When Ford launched the redesigned Escape and Mariner compact CUVs last year, the bodies and interiors were all new but the powertrains were largely carried over from the first-generation models.

D riving a stick shift isn’t popular in the US, so finding an SUV with a manual transmission is likely to be tricky. Manual ...

The Ford Escape compact SUV ... engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Higher trim levels had a 200-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 with a four-speed automatic. Mirroring its bigger siblings ...

The Ford Edge ... an eight-speed automatic transmission in place of the previous six-speed, and a performance-oriented ST trim with an invigorating 335-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6.