It makes sense that we’d start with the Mini Cooper. After all, it hails from England, where most vehicles come with a manual transmission. It’s also, incidentally, one of the most affordable cars on this list.

We’re not just talking about the list price (vehicles of this vintage can be found for around $8,000), but also when it comes to fuel economy. The Mini Cooper’s small frame, combined with its 2L four-cylinder engine means you can reasonably expect to get 29MPG in the city and 37MPG on the highway.

As you’d expect from its age, it doesn’t exactly offer the most high-tech features. There’s no flashy infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay, just a humble CD player and FM radio. Meanwhile, its cloth seats hardly scream “luxury.”

Still, those shortcomings are easily overlooked when taking into account the affordable purchase price, low cost of ownership, and ease of maneuvering within city environments.

As previously noted, manual transmissions afford the driver an incredible level of control. This makes them well-suited for rugged country environments where you’re likely to be traversing steep hills and muddy paths.

While the Jeep Patriot isn’t exactly a powerhouse, touting a 2L four-cylinder engine with just 158HP, it nonetheless is capable of handling undulating country roads.

This model also comes with a six-speed manual transmission (whereas most tend to come with just five gears), which helps reduce fuel consumption when tackling long stretches of high-speed driving. You can expect 22MPG in the city and 30MPG on the highway.

This low cost of ownership, combined with its affordable entry price (roughly $11,000) and cavernous interior, makes it a compelling choice for rural families.

The Subaru Impreza takes many of the advantages of the Jeep Patriot, but packs them into the frame of a compact car.

In many respects, this is the perfect all-rounder. Small enough for city driving, but also powerful enough to tackle the great wilderness. As is the case with all Subaru cars, this uses an all-wheel drive powertrain.

Meanwhile, its six-speed manual transmission gives added control on country roads, while lending itself well to highway driving. You can expect to get 25MPG in the city and 33MPG on the open road.

And it’s affordable too. You can expect to pay roughly $14,000 for a model with a premium trim, which includes heated front seats, a proper sound and infotainment system, a sunroof, and various driving aids.

No surprises here. It’s a Mustang. Even today, the overwhelming majority of muscle cars come with a manual transmission by default. Even today, with the advances in automatic transmission technology, that still makes sense.

People buy manual cars, in part, because they’re fun to drive. The Mustang is all about fun. It makes no apologies for sacrificing practicality for performance.

Its compact body provides room for four seats, but realistically, you’ll probably end up using the rear row for storage. Fuel efficiency isn’t great (expect 15MPG in the city and 24MPG on the highway), but that’s to be expected given the Mustang’s powerhouse of an engine.

Under the hood, you’ll find a 5L V8 engine that can hit 60MPH in under four seconds, and deliver top speeds of 163MPH. Yeah, it’s fast.

And it comes with a delightfully modern and sophisticated trim. You’ll appreciate conveniences like a rear-parking aid and cruise control. Meanwhile, its heated leather seats and high-end sound system add to the delight of driving. You’d expect as much, given it costs around $43,000.

Make no mistake: This is a sports car. The convertible Miata MX-5 has just two seats, plenty of luxury touches, and decent on-road performance. You can expect to hit 60MPH in around 7 seconds.

Even if you have no plans to take part in a drag race, you’ll appreciate the inclusion of Brembo brakes, which provide unparalleled levels of deceleration when travelling at high speeds.

But this performance doesn’t come cheap. Expect to pay around $29,000. But can you really put a price on ‘cool?’