Fwiw, I recently sought out a lightly used second gen Crosstrek specifically so that I could have a manual transmission, but more so over CVT reliability concerns than driving dynamics. I hardly saved any money over buying a new third gen. Would be an almost perfect "appliance vehicle" if they offered the 2.5L with a stick because the 2.0 is anemic.
I have a 2010 Outback with that same transmission but paired to an EJ25 engine instead of the EJ20. It's great fun to drive and all but if you don't care for the driving dynamics of a manual then it's probably not worth it anymore. Also just know subaru's CVT transmissions are nowhere near as bad as some other companies they really only need fluid changes as much as 30K-60K miles along and they will probably last as long as you care to see that car in your possesion.
Fwiw, the second gen Crosstrek came with a 6 speed manual transmission and I'm not sure how similar it is to the 5 speed offered in the first gen XV. I once owned an early 2000s Impreza with an NA FB20 and 5 speed which had great dynamics and felt significantly quicker than my current Crosstrek. I also regularly drive a fifth gen outback with an FB25 and 6 speed manual transmission that's also quicker than my Crosstrek. It's annoying that Subaru paired a manual transmission to the FB25 in the outback and put the FB25 in the Crosstrek, but never offered it with a stick. They had all the pieces but never put them together.
The outback was offered with a 6 speed manual transmission up to 2017, at least in Canada. It's far from fast, but it's usable with the FB25 despite weighing more than the Crosstrek. A 6th or 7th Gen Outback XT with a turbo would have been interesting, but the manual transmission was gone by then.
Well for cars as a whole I absolutely agree. However for certain models of car this isn't the case, the strongest case for this likely being from Subaru themself with the WRX. It's take rate for manual holding fairly strong at roughly 83-86%. Some other cars especially reasonably affordable sporty cars like the Miata and the BRZ/GR86 also have manual take rates above 60% which in this day and age would easily warrant the manual staying available for more playful cars like them. Now as for SUV's or more likely for Subaru a crossover of some sort a manual makes a lot less sense. The main reason I could see someone wanting a crossover/SUV with a manual in particular, besides of course them just liking driving manual, is that a manual transmission is a fair bit more durable than an automatic of similar quality construction but more importantly can generally be repaired for a fair bit less. Besides that this whole manual SUV idea is probably dead in the water.
Obv as someone who's actially used suvs for the past 2 decades last thing i want is an suv thats more difficult to drive. Lane keep assist and autopilt are welcome tho
> Obv as someone who's actially used suvs for the past 2 decades last thing i want is an suv thats more difficult to drive.
The crucial thing for me about my Xterra is that it has a manual. Without that, I wouldn't have bought the thing in the first place. Its so much nicer to have more control over the driveline in traffic and offroad.
I've done further, in pretty unforgiving cars and conditions and have never yet wanted an auto. Worst I can recall was doing ~1200km in my Cobra during a heatwave in summer. Temps in the shade were around 38-40*c in the shade, and more like 48* on the black asphalt roads, and the way the exhaust runs around the footwells and under the seats in the Cobra the interior of the car was more like 55*c. The drive took me 14 or 15 hours. Still wouldn't have taken an auto if offered :P
Generally I agree but long ago I drove a couple of XJs and they were fun as manuals but I wasn’t rock crawling or doing hardcore off-roading with them.
How do you not cook your clutch? I was driving in the snow and kinda cooked my clutch a bit. I feel like it's either slowly release and stall, pop and floor it (and spin wheels or crash), or slip and cook clutch. I feel like rock crawling requires similar driving as being stuck in snow...
Ok I will also agree that every vehicle I rock crawled in was small and short wheelbase. It was a TJ and a Tracker. I could see it being troublesome for a larger vehicle.
I went K5, then decided it was too big for the trails, went Geo Tracker too, then bent the frame, got Samurai, put the EFI 1.6 in it. Then another Tracker. Then more Samurais.
I have a manual SUV, but none of my driving is rock crawling. But I do find the manual control super helpful in lower-traction stuff, like wet grass or light mud. Or, especially, dusty/gravelly hills. I haven’t driven any sort of modern off-road vehicle, but the manual for me has been a lifesaver around the ranch and stuff. Hell, I’d buy one if it was on offer and was a size bigger than the Crosstrek they still had as manual until recently. Something like an Outback would be just fine for me in stick.
