The Toyota Tacoma and Jeep Gladiator are the only trucks still available with a manual transmission in the U.S. What’s more, Toyota seems to recognize its cog swapper as a desirable premium option and reserves it for higher trim levels. Its foreign-market Hilux still offers a good old-fashioned, three-pedal entry-level truck.

The surprising stick shift comeback

We’re in the middle of a stick shift renaissance. By 2019, just 0.7% of all new cars sold had manual transmissions. In 2024, that number climbed to between 2% and 2.4%, according to CarBuzz. (Not all automakers provided those sales numbers.)

Toyota seems to have realized the clutch pedal is no longer a budget-friendly feature, but an enthusiast option in the U.S. Even though a manual transmission cuts $1,100 off the truck’s price, Toyota no longer offers it on the SR or SR5 trims (even though SR5 once stood for “five-speed”). You’ll need to upgrade to the more enthusiast-oriented TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, or the luxurious Limited trim.

Why Toyota dropped the base stick shift

Of note, Toyota’s top-trim Tacomas now have a more powerful hybrid engine option. Because hybrids and stick-shift transmissions don’t play nice together, the TRD Pro and Trailhunter are automatic only.

I’m a little surprised Toyota doesn’t offer a stick-shift SR just so it can advertise a lower MSRP. But the era of old-school drivers opting to row their own to save cash and gas is long over in the U.S. In other countries, it’s a different story.

The Hilux still keeps it old school

The automaker just unveiled its 2026 Hilux. In markets such as Thailand, you can buy a stripped-down Toyota Hilux with a stick shift, mechanical handbrake, two-door regular cab, and even a chassis-cab configuration. It’s a bit ironic since the model name once stood for “high luxury.”

The Hilux comes with a six-speed transmission, but unfortunately, it’s not a truck Toyota plans to sell in the U.S. market. In Thailand, it’s rumored to start around $23,700.