2025 Subaru WRX tS Road Test and Review

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

While it may seem as though every Subaru you see is a crossover SUV, the brand still sells some passenger cars. One is the WRX, a rally racing-inspired high-performance iteration of the small Subaru Impreza sedan. Initially offered exclusively in Europe and Japan starting in the early 1990s as a more affordable pocket rocket alternative to small German-branded performance sedans, the first U.S.-bound Subaru WRX appeared for the 2002 model year.

For 2025, Subaru drops the base WRX model. Available this year are the Premium, Limited, tS, and GT, with base prices running from $37,750 to $47,705, plus the mandatory $1,170 destination charge. The tariff situation makes pricing for the assembled-in-Japan WRX a bit fluid as this is written. The new WRX tS is a mashup of last year’s tR and the current WRX GT.

While all versions of the WRX have a performance edge over the common commuter sedan, the WRX tS adds extra measures for the fanboy faithful, including Recaro front seats, a tweaked suspension with adjustable, adaptive shock absorbers, and expanded drive modes from the WRX GT. From last year’s WRX tR come enhanced Brembo four-wheel disc brakes with larger rotors and pads, and beefier 19-inch Brigestone Potanza S007 summer tires. The tS also gets a new 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. 

Major competitors include the Honda Civic Si and Type R, Hyundai Elantra N, Toyota GR Corolla, and Volkswagen Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, and Golf R.

Hearty Boxer Engine and Six-Speed Manual Gearbox

The heart and soul of all WRX models, including the tS, is a lively, turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer four cylinder engine that pumps an eager 271 horsepower and a robust 258 pound-feet of torque over a broad engine speed range from just 2,000 to 5,200 rpm. A high-flow dual exhaust with quad outlets delivers a robust sound. This engine loves its midrange, and it’s easy to keep it there using the standard six-speed manual transmission.

The WRX tS is one of those rare cars that’s only available with a stick-shift, although other WRX trims can be had with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable automatic. The gearing is low in first to get the tS off the mark quickly, the shifter’s throws are short and precise,
and the clutch’s action well-weighted with a generous engagement zone. Getting the power to the ground is standard continuous all-wheel drive working through a viscous-coupling locking center differential that delivers drive torque to the wheels that have the most traction in real time.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Upgraded Tires and Brakes

Gripping the tarmac for the tS are shorter-sidewall 245/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza S007 summer performance tires wrapping satin gray 19-inch wheels (up from the base Premium model’s 18-inch summer tires). The tS ups the ante with specially tuned electronically controlled adjustable active shock absorbers from Subaru Tecnica International. It also adopts the high-performance six-piston monoblock front and dual-piston monoblock rear Brembo brakes from last year’s WRX tR with larger pads, upsized 13.4-inch cross-drilled front and 12.8-inch rear rotors for enhanced stopping power, pedal feel, and heat dissipation.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Recaro Front Seats

Standard in the WRX tS are Recaro front seats with enhanced lateral bolstering for the seat bottom and seat back. These are supportive in all the right places. Although lateral bolstering is substantial for the thighs, lower torso, and shoulders, the Recaros in the tS are comfortable on longer slogs and don’t present the degree of impediments to vehicle ingress or egress as those available in some other cars such as the BMW M2. The Ultrasuede material covering the seat centers is both warmer than leather or vinyl in winter and less sweaty in the dog days of summer, as well as providing a modicum of grip in sweeping corners. Blue-colored leather accent trim on the seats adds some pizazz. The driver’s seat is eight-way power adjustable, while the front passenger chair is manually operated. Both are heated.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Nicely Trimmed Cabin

No strippo, much of the cabin of the WRX tS is decked out in blue leather and charcoal velour Subaru calls Ultrasuede. Padded, wrapped blue leather surfaces adorn passenger touchpoints such as the door and console armrests, door trim inserts, and the edges of the center console. A horizontal velour insert, runs the width of the dash and into the door trim. The tS’s seats also adopt the charcoal Ultrasuede and blue leather color scheme. There are also dashes of faux carbon-fiber trim on the steering wheel and around the door release handle. The driver grips a meaty, flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel and works aluminum-dressed accelerator, brake, clutch, and foot-rest pedals. Alongside the driver’s right knee is a traditional lever-type handbrake.