Ya, that sounds fun as hell. Manual for anything but that super slow Rubicon trail stuff. And I know some people still like manual for that, which is fine, but I’m a noob at that stuff so I’d have to ease into not burning clutches crawling. Something like a Ranger Raptor with a manual would be awesome.
I had a 350k 2.5L 5 speed XJ, truck was probably the most reliable thing I ever owned, I got it really cheap with some brake issues around 250k, turns out it just needed a new caliper bolt.
I was given my dad’s Toy Highlander, and it was the “Sport” model, I fully misunderstood what that meant and fully utilized the lower gears on the stick, even though it was an automatic. Had to have the transmission rebuilt, which was not cheap. As an automatic, with the capability to downshift when necessary is fine, after all.
Nah. I’ll drop a class of transmission to get a manual good manual > perfect auto, bad manual over acceptable auto, etc).
But I’m not going to pass on an 8HP for a NV4500. lol
The GR Corolla manual has lane keep assist and radar cruise. A manual and driving assists can both exist. They won’t help you at city speeds but most people use those features on longer highway drives
I'd love one, but I also want my wife to want to drive it, and she's not comfortable with manual. When you're dropping $50k+, it's gotta be a fit for the family, even if it's going to be my primary vehicle.
> I have no empathy for manual lovers because you are absolutely right. If they sold, they’d keep selling
Dude, what?...."fuck you for liking something most people don't". Enthusiasts are a small percentage of all car owners, even performance brands. Most people buying sports cars don't care about the details. They just want something fun for the weekend. There are fewer people who actually care about things enthusiasts do like steering feel and what transmission it has, and among those even fewer can afford to buy exactly what they want. What an obtuse and petty comment.
Blah blah blah. These people are these jerk off hobbyists but are always like “oh well I’ll wait for someone else to the depreciation I want manual but won’t actually do what’s needed to keep them alive”. Put your money where your mouth is or shut the fuck up, manuals died for a reason
Manuals sell very well in cars that offer them. Here's the percentage of manuals optioned (source: motor1.com):
Acura - Integra: 19.8%
BMW - M2: 50%, M3: 20%, M4: 15%, Z4: 65%
Cadillac - CT4-V Blackwing: Around 50%, CT5-V Blackwing: Around 50%
Honda - Civic: 7.2%
Hyundai - Elantra N: Around 30%
Kia - Forte: Less Than 2%
Lotus - Emira V-6: 86%
Mazda - Miata: Around 70%
Mini - Cooper: About 15%, Cooper S: About 15%, Cooper JCW: About 45%
Pagani - Utopia: 70%
Porsche - 718 Boxster / Cayman: 43%, 911: 37%
Subaru - BRZ: 77.8%, WRX: 86.7%
Toyota - GR86: 53%, GR Corolla: 97%, GR Supra: 65%, Tacoma: 2%
Volkswagen - Jetta: 6% (GLI 38%), Golf GTI: 41%, Golf R: 52%
Some of these are a bit misleading. For example, Toyota doesn't allow customers to custom order a car, so it's Toyota itself deciding how many manuals to produce. This is why the BRZ manual take rate is much higher than the GR86. The Civic is not offered in a manual except for the Si and Type R, which are 100% manual, so the percentage really shows how many Civics are those two models. Also, Toyota had only offered the automatic in the GR Corolla for half a year at this point, so the actual take rate for the manual probably went down after these numbers were published.
A manual is totally worth it, for the right vehicle and the right purpose. Most people including myself don't want to daily a manual. And since most people can't afford multiple vehicles, I honestly think this is the major driving force behind fewer manuals. I only want manual for sports reasons personally.
This frustrates me, since I wish I was in a position to buy a new vehicle earlier than now, but I am actively looking at new cars for the first time, and the only two options I have that match my wants 100% are a Wrangler Unlimited or a Bronco. I guess you could also throw in the Gladiator, but I just consider that an extension of the Wrangler, and it’s a bit long for me.
That’s the extent of “4 door compact-or-larger, off/soft-road-ready SUVs with a manual” that I can find. Jeep apparently offered them in things like the Renegade and Compass or Cherokee once upon a time, but the Renegade appears to be gone, and the Compass doesn’t have a manual option anymore.
Reddit is not the world. Despite what Reddit thinks. I’d venture the vast majority do not and will not comment, or have an account even. It’s becoming Quora. A repository for AI responses based on determined cultural account data determined rails.
Yet, I’ve wasted my time typing to agree that the surveyed consumer will result no, and that Subaru should not only rely on surveys and fucking do it.
Manual drivers are wiling to pay a slight premium for used manual vehicles but just don't seem to be willing to buy new. That's what I noticed on the market in Winnipeg at least.
The answer will be YES! Subaru customers want a manual suv or manual anything. But I promise Subaru won’t offer it as an option because they will claim it’s a loss of money building units that doesn’t appeal to everyone. But they still appeal to several groups of potential customers, new and old. But if you respond with capitalism( suck my whole A$&)But regardless of transmission if you’re gunna over price your shit, and let dealers mark up prices. It’s simple! you’re not gunna get your consumer/customer base to believe you care what we want, you want to know the next way you can wring us dry, all while protending to market interest in what the customer actually wants, instead of giving them what they want and pay for.
Except tehy had manual SIVs and nobody bought them. Not even sure why they are asking they can go back a couple years and see the take rate on the manual XV was like .2%
> The answer will be YES! Subaru customers want a manual suv or manual anything.
I don't really know if that's true. WRX and BRZ owners - absolutely.
Crosstrek owners... some of them. Legacy / Outback / Forester / Ascent... doubt it.
When they offer EV that mimics stick and can switch to automatic i would get it. I know it’s a gimmick but towing gears around town is fun and i would be able to avoid shifting when I’m in traffic or feeling lazy
Even as a car guy, I would never ever again for a manual as a daily, like, it's so so much for chill and comfortable with an automatic. Especially if Subaru here is asking for an NPC SUV.
My Alpine A110 I would have taken with a manual if they had one, but honestly, when I drive it I don't actually miss it really. It's still a ton of fun and faster this way anyway.
I used to complain about the lack of manuals, but at this point I spend 90% of my time either sitting in city traffic or driving on the highway. And yeah, unless they're going to give it a low range gear box and locking differentials and make it a full on 4x4 I don't really want a manual. And even if they did that I wouldn't be buying it new, just kind of hoping to pick one up in about 5 years on the used market. So "It's a no from me dawg".
Eh, so and so. I quite literally own *two* manual SUVs, one of which actually is an older Forester, and the other was bought new in 2025. I borderline consider the Subi to be a wagon, though, since compared to the Dacia, it more or less is.
...I mean, I wouldn't probably buy one any time soon, but that's because I already have two. Or at least one sport-wagonish thing and one UV (not sure about the S part for the latter, it's for the snow and mud, not speed).
If it’s the same engine as the WRX, so adding it would be increased engineering, they might hit a similar maker as the manual bronco/4runner. But it would need to be a special order. I can’t imagine them selling too many of them. They can barely sell the WRX.
Yes I would 100% buy a manual Subaru SUV if it were offered. The perfect balance of fun, space for my family, and reliability. I’m not a Subaru owner currently, but this would make me one.
Everyone says they’d buy a WRX STI wagon but the real question is how much would you pay for one? Car makers have been bringing enthusiasts what they want but realistically they can’t afford them and car manufacturers aren’t magically going to make those enthusiast cars affordable. I’d be happy with the manual forester imo
Not a subaru customer but i like that they're gauging interest. Realistically, SUVs are a sizable enough market that even a small take rate % of them would still be quite significant in absolute volume numbers to justify the option availability. I believe the crosstrek base had the manual but not the wilderness, maybe the enthusiast trim is where sticks will gravitate.
Subaru has had enormous manual take rates in their enthusiast cars lately. I think 90% for the BRZ, and 70% for WRX? I think they’d get a pretty healthy amount of interest so long as the car was halfway interesting - think Forester XT.
>I think they’d get a pretty healthy amount of interest so long as the car was halfway interesting - think Forester XT.
The take rate on the final manual years (that'd be '23 Crosstrek, '18 Forester, and in the US '14 outback though in Canada I think it went to '16) was evidence enough for no demand
But that’s *exactly* my point. Mainstream Subaru buyers don't want manuals; *performance* buyers do. If they're going to make a manual SUV, they better slap a turbo on it.
I think part of the problem with the take rate is that they only offered the manual in lower trims. I couldn’t get a manual with a sunroof. That option didn’t exist unless you did a special order.
There’s also the fact that manuals (in my area at least) were ridiculously hard to find. There was exactly one (1) new manual crosstrek within 120 miles of me when i was looking. I was close to giving up and just getting the cvt. Im sure some others were in the same boat.
I suppose given that 20% of the company is owned by Toyota who has a great BOF platform... there is a world where we get a rebadged 4Runner variant with a turbo flat 4 and full time 4wd. I'm just not sure it would be compelling vs vehicles that Toyota already sells.
> It’s technically a kei car, if I’m not mistaken, so it would need some extra safety gear for US release.
But not much. It's possible to sell *wildly* unsafe cars in the USA, in every sense: unsafe to occupants; other drivers; pedestrians; etc. You do have to make a minimal nod to safety systems. But almost every required system can be bought from Bosch and used as-is as a stand-alone system.
The USA has pretty weak safety regulations relative to the rest of the developed world. Adapting a European car for the USDM is usually a pretty minor (but expensive) affair (*lots* of lighting differences), while adapting an USDM car for Europe will likely require a full redesign if it wasn't originally designed with Europe in mind.
The issue is the costs to certify vehicles. The Jimny would likely be fine to sell with relatively few actual changes. But the cost of getting those changes certified is easily eight figures. And that's ignoring the much larger issue of dealer networks in the USA, but I'm not familiar with that enough to speak on it, but I know enough to know it's a massive consideration/roadblock for selling in the USA.
It's unlikely that any of this will change. In fact, it will probably get much worse. Ford & Chevy have massive influence over government regulations concerning automobiles and they know they are facing existential threats from foreign competition. There's no way they are going to support any changes that make it easier to sell cheaper niche imports. And normal people don't care enough to put extended pressure on law makers to push back against Ford & Chevy.
US regulations are not "wildly unsafe" a lot of times they are just different. The US mandated third brake lights and back up cameras long before Europe did. The US mandated airbags 10 years before the EU did.
I just looked it up. I think you are correct about them being a KEI car. Interestingly some people have been able to import them here via Mexico and register them. So that’s why I figured they weren’t illegal. Would love them to sell here. Would be a great city car.
They are illegal, federally. You can’t legally register a new Jimny in the United States unless you are in the US on a temporary work visa - and if you are, the car has to leave with you, it doesn’t get grandfathered in.
There are two versions, the kei version with the R06A and slim body, and the "Sierra" which has overfenders and a bigger engine (K15B), and falls outside of kei regs because of that.
Its just not possible unless it was built on a Toyota production line from Toyota parts. And then you have to ask yourself... why would Toyota even bother? This isn't like a BRZ/GR86 situation where they need to split costs. All their SUVs move major units. There's really no need to make a Buick to their Chevrolet, so to speak, to provide incremental volume.
There's no R&D budget to make a ground up Wrangler/Bronco competitor. This is a company who already has to lean onto their Toyota overlords to make hybrids happen.
They could bring back the FJ, but it was a poor seller last time around.
The Wrangler is a hard vehicle to compete with because, regardless of what people will admit, it's an image car. It's something people buy to look cool. Objectively, it's a terrible vehicle to own and drive.
You can't compete with the Wrangler on cool factor. Which means that segment of rich young people that drive them is off the table (and those who are willing to convert get G-wagens). And that's like, most of Wrangler buyers anymore.
You can't compete with the Wrangler on capability. So few buyers actually use their Wrangler anywhere close to the stock limits. And the aftermarket will handle any deficiencies.
And you can't really make a "better to drive" Wrangler because that's basically every other SUV/Crossover.
Unlike sports cars, building a good off-roader is expensive. You can adapt an economy car into a solid entry-level sports car (BRZ), but you can't really do that with a BoF offroader.
