Stick-shifts are vanishing from cars, but I still have some favorites - here they are, ranked
1. The MINI John Cooper Works is a savage little beast of a car. I just love the thing, but it absolutely terrified me.
It has a very crisp-shifting six-speed manual that's my all-time favorite.
2. The MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 that I tested a while back is a performance version of MINI's anti-SUV.
It also featured a solid six-speed manual.
3. My beloved Mazda MX-5 Miata! The ultimate roadster is about as much fun as it's possible to have on four wheels.
Both cars can be optioned with a superb, short-throw six-speed.
4. The Jaguar F-Type hadn't impressed me until I drove a 380-horsepower V6 version ...
... complete with an incredibly smooth six-speed manual.
5. The Chevy SS. It's a rebadged Holden Commodore with a 415-horsepower, small-block V8, mated to ...
... a six-speed manual. Sadly, this stonking four-door has been discontinued.
6. Now we get into the more challenging sticks. The Ford Focus RS, now also discontinued, is an absolute track weapon.
But its six-speed has a learning curve. The clutch is so firm and edgy that it's quite easy to stall the car, until you get a feel for it. On the plus side, shifts are incredibly brisk.
7. The Civic Type R is in theory a similar kind of affordable track-rat mobile, but ...
The six-speed is a little too loose and easy for my taste, and the clutch is spongy.
8. The C7 Corvette Stingray has been supplanted by the mid-engine C8, but I drove the C7 back in 2014 and sort of enjoyed the seven-speed manual.
Problem is, one could slip from 4th gear to 7th when trying to get to 5th (there was no lockout). I got the hang of it after a while, but it was annoying.
9. The Nissan 370Z Nismo Tech. I love this V6 dinosaur, and for $46,000, what's not to love?
Well, the six-speed manual, which while satisfying isn't exactly thrilling.
10. OK, finally we have the Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport. One of the most basic pickups I've ever tested.
It had a six-speed manual, but it could have been five. It was like managing a farming vehicle. But that's a testament to the Tacoma's legendary ruggedness.
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