Used manual cars for sale

Yes, they absolutely are. Automatic gearboxes are becoming more popular — indeed it can be hard to buy a new manual model in some cases now — and while in some models, especially more high-end stuff, you need an automatic for better resale values, manuals still have their place for more enthusiastic drivers, as well as first-time drivers who don’t want to be stuck with an automatic-only licence.

Sort of. Automatic gearboxes are, more and more, coming as standard-fit for most cars, largely because they’re more efficient for CO2 emissions purposes, and also fitting just the one gearbox on a production line saves money for the car maker. Equally, electric cars don’t need gearboxes, so as they become more common, manuals will start to fade out. However, they might not disappear completely. Both Honda and Toyota have plans for manual gearboxes for electric cars to appeal to keen drivers, so watch this space.

Yes, in fact a manual gearbox — depending on how it’s used and looked after — can actually be more robust in the long term than automatic gearboxes, which often need extra servicing and oil changes, which can be missed by penny-pinching owners as the car ages.

There are some very good choices for first-time-driver cars with manual ‘boxes — the Ford Fiesta is a good one, as is the Suzuki Swift, VW Polo, and Toyota Yaris.

The answer to this depends hugely on how well a car is looked after and serviced, but a well-cared for manual model, depending on the make and maintenance, can easily last past 150,000 miles. In fact, the highest-mileage car in the world — a 1960s Volvo with three million miles — has a manual.

When you’re test-driving a used manual car, the things to watch for are; does the clutch pedal come almost all the way to the top of its travel before the gears engage? Does the car judder and vibrate when pulling away from a stop? Do all the gears engage cleanly and accurately each time? And is it tricky to engage first or reverse without a ‘crunch’ noise? If any of these problems are present, then the clutch, the gearbox, or both may need repair or replacement.