The thing that bothers me the most is the number of people buying Rubicon's, to be pavement princesses, if you want an onroad jeep at least buy the nicer one to drive.
well sure, but the problem is, they currently sell the 160hp crosstrek with the 2.0 and the 180hp crosstrek with the 2.5. neither has any illusions of being sporty or fun in A.D. 2026
Yep. I miss my 2023 2.0 6MT. It was slow, but didn’t feel like it. Drove a CVT 2024 and basically had the go pedal buried in the floor for normal driving.
You and 39 other people. 90% of the people that are like “I WANT A WAGON” wouldn’t actually go buy one, or they’d “wait to buy it used and someone else can pay deprecation”. That’s a perfect recipe to kill a model
There’s a reason there aren’t any cars like that. Just like how the general public is absolutely in love with screens stuffed into cars, they don’t want wagons, they don’t want manuals, they don’t want diesels, and they sure as shit don’t want brown
>There’s a reason there aren’t any cars like that.
Yeah that reason is because they lasted to long.
I still know people that drive an 89 civic wagon which is exactly like I described.
Thats the problem tho, when someone buys a car like that they hold on to it for 30 years and never buy a new car, and thats bad for the businesses that are selling cars.
Autos are honestly pretty damn decent in winter, even older ones like Merc W210's, obviously less control than a manual but still.
Source: Norwegian, owned a W210 and W211 and I live up a frankly stupid hill that's up another hill next to a hill that's also next to a hill etc.
That’s essentially what this guy did [on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRFbAHMEc3_/?igsh=cjhqcjJ2bjh2bDhu) and I would buy one in a heartbeat if Subaru offered it
It’s so useful in the rust belt and honestly looks fine to me in person on most color combos of the car. I really appreciated in all the snow and salt this year. I am a biased WRX owner though.
How's it more useful in the rust belt? There are multiple holes in each fender to mount the plastic flares. Each additional hole is another area that could begin to rust.
Yeah I get that the cladding is more durable, rust resistant and cheaper to replace.
It's just ugly lol. I dont live in the rust belt so it's not really an issue for me.
The Hyundai Kona had an option to have the cladding painted, even though it's an ugly vehicle the cladding less one looked way nicer.
The Mazda CX5 had an option for thin gloss black cladding and it looks so much better than the Matte black cladding.
Say I was going to buy a crosstrek, I'd look into wrapping the cladding with something glossy and that goes well on the paint colour.
Because you are talking to more enthusiast kinds of people here and not the general public, which are a minority car buyer. One car to do it all is a wagon/hatch. You can drive it spirited like sedan. With the storage of a crossover. And they are funky looking which is also a draw to people who want something a little different. But 99% of people don’t care about a car needing to be fun or engaging if they want space. It just gotta go A to B and haul their stuff
If they cared they would have kept wrx strictly manual. They diluted their enthusiast crowd by discontinuing STi and offering WRX with CVT. People moved on.
WRX always had an auto option though. Their last car beside the WRX/BRZ that offered manual was the Crosstrek. So if anything they should just bring that back since it outlasted their other manual cars that weren’t “sports” cars.
I traded in my 2023 6MT Crosstrek due to having twins. I have a 2024 Legacy Sport and love everything about it except the CVT.
An Outback Wilderness fits my lifestyle more, so I’d jump on one with a manual. Even with how ugly the new ones are.
I think OP was more referencing the fact that they pushed out the STI model to bring in more automatic versions of the WRX. I would happily pick up an STI if they rereleased it and it had similar performance to an rs3.
>I think OP was more referencing the fact that they pushed out the STI model to bring in more automatic versions of the WRX.
That's a bold claim and I don't think it has much basis in reality. The CVT WRX is a very small portion of WRX production and its just already existing engineering and parts they had. The STI likely died because it was a challenge to meet emissions demands by turning the wick up on the 2.4L Turbo.
>I would happily pick up an STI if they rereleased it and it had similar performance to an rs3.
And would you be willing to pay $55K for it?
That’s literally why the STI died. The engine was a dinosaur from a different era. You can ask the bean counters at Subaru why they didn’t make an STI off the latest engine and platform but I guess the juice isn’t worth the squeeze numbers wise anymore when you have to start from scratch re-engineering an STI engine and drivetrain…who knows.
