More Subaru WRX buyers opt for manual transmission than Porsche GT3

Subaru hasn’t yet given the world a new WRX STI that tuner fans have been craving, but we now know that regular WRX buyers love to drive themselves. If Subaru needs more convincing that the enthusiast market will appreciate the new STI, the manual WRX’s sales figures should do the trick.

During the recent launch of the tweaked WRX tS in the United States, Subaru revealed that an impressive 83 percent of all WRX buyers this year opted for the 6-speed manual transmission. That leaves just 17 percent of buyers opting for the much-maligned continuously variable transmission option.

Read: What do you think of Subaru’s new Galaxy Purple on 2025 WRX tS?

These numbers make the WRX one of the most popular manual-transmission cars. The Toyota GR86 is a small rear-wheel drive sports car. The three-pedal car has a high purchase rate, but only 40% of American buyers choose manual transmission, and the remaining 60% choose automatic transmission.

According to Car and Driver, Mazda’s Miata ND generation has a slightly higher manual driving usage rate of 60%. One of the kings of manual transmissions, the 991.2-generation Porsche 911 GT3, has a manual transmission purchase rate of 46%, while 75% of GT3 Touring buyers choose a six-speed transmission. Toyota expects about 80 percent of new GR Corolla buyers to opt for the manual, meaning it could threaten the WRX’s dominance.

It’s worth pointing out that perhaps one of the reasons so many WRX owners opt for the manual transmission is that there are no other compelling transmission options. While the available CVT can get the job done, it’s not as suited to sportier models like the WRX as a modern automatic or dual-clutch transmission.