What percentage of cars sold in Europe have manual transmissions?

In Europe and Japan, more than 80 percent of cars sold have manual transmissions. This is quite different from the U.S. where at last count in 2019, under 4 percent of cars sold in the U.S. were built with manual transmissions. In the rest of the world, the manual transmission is still overwhelmingly the top choice.

Why do these remarkable differences exist? Consumer Reports conducted their own research and found that manual transmissions can, in some models, improve gas mileage by 2 to 5 mpg—a significant cost difference. The purchase price is also a factor with manual transmission cars typically costing over $500. less than an automatic transmission car.

There's a joke going around about the best automotive anti-theft device on the U.S. market. The punchline? A manual transmission.