These 2 Chevrolet Vehicles Still Offer a Manual Transmission
Want to buy a new 2021 or 2022 vehicle with a manual transmission? Deciding won’t take long, because fewer and fewer models offer this option. The vast majority of cars, trucks, and SUVs these days come with either an automatic transmission or a CVT.
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Vehicles that do feature stick shift are typically performance cars for driving enthusiasts or subcompact cars for modest budgets. This holds true for the Chevrolet lineup, which presents a pair of diametrically opposed choices for drivers who still want to row their own gears.
Chevrolet Spark
With a starting MSRP of $14,595 for the just-released 2022 model, the Chevrolet Spark is one of the most affordable vehicles you can buy right now. Even better, all four of this zippy little hatchback’s trim levels — LS, 1LT, 2LT, and Activ — can be equipped with a five-speed manual transmission that costs $1,100 less than the available CVT. This transmission connects to a 1.4-liter engine that puts out 98 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque.
Due to its low price, the Spark isn’t loaded down with luxuries, but it still delivers on the basics. The base LS trim provides air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for your smartphone. The Spark is also one of the more colorful cars available today, offering paint jobs in bright hues like Nitro Yellow, Mystic Blue, and Cayenne Orange.
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Chevrolet Camaro
No matter which Chevrolet Camaro trim you choose, it will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission — perfect for harnessing this iconic muscle car’s speed and power on the track or the road. (A 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters is available, too.) The Camaro boasts four engine options, starting with a 275-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo and going all the way up to a supercharged 650-horsepower 6.2-liter V8.
For 2021, the Camaro’s eight trim levels — 1LS, 1LT, 2LT, 3LT, LT1, 1SS, 2SS, and ZL1 — present a wide range of performance specs, appearance options, and interior features. Seven of these trims can be configured as either a coupe or a convertible. Higher-end models get fairly pricey, but the 1LS makes high-performance stick-shift thrills accessible with a starting MSRP of $26,195.
As more and more manual-equipped vehicles disappear from the market each year, it’s nice to know that the Spark and Camaro are — for now — still out there providing alternatives for stick fans.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.