No one wanted that car. You know this, and Mazda knows this. The only reason to get a crossover over a hatchback is the supposed advantage of all-wheel-drive. If you were the type that had to have a clutch pedal you were better off getting a Mazda3 hatchback, which is available with a manual across the range, and…

If you’re not mad, you’ve probably never driven one. I bought my 2013 CX5 because it handled like a car, but had the interior space of a SUV; and part of what made it feel like a car was the [very smooth] 6-spd manual. I drove over 240 miles to get the manual model because in my area dealers thought as you did: that…

I had the 6-speed version and when people asked about it I usually described the car as having just the right amount of power- not going anywhere fast, but also not too little that the car couldnt get out of its own way; the gearing of the 6-speed was perfect.

Still— a part of every single one of us dies every time a manual option goes away.

I have a close friend with a manual CX-5, and its reasonably fun for a crossover. Nice car.