Within the United States, the standard transmission is a dieing breed, slowly becoming extinct. Ram was the very last brand to offer a manual transmission in a pickup truck, the last manual transmission being offered in the heavy duty 2500-2500 models in 2018. As of 2019, all pickup trucks amongst all manufacturers are now automatics. Manual transmissions within Sedans is also becoming more and more scarce! The only real market left for the standard transmission is within the coupe market. So with that said, how does the Mopar lineup of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles keep it clutch?
Sadly enough, with the news that Ram would no longer be continuing the standard transmission in their heavy duty lineup as of 2019, Ram no longer has a manual option. Chrysler hasn't had a manual transmission available in their lineup since the Chrysler PT Cruiser GT in 2010. That just leaves a manual option available in the Dodge and Jeep lineups.
Within the Dodge Brand, it is expected within "Muscletown" that there would still be the manual transmission. As such, the manual transmission is still very popular within the Challenger crowds. Although thorough testing has confirmed that the 8-speed automatic outperforms the best manual transmission drivers in the business, the nostalgia and feeling that comes from being in complete control of your muscle car is something that I do not believe is going to be going away any time soon. We can be certain that if the Dodge Viper is rebirthed, that such a vehicle will be certain to have a manual option. What is surprising though is since the Charger and Challenger motor options and package levels are similar, that there has yet to be a manual option on the Dodge Charger. I know there is a large population of Charger fans out there that would love to see this become a reality. So with the Challenger being the only vehicle in the Dodge brand to currently offer a manual transmission, that only leaves Jeep left!
When we think Jeep, we think rugged and tough Wranglers right? Surely the Wrangler manual transmissions aren't going anywhere! As much as I would like to believe this statement, the percentage of manual transmission Wranglers being produced by the factory have steadily been declining! Over the years, the Wrangler has transformed to be more appealing to a broader market segment when the 4-door Wrangler JK hit the streets. Now more than ever, the majority of Wranglers on the roads will be nothing more than mall-crawlers, never touching a single tire on an offroad path, beach, or rock trail. As such, with most vehicles on the road having automatic transmissions, the same trend can be seen in the Wranglers being produced. Nevertheless, if you want a manual transmission Wrangler, have no fear, because you can certainly order it if you can't find a Wrangler equipped with one!
So that's it right? WRONG! There is ONE MORE Mopar vehicle that comes equipped with a standard transmission that NO ONE would ever suspect! The Jeep Compass! Say Whhhaaaaaaaat? Ya heard me! The Jeep Compass comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission! Aside from the Wrangler, the Jeep Compass is one of the few 4-door vehicles available throughout all vehicle manufacturers to still offer a manual transmission, nevermind still having the optional 4WD!
In closing, if you would like a fun vehicle to drive, and not have to worry about 99% of Millennials being able to drive your vehicle, then you need to find your inner Moparian by picking out your next Jeep Compass, Jeep Wrangler, or Dodge Challenger with a 6-speed manual transmission!
- Mopar Mike (6/3/2019)
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