Last of the Manuals

It is the era of air fryers and electric stove tops. Prawn Mee on a charcoal fire you say?
It’s not a matter of boasting whether manual cars are better, but it does have a certain charm that can greatly contribute to driving pleasure.

After all, manual cars require a little more skill – especially on mastering the clutch biting point, providing sufficient throttle and being able to park and move off on a hill. Most who obtain the Class 3 manual license usually never touch a manual car again in Singapore, but certainly find it useful overseas such as driving in the UK.

Dads and old school taxi drivers were really proud to keep their left hand on the gear knob and would readily tell you that they are supposedly easier to maintain versus an automatic gearbox. Plus, there was a lot of emphasis on being able to drive manual as a big attribute to being a real man.

So what place in society do manual cars have today? Less than a decade ago, there were a good number of manual cars available – the previous generations of Honda City, Mitsubishi Lancer, Suzuki Swift and the Toyota Vios making up most of them. They were cheaper to buy and somewhat nice to drive. The purists and sports car enthusiasts can surely find a nice manual setup in a higher-priced segment. However, there are so few manual cars you can find brand new in the showrooms today.

As the 1.0L segment today has wider product offerings such as Audi A3, Q2 and Ford Fiesta, Hyundai’s Kona B SUV remains as the only manual option.

The Kona is anything but barbaric, despite sharing a similar namesake to the character which skyrocketed Arnold Schwarzenegger as an actor the way Rocky did for Sylvester Stallone. Reminiscent of the old Daihatsu GTtis of the past that no one really remembers these days, it is a fun zippy car that is relatively cheaper and better equipped than competitors in the same price range. Availability of Hill Assists, Downhill brake control and lane keep assists takes away most of the manual shifting pains endured during driving school.

The 6-speed manual gear shifts are also particularly satisfying - like breaking runny eggs on Eggs Benedict perfectly mated to its zesty hollandaise – the torquey direct injection 3-cylinder turbo engine.

Some would try and compare the spartan Hyundai Kona to a feature-laden Audi Q2. 1.0T SUVs you say? The Korean retails for around $60,000 less.

Back in 2008, the 8th generation 2.0L 3Dr Civic Type R hatchback was a hot favourite for many despite the steep price tag. It sold in good numbers and more importantly maintained a significant used car value throughout it’s lifecycle.

The 9th generation went almost unnoticed due to bad reviews but the current 10th generation Civic hatchback exists in cheaper powertrain options to cater for a wider segment before hitting the top 2.0T Type R variant. While the 1.0T Civic Hatchback only exists in Automatic transmission, it is possible to buy the 1.5T Manual Sport trim from certain parallel importers.

Besides a very busy exterior with Alienware-level designs that set it apart from other hatchbacks, the driving pleasure remains top notch. A 6-speed manual with a short shifter is a pleasure to change gears while parking hold makes for convenient hill and low speed situations while you gauge the biting point.

Reliable engine, turbocharged acceleration, aggressive looks, cockpit cabin, manual assists and great resale value makes this one of the most-worthy manuals to buy and own.

While Toyota’s tofu offspring is no longer being sold, it’s twin brother, the Subaru BRZ is still in the market despite being a 6-year old car. Besides being one of the best handling cars around, it is one of the last few naturally aspirated engines that didn’t succumb to the turbo bandwagon yet (a turbo version was announced for 2020).

As a result, a ride in the BRZ as a co-passenger will barely share similarities with the motion-sickening “taxi-driver throttle-and-let-go” phenomenon. Long comfortable drives up north and higher speeds are no problem for the amply sized 2.0L engine. Although the carbon dioxide emission slaps it with a $10,000 surcharge, its competitor - the 2-year old Mazda MX-5 manual version sells for more than $35,000 more. If well maintained, it is likely to see COE renewals after its 10-year period even.

Credits: