2025 Subaru WRX tS First Drive Review: As Good as It Gets

Branding matters. If you’ve got any doubt, take a look at the current Subaru WRX lineup, which consists of five trims, none labeled STI. The WRX TR joined the fray last year, giving fans a bit more of—though, crucially, not all of—what they’ve been pining for. The story behind the 2025 Subaru WRX tS isn’t all that different. In fact, I’m getting a little tired of telling it.

For starters, tS means “Tuned by STI.” And indeed, the WRX tS has more of the attributes of a theoretical WRX STI without actually being one. That means the TR’s six-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo brakes, and Bridgestone Potenza S007 high-performance summer tires riding on lovely matte-gray 19-inch wheels have come along for the ride. It also means the range-topping GT’s adaptive suspension is here too, with exclusive custom damping rates courtesy of Subaru Tecnica International, in addition to that trim’s changeable drive modes.

Those are the headline additions, though the tS offers a little more. You’ve got the first fully digital gauge cluster ever in a WRX, as well as a special blue-trimmed version of the sport sedan’s signature body-hugging Recaros. They look great, though they sort of clash with any exterior color that isn’t blue or neutral, like our Galaxy Purple Pearl example here. It’s a new shade for the tS, and I dig it.

While we’re on the topic of design, it’s true that the tS looks pretty much like every other WRX, and chances are you either love or hate that. Eagle-eyed readers will notice the cherry blossom-pink badges, denoting STI’s involvement, as well as a subtle Crystal Black Silica finish for all of the exterior trim that would normally be piano black. It sparkles a little in sunlight, and I dig that, too.

Heading inside, we should touch on the new 12.3-inch LCD panel in the gauge cluster—though I’m surprised how little there is to say about it. The circular speedo and tach graphics are steely and skeuomorphic like a 2011 iPhone app, while the information that used to be crammed into a tiny vertical screen between the dials on other trims is now spread across that diagonal foot of real estate.

There are two other interfaces: One focuses on either Apple Maps (no support for Google Maps, unfortunately) or built-in navigation while the other eliminates almost everything to showcase EyeSight’s driver-assist tech at work. You can also toggle through a number of widgets in the lower-left corner of the screen, showing information like boost, tire pressure, fuel economy, and so on.

And… that’s pretty much it. No rearranging readouts, no big horizontal tach or shift lights as you get in the Civic Type R—not even an enlarged current gear indicator to replace the extremely small one easily obscured by the steering column. I don’t hate screens as much as some of my colleagues, but I at least expect them to be used to the fullest extent, and so far Subaru’s gone all-digital for limited benefit.

Having said that, nobody will buy the WRX tS for its extra screen—they’ll buy it for its chassis. And those adjustable dampers are excellent. Restricting them to the CVT-only GT trim always felt like trolling, and it’s nice that the 83% of WRX buyers that choose manual, per Subaru, can now have variable damper stiffness, too. All three of the suspension modes on the tS—Comfort, Normal, and Sport—exhibit higher damping force than on the GT. Compared to the TR, which already had stiffer springs than a normal WRX, pitch under hard acceleration and braking has been reduced by 55%, and roll by 30%.

That all sounds great on paper, but you feel it in practice, too. In Comfort mode, the WRX tS isn’t easily upset by train tracks or crumbling thoroughfares. I’d go so far as to call the ride supple—for a high-performance compact, anyway. Cycling up the modes, Normal achieves a decent balance, and Sport is uncompromising, for those times you find yourself on a freshly repaved road course. Like Sonoma Raceway!

The 12-turn, 2.5-mile circuit was the ideal place to sample the optimized dynamics of the WRX tS, with its hilly first sector defined by blind, off-camber corners; the sweeping, downhill Turns 5 and 6; and those quick esses on the back end. Sonoma’s got a little bit of everything, and the WRX tS can keep up—thanks not only to the new suspension but also to those beefy Brembos shared with the TR, plus the customizable steering.

I never clicked with the regular WRX’s effortlessly light steering feel, and the tS completely addresses that. Just like with the suspension, STI adjusted all of the steering profiles on the tS to be at least slightly heavier than they are on the GT. For the track, where you need every movement to be deliberate, with as much feedback as possible, it makes a big difference.

So then, the WRX tS is the sum of its welcome refinements—surely the best WRX of its generation so far. But of course, some things haven’t changed. You still can’t get any WRX from the factory, including a tS, with a mechanical limited-slip differential. And the tS doesn’t offer any improvements on the powertrain side of things, either: merely the same 2.4-liter flat-four, with its 271 horsepower, 258 lb-ft of torque, and burble-less drone at cruising speeds.

That’s a real shame because the WRX could absolutely use more pep. Those numbers aren’t awful, but they don’t get you quite as far when you’re lugging around 3,430 pounds, which happens to be how much a modern WRX weighs. What’s more, the FA24F engine doesn’t have a torque curve—it’s more like a torque plateau that rides from 2,000 all the way to 5,200 rpm, before redline hits in a hurry at all but 6,100 rpm.

In other words, there’s never a moment where the WRX wallops you with power. Boost feels like it rolls in—maybe not quite as early as advertised—and hangs around without really introducing itself. Technically, I suppose that’s… optimal? Efficient? Predictable? It could be all of those things, but it isn’t dramatic, at least with just shy of 260 lb-ft on tap.

That’s the best and likely most expensive WRX you’ll be able to buy next year. I say “likely” because Subaru doesn’t plan to share pricing until November, but it isn’t hard to make an educated guess as to where it’ll wind up. The WRX TR, which has less equipment, starts at $42,775. For comparison’s sake, a mid-grade Toyota GR Corolla will set you back $200 less than that; it has more power and torque than any WRX but no adaptive dampers and poorer brakes than the tS. Meanwhile, the Honda Civic Type R starts at $46,690, and the Golf R at $46,890 (in 2024, anyway—VW hasn’t come through with ‘25 pricing, either). The WRX range begins at $33,855 and, as I said after I drove the TR last year, I still believe the Premium trim for a few grand more will remain the value move.

Context aside, it’s safe to assume that the WRX tS will be a mid-$40K car. I know so much has changed in the last five years, but the prior-gen WRX STI started at $38,170 in its final, 2021 guise. There’s no question the tS will be the finest WRX that Subaru will sell in 2025. But it’ll also cost STI money without STI power, let alone power to match its fiercest rivals.

With the tS, Subaru has optimized just about every component of the WRX experience, save for one. But those improvements haven’t only sharpened the sports sedan—they’ve also made its flaws more glaring than ever. Until they’re addressed, this could well be as good as it’s going to get.