The last year of the manual Honda Accord was 2019.
The Accord offered a six-speed manual transmission only with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine during a brief window in the 2018 and 2019 model years; since 2020, manual transmissions have been eliminated from the lineup in most markets, with only automatic transmissions available.
Timeline of manual transmission availability in the Honda Accord
Here are the key milestones showing when Honda offered a manual option for the Accord and when it ended.
- The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine could be paired with a six-speed manual in the 2018 and 2019 model years.
- The 1.5-liter turbo engine was available with a CVT and did not offer a manual option.
- From the 2020 model year onward, the Accord returned to automatic-only transmissions in most markets, with no manual offering.
In summary, the manual option existed only for a narrow configuration in 2018–2019, and it is no longer available in the current Accord lineup.
Why Honda ended the manual option
Several industry-wide factors influenced Honda's decision to discontinue the manual transmission in the Accord. The following points summarize the broader context behind the shift.
- Declining demand: A small share of Accord buyers opted for a manual transmission, even among enthusiasts.
- Cost and complexity: Maintaining a manual option adds production and parts costs, which manufacturers have increasingly offset with automatic variants.
- Advances in automatics: Modern automatics offer comparable or superior performance and efficiency, reducing the appeal of a manual for most buyers.
With these pressures, Honda and other mainstream brands have largely moved away from manual transmissions in midsize sedans, culminating in the 2019 model year as the last for the Accord in a manual configuration.
What this means for enthusiasts and the market
For driving enthusiasts who prefer a stick, the manual Accord remains a relatively rare, short-lived chapter in the model’s history. Today’s market emphasizes automatic transmissions, with performance-focused offerings concentrated in other models such as the Civic Si or Type R for manual enthusiasts.
Summary
The Honda Accord’s manual transmission era ended with the 2019 model year, making 2019 the last year you could order the Accord with a six-speed manual (on the 2.0L turbo). Since 2020, Honda has offered automatic-only configurations for the Accord in most markets. Enthusiasts seeking a manual Accord today typically look to earlier generations or other Honda models that continue to offer manual transmissions.