Yahoo Autos Subaru's 2025 WRX tS Inches Toward the Top
It's said that great things come to those who wait. Just like many of you, we've been patiently waiting for Subaru to roll out the fifth-generation WRX STI. Well, we might be twiddling our thumbs forever, as Subie has yet to reveal any plans for the big-power, tall-wing, variable-center-differential rally king. As a consolation, Subaru has thrown the GT and TR models into the blender and poured a 2025 Subaru WRX tS.
The Mix
For the first time, the tS (which stands for "tuned by STI") badge is applied to the all-wheel-drive WRX. To arrive here, Subaru equips the tS with the WRX TR's meaty Brembo brakes, which feature six-piston calipers in the front and two-piston binders in the back. The only difference is that the tS calipers are painted gold, whereas the TR's are red. They squeeze cross-drilled rotors measuring 13.4 inches in the front and 12.8 inches in the rear. Also shared are the 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza S007 summer tires, here mounted to tS-specific wheels.
From the WRX GT comes a choice of five drive profiles: Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+, and Individual. There are also three steering modes (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), as well as the ability to adjust the powertrain from Normal to Sport, where the most aggressive setting speeds up the interaction between the accelerator and the throttle plate. Most important, the tS receives the GT's adaptive dampers, which STI has calibrated for the tS specifically for roads in the United States. They also have three positions of adjustment (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), are tuned to be slightly stiffer than the GT's, and provide a claimed 30 percent reduction in roll and 55 percent reduction in pitch compared with the TR's passive dampers. Thankfully, the GT's mandatory continuously variable automatic transmission isn't on the menu; the tS is offered only with a six-speed manual.
Inside, other fixings specifically for the tS include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster; bright blue accents scattered throughout the interior, including on the body-hugging Recaro seats; and STI logos on the start button and gauges, making it look like you're in an actual STI. To preserve space for helmets, there's no sunroof option. On the exterior, the tS can be identified by the aforementioned wheels, black mirror caps, a shark-fin antenna, and a lip spoiler on the trunklid. There are also some pink badges on its rear end.
Track Time
We sampled the tS for a few laps around California's Sonoma Raceway. It took only a handful of laps to conclude that the 271-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four could stand another 50 or 70 ponies. All of this Subie's competitors—the Honda Civic Type R, the Volkswagen Golf R, the Toyota GR Corolla, and the Hyundai Elantra N—make more horsepower. Across the start/finish line in fourth gear with the accelerator to the floor, the tS huffs and puffs its way up the hill into Turn 1.
With the dampers set to Sport, body roll stays in check, even off Sonoma's massive candy-cane curbing at the top of the hill. There's more audible feedback from the Bridgestones than through the steering wheel when the front-end grip gives away, but the steering effort in the heftiest mode is appreciated. The tS has a brake-based torque-vectoring system, and you can feel it helping the car rotate midcorner.
The star here is the Brembo brakes. Lap after lap, we became more confident and drove deeper into the brake zones. The pedal feel never wavered, retaining its firm disposition during hard use. The Brembos' real test will arrive once we get this car to Virginia International Raceway for Lightning Lap.
Street Work
Outside racetrack land and on the hillsides looking into Napa Valley, the Subie's Comfort setting for the dampers is the sweet spot. The electronically controlled units gracefully absorb lumpy tarmac better than in the Sport setting, which suffers stiff and jarring impacts. The steering effort in the lightest setting is too effortless, so stick with Sport for the best experience. The short gearing means you might be all over the shifter like you're gut-punching Mike Tyson, but we'll gladly take a right-arm workout over any CVT encounter.
When you're not hustling the tS, you can better take in the new digital gauge cluster. Its normal mode, a standard tachometer and speedometer display, is ideal for track use. The navigation mode crisply renders a map, and when Apple CarPlay is active, Apple Maps are displayed. The EyeSight mode focuses on the plethora of driver-assist systems, which Subaru began offering on manual-gearbox cars for 2024.
Pricing for the tS has yet to be released, but a 2024 TR went for $42,755, while the GT was $45,335. Considering the mix and match of equipment, the tS could split the difference. While the WRX tS is a good car, we've still got out fingers crossed for the greatness of an STI.
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