Most switchgear is conventional and easy to access on the fly. The dual-zone automatic climate-control system uses a mix of physical buttons for temperature control and digital ones for fan speed and mode settings at the bottom of the center screen. The climate control can also be operable via voice control.  A wireless charging pad is not on the WRX menu, but easy charging and connectivity are enabled by both USB-A and faster USB-C ports as well as an aux input jack at the front of the center console. Adding convenience and pizazz is keyless pushbutton start with red STI button. All four side windows feature auto-up and auto-down power operation. The tS ditches the power sunroof to reduce weight, adding about an inch of front seat headroom with the Recaros in the process.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Easy to-use Infotainment

The WRX comes with one of the more user-friendly infotainment systems out there. The 11.6-inch high-resolution portrait-format center touchscreen offers vivid colors and large screen tiles that are easy to find and tap on the fly. Also minimizing the amount of eyes-off-the-road time for quick adjustments are rotary volume control and tuning knobs. Embedded TomTom navigation with three years of free map updates is added for Limited, tS and GT. The standard voice control came in handy for finding several local point-of-interest destinations. For those who’d rather use their phone for maps and searches, the WRX is equipped with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto cellphone mirroring. Setup for my Samsung phone took less than one minute. 

Standard fare for the WRX tS includes an 11-speaker, 504-watt Harman Kardon AM/FM stereo with HD Radio, a 4-month trial of SiriusXM Platinum and SiriusXM Travel Link. It offers good fidelity and separation that comes through despite the enthusiastic tone of the talkative Boxer four-cylinder engine. 

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Fold-down Back Seat Adds Cargo Versatility

Despite its performance mission, the WRX never forgets its practical small-sedan roots. Like the Impreza it’s based on, the WRX offers a 60/40 split rear seat with fold-down center armrest and dual cup holders. USB-A and USB-C charge ports at the rear of the center console add charging convenience for rear-seaters. Rear legroom is snug for my 6-foot, 2-inch frame, but I can get comfortable back there with the front seat adjusted to my driving preference. 

The WRX offers a small-sedan-appropriate 12.5 cubic feet of luggage space that can easily handle four or five airport roller bags. Need more cargo-carrying ability? The WRX is one of the rare sedans that offers roof carrier crossbar mounting points. And the 60/40 split folding rear seat backs create a continuous flat space that easily doubles trunk volume. With the rear seat backs folded down, the WRX can also accommodate longer items, such as a step
ladder or bicycle or even a second set of tires.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Drive Modes

The tS offers selectable drive modes via the center screen or steering wheel controls. On the center screen, you can select from pre-set Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+ modes, or opt for Individual mode which then allows fine-tuning the settings for the power unit throttle response, steering effort, suspension damping, and even the Eyesight driver-assistance systems.

Overall, I enjoyed the balanced performance of the WRX tS in Sport+ mode, but found the higher steering effort tiring and artificially stiff. Switching to Individual mode and selecting Normal steering effort fixed that without taking away from steering response or precision.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Driving the WRX tS

The WRX tS offers a ride that is firm but not punishing with the STI sport-tuned adaptive dampers handling a wide spectrum of road surfaces, whumps, impacts, and dips in stride. Body roll is well controlled in fast curves. So is fore/aft pitch under abrupt acceleration or braking. Though pleasingly quick responding to inputs, the dual-pinion steering had a heavy feel in Sport+ mode, but switching it to Normal mode lightened the artificial heft and maintained its precision. The standard torque vectoring improves steering response and reduces understeer by lightly braking the inside wheels when entering a sharp turn. The beefy, ventilated Brembos deliver quick, easy-to-modulate top-of-pedal brake response as well as confident, fade-free stopping power from highway speeds.

At just under 6 seconds to achieve 60 mph from rest, the WRX tS isn’t blindingly fast, but its chassis and traction management systems help it remain controllable and entertaining to drive enthusiastically over a wide variety of roads. With its aggressive tires, generous turbo boost, and full-time all-wheel drive, fuel economy during my week of driving the tS was just 20.5 mpg, a bit disappointing for a small car but appropriate considering the WRX’s smile factor. The EPA rates the six-speed manual WRX at 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway/22 mpg combined. 

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Safety and Advanced Driver Assistance

Safety ratings may not be of high interest to buyers of performance cars, but the 2025 WRX does well here with a full five out of five stars rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a 2024 Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The WRX tS comes standard with Eyesight features such as forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, plus a back-up camera, steering-responsive headlamps with high-beam assist, a rear seat reminder, and new this year, driver focus distraction mitigation. The blind-spot warning lights at the side mirrors are larger than those in most competitors and do a better job of catching your attention.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Verdict

Not quite the winged 300-plus horsepower, track-ready STI the more ardent WRX fans might have hoped for, the new WRX tS is nevertheless a compelling offering for the pocket rocket crowd. The WRX has a combination most of its budget barnstormer competition doesn’t: all-wheel drive and a manual transmission. Swap the WRX tS’s summer performance tires for a good set of winter skins and the buyer has a lively performance car that can handle inclement weather in stride.

2025 Subaru WRX tS ・ Photo by Ron Sessions