Transmission dipsticks used to be a basic tool of car ownership, as familiar as the fuel gauge or the hood latch. Now, more new vehicles arrive in driveways with sealed gearboxes and no obvious way ...

Ever heard a sound that made you stop and think, “What in the world is that?” Your car shouldn’t sound like a haunted house.

It’s the end of an era as the last five-speed manual transmission in America has quietly been killed. It came standard on the entry-level Nissan Versa S, which started at $17,190 and asked customers ...