The Last 5-Speed Manual In the US Is Gone

According to Automotive News (paywalled), the $17,190 base-model Nissan Versa S -- the last U.S.-market production car with a five-speed manual -- is ending production. A Nissan spokesperson told Auto News that the company is 'trimming the fat' to focus on models with the strongest business performance -- and the manual Versa S didn't make the cut. The Drive reports: Looks like Nissan is trying to create as much savings as possible to handle the 25% tariff on cars imported from Mexico. When you go to Nissan's site and check out the Versa, the first thing you see under its name is 'Get the Nissan you want free from new tariffs.' So if Nissan is going to eat the additional tariff cost for customers, it can't be manufacturing cars that won't sell well. And manuals reportedly only accounted for 5% of Versa sales in 2024.

As the manual Versa dies, it brings the five-speed manual transmission down with it. What was once a common drivetrain configuration is now a memory -- when the last stick-shift Versa leaves a Nissan lot, there won't be any new five-speed manual vehicles for sale in the United States. Only six-speed and a few seven-speed manuals will remain. Killing the manual Versa won't be a big sales hit, since barely any customers wanted it, but it will end Nissan's ability to market a sub-$18,000 car.

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