Subaru asks customers if they want a manual SUV

Even with so many manuals disappearing in recent years, some companies are trying to keep the manual transmission alive. Subaru is one of them. The company still offers manual options on its BRZ and WRX, and now there may be interest in an entirely different vehicle with a manual transmission.

As originally reported by Patrol aircraft, Reddit user u/Macgyver452 an internal survey in the r/Subaru subreddit ask a very interesting question: “Would you consider purchasing an SUV with a manual transmission in the future?”

We certainly wouldn’t expect that from a car manufacturer in the year of our Lord 2026. The answer options range from ‘Absolutely’ to ‘Absolutely not’ – although we can’t imagine many regular Subaru owners would choose the former.

According to u/Macgyver452the survey is not publicly available, so it’s impossible to know what some of the other questions looked like. As the user notes, “Surveys are private email invitations directly from Subaru.”

A second user shared a similar – if not intriguing – survey he also received. Reddit user u/VodkaChugger420 (nice) posted a screenshot of a survey asking, “If a manual transmission was available, how interested would you be in having this feature on your Outback Wilderness?” In this case, the survey options range from ‘Very interested’ to ‘Not interested’.

If any Subaru SUV deserved a manual transmission, it would be the Outback Wilderness. Currently, the only two SUVs offering a manual transmission in the US are two of Subaru’s main rivals in the space: the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler.

But the thing is: car manufacturers send out surveys like this all the time. The unfortunate reality is that it probably won’t lead to real, actual products. That said, if any group of enthusiasts would even consider a manual SUV, it’s Subaru fans.

The last manual SUV in the Subaru range wasn’t that long ago. Subaru discontinued the manual Crosstrek in 2023. Before that, the Forester dropped its manual in 2018, and the Outback lost its manual around 2014.

We’ll never know if this survey gauged customer interest in real products… that is, until Subaru actually builds a manual Outback Wilderness.

Taking Motor1s: These surveys may mean absolutely nothing, but we’re intrigued. A manual Outback Wilderness would certainly be an interesting option next to the Bronco and Wrangler.