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5 Rare SUVs With Manual Transmissions That You Can Buy Used

There has been a steep incline in SUV sales over the past decade, as well as a steady decline of cars with manual transmissions. But what if you want an SUV with a manual transmission? For that, you will need to look toward the used market. Here are five rare SUVs with manual transmissions that …

There has been a steep incline in SUV sales over the past decade, as well as a steady decline of cars with manual transmissions. But what if you want an SUV with a manual transmission? For that, you will need to look toward the used market. Here are five rare SUVs with manual transmissions that you can currently find on your favorite online car classifieds sites.  

Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is one of the most well-known crossovers on the market and has been the brand’s best-selling vehicle for years. However, did you know that it used to be available with a manual transmission? That’s right, for the CR-V’s first and second generations, from 1996 to 2006, Honda offered it with a five-speed manual transmission.

Of course, the take rate of manual transmission CR-Vs made up for only a small percentage of overall sales, which is why the brand stopped giving buyers a choice to shift their own gears. But if you want the reliability of a Honda CR-V with a manual transmission, then you can currently find them on the used market. However, due to the rarity of this configuration, the CR-V’s with a stick shift is usually priced a little higher than normal.

Honda CR-V used SUV from 2005 driving in the mountains
2005 Honda CR-V | Auto Evolution

Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento is one of the most popular crossovers on the market today, however, but what you probably don’t know is that it was originally a body-on-frame SUV when it first debuted and was also available with a manual transmission. Believe it or not, it was even offered in a true four-wheel-drive configuration, which is much more suited for off-road duty. But if you want one these more capable versions of the Sorento, then you’ll have limit your search query to the 2003 to 2006 model years.

2005 Kia Sorento
2005 Kia Sorento | Kia

Porsche Cayenne

If you want a sporty SUV, then the Porsche Cayenne was the epitome of the term. And if you’re looking for a used Porsche Cayenne and want to kick the sportiness up a notch, then you might want to look for a first-generation one, made from 2003 to 2010, as some of those iterations were offered with a six-speed manual transmission. What’s even more exciting is that the Cayenne GTS, which debuted in 2008, was offered with a manual transmission in addition to the 405-hp V8 under the hood. Now that’s what we call a “sporty SUV.”

Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Porsche Cayenne Turbo | Mark Elias/Bloomberg

Toyota 4Runner

What’s better than driving a Toyota 4Runner with all of the off-road capability that you would need right out of the box? A Toyota 4Runner with a manual transmission. Yes, the 4Runner was available with a manual transmission, however, the latest year that it was available was the 2000 model year. If you hop onto Cargurus in search of one with a stick, then don’t be surprised when you can’t find for less than $10,000.

2000 Toyota 4Runner
2000 Toyota 4Runner | Bring a Trailer

Toyota RAV4

If you really want an SUV with a manual transmission, but don’t want to shell out the money for a 4Runner, then look for a Toyota RAV4 with one. Much like with the Honda CR-V, Toyota stopped offering the RAV4 with a shift-it-yourself transmission in 2006, but you can still find some first and second-generation models with them nationwide, typically for under $10,000.

A red Toyota RAV4 on display at a car dealership.
Toyota RAV4 | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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