Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, etc. offered their entry to mid-level performance models with a manual. Audi actually has a few but their selections are baffling to me. Manual on the A4 and A5 but not the S3/4, TT/S, or RS3/4?

[champignon]

Originally Posted by F22_Matt

Surprisingly good list! Very similar to what I might have come up with. Wouldn't buy a Charger either way and I'm not familiar with the Pagani so id probably swap those out for the Mercedes C43 and the Audi RS3.

Transmission was a big issue for me when deciding on a new vehicle this past July. I didn't realize how scarce manuals are becoming and it limited my choices considerably. Absolutely no regrets however since im loving the heckfire out of my 240i. Decision would have been much tougher though if Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, etc. offered their entry to mid-level performance models with a manual. Audi actually has a few but their selections are baffling to me. Manual on the A4 and A5 but not the S3/4, TT/S, or RS3/4?

When I was contemplating ditching my STi and trading it in on a Golf R, I found the VW R forums to be full of threads comparing the 6MT and DCT-type (DSG) automatic transmissions. Most of the posters stated that in this car you should buy the AT, not the manual, because the manual was just OK, and AT was extremely good. This may well be true, I can certainly confirm that the MT in these cars is no better than "good," and nowhere near what it is on any of my "semi-modern" BMWs.

But, for a segment of the enthusiast car-buying public, discussions such as this, AT vs MT on a particular car, completely misses the point. The point is that there are buyers, such as myself and I think you also, who don't even consider buying a car, especially a sporty car, with an AT. So, we limit ourselves to the ever-diminishing list of sporty cars available with a MT. I kept trying to tell these people on the VW forums that I would never have even considered buying the R if it came only in AT form, but the point was very hard to get across.

[Dylan86]

RS3, in MT, please

[F22_Matt]

Originally Posted by champignon

But, for a segment of the enthusiast car-buying public, discussions such as this, AT vs MT on a particular car, completely misses the point. The point is that there are buyers, such as myself and I think you also, who don't even consider buying a car, especially a sporty car, with an AT. So, we limit ourselves to the ever-diminishing list of sporty cars available with a MT. I kept trying to tell these people on the VW forums that I would never have even considered buying the R if it came only in AT form, but the point was very hard to get across.

Agreed. I acknowledge that modern ATs are objectively "better" than MTs as measured solely by performance. My preference is driven more by the sense of satisfaction, enjoyment, and engagement that a traditional manual offers. Paddle shifting is nice but just not the same. With rumors that BMW will drop the MT option ftom the 2-series soon I feel fortunate I pulled the trigger when I did.

[Ron Jeffries]

While the MT might be fun, and the AT is surely faster than the MT, I really miss the DCT from the 135is. You can tell it's a real transmission and of course it shifts light lightning with absolutely no slip. The 8AT is great but no real comparison.

[3.0L]

All cars come with a manual. It's in the glove box.