According to Mercedes-Benz, 95 percent of its C-Class buyers prefer an automatic transmission. Because so few Americans going for the three-pedal models, you would naturally assume that Stuttgart would save some money and discontinue the manual gearbox option all together, but they won’t even think of it. BMW makes the rules in the entry-luxury sport sedan class. The 3 Series is far and away the top seller, and about a third of those Bimmer buyers choose a manual. That means everyone else better offer one, too.