It's so crazy because the FA24 can handle *soooooo* much more power. Peak boost is like 12psi, and you can hit 350whp from a VB WRX with an intake and tune. They reinforced the internals, increased displacement, and threw a bigger turbo on it only to then eliminate the sti altogether.
lower volume only if you consider WRX its own model. But its not. Its just an Impreza. And Impreza family contains at least three models: Impreza, Crosstrek and WRX. With WRX being lowest volume, so it would be totally fine to keep it on manual and other two automatic/cvt
WRX hasnt been part of the impreza family since 2014/2015. You can look up impreza and wrx sales numbers separately. impreza easily outsells WRX by 1.5x-2x
I'm sure there are some similarities since they are all on some subaru global platform. But WRXs are on FAs, Imprezas are on FB series engines. The main thing is when they split off into different lines, they no longer necessarily follow the same product life cycles
I mean there are more differences between regular Civic and Type R. Yet Type R is still a Civic, and wears that badge with pride. This is why enthusiasts love both Si and CTRs. They are two grades of performance oriented Civics with different powertrains, added LSDs and exclusively manuals.
Different cars and contexts. You dont get an FL5 before an FL2. The Type R is tied to the underlying civic. The previous gen Impreza was already on Subaru Global. The WRX wasnt on subaru global until the VB, one generation after it split off from the impreza
>The "know your customer" philosophy has definitely left the building.
Nah, they know that the people specifically looking for a non-manual WRX probably don't care what type of non-manual it is, and the CVT helps their mileage numbers.
Meanwhile Ford killed the Focus ST and Fiesta ST which were manual only. I’d have loved to see them hang around with an optional automatic as long as it wasn’t that flaming pile of garbage DCT.
Man I enjoy seeing FiSTs and FoSTs up to this day. Even though I am a Honda/Toyota guy, those cars were a blast. I had a chance to try various trims of modern Mustangs and honestly wasn't impressed. Felt like barges compared to even Civic Si with half the power.
Offering an auto doesn't dilute anything. It just gives the car a wider appeal. The only people it upsets are the tryhards who make driving a manual their main personality trait
I’ve always loved how the internet seems to think there is some huge market for a manual car but manufacturers just won’t make them. In reality, car manufacturers LOVE making money and would sell the shit out of a manual car if they could, but people simply don’t by them.
I mean....
Yes. As long as it has decent power. Basically not the bottom trim version. You know the one...naturally aspirated 4 cylinder.
Give it a good v6, or turbo motor, and I would take a real look at it.
The connotations of "manual SUVs" makes the well of discussion so poisoned that it's not worth discussing to gauge interest.
First, the purists will say an SUV can't be a good drivers vehicle. And those with experience, likely wont have a good one because SUVs and trucks were the first genre to get their manuals downgraded into vague shifting sponges we see in the new Wrangler or Tacoma. I don't know if the early 20s crosstrek had a good one.
The strongest counterpoints are either extremely rare (like early 2nd gen Q5) or extremely old, and often both. I know I like the one in my 4runner, it's practical, fun, and you get to shift through all the gears within legal speeds, but the newest ones are 26 years old.
I believe manual SUVs have unrealized potential, but it must be a good manual transmission paired with a compelling SUV. Because neither will be successful on its own.
Anyone who doesn't mention this in their answer should have their authority to speak on the matter questioned. Because they did until surprisingly recently offer it, a fact I pointed out at the time and nobody cared about because it was only put on to base vehicles and even enthusiasts want features more.
There’s a lot of scoffing in these comments but honestly one of the most fun SUVs I drove was my moms Element with the 5 speed. It was such a slick shifting transmission. It was also geared much lower than the auto version so it was super peppy
I mean a lifted hatch with the 2.4T with a STi manual and DCC would be a great SUV for us to lower to get an STI
We don't want a Crosstrek 6 Speed or WRX 6 speed in anything since they're so weak and horrible to engage with
5 people trying too hard to be different don't change my opinion. Subaru can throw this manual SUV into the world. When 3 people buy it they better not be shocked
Did you get dumped by a manual SUV driver? Multiple sources indicate roughly 1 out of every 6 Broncos is sold with a manual gearbox. The Wrangler is less common with a manual.
