Ah, the manual transmission. Once the default, it’s now obscure in today’s automotive market. Yet another manual has fallen by the wayside, and the cheapest three-pedal car on the market is now a lot more expensive.
The sad story starts south of the border. Automotive News shared reports from an anonymous source that production of the manual-transmission Nissan Versa had halted. Nissan confirmed the news soon after. It perhaps came as little surprise, given the manual take rate was less than 5 percent of the 42,589 units sold in 2024. With less than 2,500 sold, it would be hard to justify continued production, even less so when heavy tariffs were due to hit the Mexican-built model.
The manual Versa started at a sticker price of just $18,330. It was one of the most affordable models in the US market, and the only one available with a five-speed stick. With the manual dead, only the automatic Versa will remain. More importantly, now that it’s gone, the mantle of cheapest manual in America goes to a new model—and with a significant price premium.
Always The Answer
The new cheapest manual in America? It’s the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata. The affordable roadster is 10 years into its current production run, and has been heavily revised and refreshed over that time. As it stands, the base model Sport will set you back $30,515—over $12,000 expensive than the outgoing manual Nissan Versa. Yes, if you want a brand new manual, it’s going to cost you at least 66% more from now on.
The Miata is a lot more expensive than the Nissan Versa, but for good reason. One is an economy car built for grocery runs and day-to-day life. The other is a drop-top roadster offering one of the finest driving experiences of your life.
Mazda achieved the impossible with the ND Miata. It managed to keep weight within shouting distance of the feather-light original, while every other vehicle in the market bloated severely over the last three decades. Updates in recent years saw the Miata shake off the underpowered vibes. The current 2.0-liter inline-four offers a joyous 181 horsepower—enough to have fun, but so much you’ll to get into trouble. The tasteful engine with the lightweight chassis combine with a handling package that flatters all.
You get behind the wheel of this car, and you’re suddenly a driver, and you’re having a ball. It’s not the most practical vehicle—too small to haul luggage for long roadtrips, too impractical to daily for some. But on the right day? The sun is shining, the engine’s redlining, and you suddenly remember what cars are all about.
It feels fitting that the Miata becomes the new cheapest manual in America. It’s always been the entry-level enthusiast car, and now that title is truer than ever. It’s got the right drivetrain layout, it’s got three pedals in the footwell, and you can drop the roof to feel the wind in your hair as a bonus. Many of us started our journeys with these cars over the years, and they taught us much.
While it’s tough to see the cheapest manual draw farther out of reach, I’m not sure it’s a huge loss. After all, I’m not sure too many enthusiasts were hitting up Nissan for manual Versas, given less than 2500 sold last year. Indeed, despite the expense, the Miata outsold the manual Versa by four to one last year.
We’ll pour one out for the manual Versa all the same. I’m particularly heartbroken for the teens out there whose parents work at the Nissan dealership. They might have been hoping to get a brand new stick for their 16th birthday, but instead they’ll be pulling up to school to the hum of a Jatco CVT. Vale.
Image credits: Nissan, Mazda
I was surprised to see that the manual Miata is $2,000 cheaper than a manual transmission Mazda 3.
Either way, though, salute to Mazda for keeping the third pedal alive in America.