Mazda Says If You Want A 2022 MX-5, You Better Learn How To Drive A Stick Shift

Yes, you read that headline correctly. For the upcoming 2022 model year, Mazda has binned the automatic transmission in all trims of the sporty MX-5 roadster save for its most spendy spec, the Grand Touring. Don’t say Hiroshima isn’t doing its part to #SaveTheManuals.

And we know – not every automatic is objectively worse than its manual counterpart. In fact, there are plenty of high-performance examples in which the auto is quicker in the run to 60 mph than when equipped with a row-yer-own gearbox. Nevertheless, it remains our opinion that stickshifts offer a far more engaging drive experience, even if it can add a couple of tenths to your time slip in some vehicles.
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