Random ass personal attack then wrote a paragraph of bs to make me ignore it you strange bro.
Also I don't think ive ever met someone that drove a manual SUV so this just looks wild as hell seek help.
I definitely did not say that. I said I have never met someone that drove a manual SUV. You added in the idea they don't exist. To further your idiotic point.
Again seek help. Get off my tip.
Nah you can’t say nobody, just not very many people. Wranglers and Bronco SUV’s have manual buyers and I would buy a manual transmission SUV if it fit my use case. Not sure if Subaru offers anything I’d be interested in but a 6-speed would be preferable to their CVT transmissions.
Back in the day my dad bought a first gen X5 with the manual transmission, that was a cool car.
Theres brands build like 400k suvs a year. A couple thousand people buying manuals isn't even a dent. It won't sell and they'll just look ridiculous as if they don't have well loved sedan with rally heritage everyone begs to be a manual.
My first take on your comment was that it had to be sarcasm - that you meant the opposite of what you said. That makes sense to me. Then after re-reading, I had to consider that, unlikely as it may be, you might actually be serious. I just don't know.
This that reddit bullshit lol. Nobody is buying a manual SUV its a pointless vehicle in this day and age. Maybe back in like 08 it made sense but it's a waste now
Im probably in the 1% of people that would actually love a manual SUV and would consider buying one. That said im not in the market for a new car at the moment.
I doubt it. They're tryting to mix the enthusiast desire for manuals with the most non-enthusiast vehicles on offer. IDK if they think this will let them kill their cars and keep their enthusiast fans or what.
In reality, if you're committing to SUVs, you've probably given up on the notion of fun driving. You're accepting that your needs or society's buying preferences have left you with an unexciting vehicle to drive. A manual in a boring SUV you can't really drive enthusiastically isn't going to become fun because of a manual.
We’re hanging on to a 16.5 CX-5 because it was the last modern SUV but still offered to stick. We put our money where our mouth is and love it. Sure it’s not exactly fast but it’s a blast to drive.
We've had at least one manual shift car for the 56 years we were married, for many years my wife would only drive a Manual , she felt more in control of the car . Currently own a GTI manual and an Outback Wilderness. Would definitely order a manual transmission Wilderness .
Pretty much the same motor as a WRX seems like it would be easy for them to do .
Just give me a damned station wagon and call it a day. I don't want your fing SUVs, I don't want your fing CUVs. I want a wagon, and I want it in automatic ffs and yes you guessed it - I would prefer a traditional automatic over a CVT. I have a manual Miata which is one of the few remaining cars that really should be manual.
Yep, it's a stretch to call anything they make an SUV. They are tall cars.
And they're nice with manuals. Wife drives a stick shift Crosstrek. It's way better than a cvt.
I just wanted an STI for $40k. I'm kicking myself for not getting one in 2021. Even if they brought back wrx sti, with the way prices are it prob price as much if not more than Integra Type S.
If they are looking to have a more practical enthusiast car in their lineup, I think that they would find more success if they put a manual in the Levorg.
Unfortunately, the most probable explanation is that they are internally considering killing off WRX sedan since sedans have declined in popularity. They want to know if they can retain enthusiasts with an SUV replacement that keeps the manual and FA24t recipe
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2014 was the last year for America. Not sure if it carried on longer elsewhere.
I've often thought of finding one as a cheap but semi-interesting daily. They also had some great colors that generation: red, green, sky blue, root beer.
Was shopping for a replacement vehicle last week. Subaru lost me on the MMI / infotainment / absolute mess of a dash and we didn't even bother with a test drive. Fix that first.
And yes, I would buy the stick. The four Subaru we've owned were all stick. Still have two of them.
I haven’t driven a manual in 30 years but I’ve had the itch lately. A Subaru SUV or something Baja-like. A V6 would be nice. I’m probably asking way too much.
Manual transmissions and small stripped down cars with no options are all the rage on Reddit, but no where else. After the three people from Reddit that can afford a car buy them, the manufacturer has to beg people to take the rest of them.
