Those seeking a compact car with a stick shift usually fall into one of three categories: Budget buyers on the prowl for the best deal (perhaps subscribing to the theory that manual transmissions yield better fuel economy), game-show winners, and those looking for a more involving, fun driving experience. We fall into the last camp, and the excellent driving dynamics and transmissions in the Mazda 3, the Ford Focus, and the new Honda Civic make them natural targets for our affection. Chevrolet not only has the price shopper covered with the manual-only, base model of the Cruze (the path chosen by Subaru, among others), it deserves credit for also offering the stick on nicer models at upper trim levels. Either way, for the purposes of this review we?re more interested in the transmission?s fun potential. READ MORE ??
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