Accent

Make
Hyundai
Segment
Sedan

The 2022 Hyundai Accent is mostly identical to the 2021 model with the exception of one thing: the lack of a manual transmission. Rowing your own gears in the South Korean automaker's compact sedan is now a thing of the past. The official Hyundai USA website still only advertises the 2021 model where only the base SE trim comes with the six-speed. Opting for the CVT transmission is a $1,100 option.

Not surprisingly, the 2022 Accent is also receiving a minor price bump. Instead of beginning at $16,400 it'll now cost no less than $17,670. That's nearly a $1,300 increase, but it also includes the CVT as standard kit.

Entry-level economy cars like the Accent have a long history of coming standard with a stick, but buyers' tastes are changing. For starters, not everyone knows how to drive a stick anymore. Modern CVTs and automatics are typically more fuel-efficient than manuals, one of the key reasons why some buyers preferred them. Having some fun behind the wheel even in basic transportation like the Accent was possible, too.

Hyundai hasn't released any take rate figures, but it's safe to assume fewer and fewer buyers opted for the less expensive six-speed. Offering both transmissions is costly and the business case is simply no longer there. What's keeping manuals alive (for now) is mainly the enthusiast market.

Sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86, and the BMW M2 are all seeing generally high manual take rates. If you want basic and cheap daily transportation with a manual, you're not completely left with nothing. There's still the base trims of the Nissan Versa, Chevy Spark, and Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. All three begin at less than $16,000. Unfortunately, two out of the three (Spark and Mirage) are long past their prime. Neither is expected to be around much longer and direct replacements are unlikely.

Hyundai still sells the Veloster, Veloster N, and the new Elantra N with a six-speed, so it's not all doom and gloom, though Volkswagen recently hinted it'll soon drop manuals entirely. Still, the loss of another manual option is never nice to hear.