I was in my 40’s before I owned an automatic. Now I wouldn’t have a manual transmission or an internal combustion engine.
I drive a Mustang GT with a manual transmission. Its awesome. But guess what, the take rate is below 25%. The vast majority of customers opt for a slushbox automatic, even when its an awesome sports car with a gnarly V8.
Like it or not, manuals are on their way out and will only be available in the most limited of circumstances.
People online make it seem like there’s a massive clamoring for manuals. It’s just that almost every person who wants one voices their opinion, but there’s a reason they went away. This is going to be a no, it’s likely just a little publicity stunt, no way they put a manual in an SUV in today’s market
I can't afford to breathe but here's what they can do - Make it as a build on order option and have deposits. advertise it so people know it's an option.
I cannot believe Subaru hasn't market researched this. Maybe I'm crazy but a WRX Crosstrek would print money. Hell the Wilderness is already really desirable it seems.
Pretty much anything that isn't a CVT. Probably would have bought my wife a Forester if it had a regular planetary auto, but went Bronco Sport because of it.
Id rather they work on making the manual transmission car they already have more compelling to drive. The wrx does 0-60 in 6.6 seconds on a 6spd mt. They need to release an STI that does 350-400hp and competes with the RS3 in trim and price and Id happily pick one up.
On par with the GR Corolla would be fine - that'd be shaving about 1.5s off that time. RS3 is another price class up, so unless you want a $65,000 STi, probably best to be at least a little conservative.
Not gonna happen, but you can always buy a WRX, bring it to IAG for the power and then have the interior custom trimmed how you want for that same $65k.
Current gen WRX 0-60 times have been in the mid 5’s, not mid 6’s. C&D tested it at 5.6 seconds (5.4 for the CVT).
And if they released an STI with 350-400hp, priced against the RS3 (so mid $60’s) they’d sell… dozens? While literally everyone else with $60k+ for a performance car spent it on an RS3, or M2, or M340i, or CT4-V, or CPO Cayman, or Mustang Dark Horse, etc, etc. The WRX only works as a value proposition (look at the sales numbers last year when they bumped the prices firmly into the $40’s). It’s never going to be competitive in a luxury performance segment.
I almost bought a Forester XT to manual swap. Only ended up with the WRX because I didn’t have time to actually do that when I was in the market. I couldn’t bring myself to buy a Ford tho hence no manual Bronco.
I would absolutely buy a manual Subaru SUV
We wanted the Levorg (WRX wagon) with manual transmission, the car and parts were right there Subaru. But no you fitted the CVT instead added a equally soul destroying and pointless 1.6L cabbage of an engine.
Subaru have a decades of experience disappointing its fans.
I just want a new sti please :( i wanted one so badly as kid growing up and now that im making adult money and can afford one, they arent available. Been in the market for a used 20-21’ but man good condition low mileage ones are going for the same price as brand new and some even more than msrp.
Yes, the company that until recently didn't give its only sport sedan in its top trim a manual might put a manual in an SUV.
I'll believe that when me shit turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbet.
Yeah 3 Subaru SUV’s (if you include the outback which was the lowest seller of the 3 included) in the top 25 most sold vehicles in 2025.
WRX, BRZ and Impreza are all thats left since the Legacy was killed off last year.
Crosstrek (despite what Subaru told officials) is just an Impreza with a lift kit.
I still feel its more like a car, similar to what the Golf Country is to the Golf.
In some states they're practically standard issue. Come to NH, Maine, PA, CO, Vermont, Oregon, a few others. Every other car is an Outback or a Forester.
better be careful asking this site... they'll want it to have a stick, with a timing belt driven EJ20, gooch vents and complimentary box mod, and have it cost $3.50 new on the showroom floor.
I’m probably the .01% niche this would appeal to. I’ve been driving stick so long it really doesn’t matter to me anymore, but the thought of not putting 5000 pounds on top of a Subaru CVT excites the shit out of me.
I will not buy anything with a CVT, so there’s very little of interest to me at a Subaru dealership. If I were suv shopping, an available manual would at least warrant a test drive.
I've owned two manual Foresters, I'd get another IF Subaru put more effort into their manuals.
I love a manual transmission, but not every manual is better than every auto.
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