We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
If you have your heart set on a Honda Civic four-door with a manual transmission, brace yourself for the brand’s latest announcement: the 2021 model will only be available as an automatic. The coupe version of Honda’s compact staple is also discontinued after this model year, as we reported this summer, so your Civic choices just got a lot narrower.
Thankfully, the Civic Si, Civic Type R and Civic Hatchback can still be had with a stick.
Apparently, sales have been tanking for the two-door version, and Honda says the coupe represents only six percent of the total mix. Coupes and small cars are having a rough go as crossovers take over the world. The hatchback Civic variant, however, is growing in popularity; currently, it makes up about 24 percent of Civic sales.
To find a Civic sedan with manual transmission, take a look at the base LX and Sport trim for the model year 2020. It will cost you less, too: the base price of the 2021 Honda Civic Sedan increased by $250, from $21,755 (including destination charges) to $22,005 with an automatic. You’d save even more with a 2020 Civic LX with a manual transmission, which started at $20,955.
Thankfully, the enthusiast Civics keep the manual dream alive for now.
The 2021 306-hp Type R is a carryover from 2020. Taking it up a notch, the Limited Edition hot-hatch is available in a head-turning Phoenix Yellow along with less weight and higher-performance Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. While the Civic Si is on a break for MY2021, it will be back in 2022. Both the Si and the Type R are standard with manual gearboxes that are zippy and easy to use.
While the stickshift version is kaput, the Civic sedan keeps the 158-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for LX and Sport trims. EX, EX-L, and Touring versions come with the 174-hp 1.5-liter turbo-four mated to the CVT.
Stay tuned for 2022, when Honda will reveal an all-new Civic with an updated exterior design and cabin for its 11th generation. A moment of silence, please, for gen 10.
Correction: An earlier version of this story failed to clarify that the Civic sedan alone is losing its manual gearbox. The Hatchback, Si and Type R still have the option. We regret the error.
