Best Manual Transmission Compact Cars for 2024
These are the best manual transmission compact cars based on iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety.
The best manual transmission compact car is the Honda Civic (coupe) with an iSeeCars Score of 9.4 out of 10. The iSeeCars Score factors in reliability (based on iSeeCars’ proprietary analysis of a vehicle’s longevity), value retention (based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 5-year depreciation) and safety (based on NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings) of each vehicle. The second best manual compact car is the Honda Civic with a Score of 9.0. Behind the Civic is the Subaru Impreza with a rating of 8.9.
The best manual transmission compact car is the Honda Civic (coupe) with an iSeeCars Score of 9.4 out of 10. The iSeeCars Score factors in reliability (based on iSeeCars’ proprietary analysis of a vehicle’s longevity), value retention (based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 5-year depreciation) and safety (based on NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings) of each vehicle. The second best manual compact car is the Honda Civic with a Score of 9.0. Behind the Civic is the Subaru Impreza with a rating of 8.9.
1. Honda Civic (coupe)
- Iseecars score 9.4 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $21,050
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 9.1 / 10
- Value Retention 9.1 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Iseecars score 9.0 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $24,250
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.8 / 10
- Value Retention 9.0 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- Iseecars score 8.9 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $19,795
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.7 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
4. Volkswagen Golf
- Iseecars score 8.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $23,195
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.2 / 10
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
5. Hyundai VELOSTER
- Iseecars score 8.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $18,900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.7 / 10
- Value Retention 8.8 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Iseecars score 8.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $24,950
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.2 / 10
- Value Retention 8.3 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Iseecars score 8.8 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $45,595
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 8.4 / 10
- Value Retention 9.0 / 10
- Safety 9.0 / 10
- Iseecars score 8.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $31,965
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.3 / 10
- Value Retention 8.3 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Iseecars score 8.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $32,735
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.0 / 10
- Value Retention 8.6 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.6 / 10
- Value Retention 8.5 / 10
- Safety 8.0 / 10
11. Hyundai ELANTRA GT
- Iseecars score 8.0 / 10
- Starting MSRP: $20,650
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.1 / 10
- Value Retention 8.3 / 10
- Safety 8.6 / 10
- Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: $36,500
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.7 / 10
- Safety Not Available
- Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: $45,665
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability 7.4 / 10
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety 10 / 10
- Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: $33,700
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars- Reliability Coming soon
- Value Retention 8.4 / 10
- Safety Not Available
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
The best manual transmission cars rank vehicles by iSeeCars Score which is based on our proprietary assessment of a vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety (based on ratings from IIHS and NHTSA).
We analyze data from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with the NHTSA's Safety Ratings to give you an unbiased guide to the best vehicles in each segment.
iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).