2025 Subaru WRX tS Review
Subaru added this new tS trim to the WRX lineup for 2025. tS stands for Tuned by STI (Subaru Tecnica International). It means you get includes added performance equipment, a distinctive look, and a six-speed manual as your only transmission choice.
It’s also the top trim of the 2025 WRX line-up, above the Premium, Limited, and GT. Subaru replaced the 2024 WRX TR with this trim. The tS basically starts with the TR and adds adaptive shock absorbers. But the tS makes do with the standard WRX flat-four engine and all-wheel-drive system, which itself remains unchanged since the fifth-generation debuted in 2022.
However, in 2022, Subaru massively improved the powertrain, swapping in a turbocharged 2.4-liter in place of the 2.0-liter. Peak power only increased by 3 and peak torque remained the same. You get 271 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 258 lb.-ft between 2000 – 5200 rpm. But the added displacement lowers the demand on boost pressure, which drops from 15.9 psi to just 12 psi. That reduces lag, improves response, and makes power build-up more linear and easier to manage. Couple that with the smooth shifting, six-speed manual, and all-wheel-drive system with a locking center diff and torque vectoring, you get a machine with a fun right pedal.
Expect to pay a pretty penny for the tS, it costs a solid $10k above the standard WRX Premium. The tS starts at $46,875. And this Galaxy Purple Pearl paint runs an extra $395. My test car cost $47,270. For the money, you get a sharp handling, enthusiast friendly machine, which also provides enough modern day creature comforts. Things like 11.6-in center display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and fantastic heated Recaro front seats.
Views on Vehicles focuses on new car reviews and news, presented by Robin Warner, a perennial car nut. The reason for the channel's focus becomes crystal clear when you look at Robin's experience. He spent five years of his adult life as an engineer: four years in traction and stability control calibration, and little over a year in vehicle dynamics. He also spent 15 years of his adult life as an editor at various magazines, including stints at Car and Driver, Road & Track and Autoweek.
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Views on Vehicles focuses on new car reviews and news, presented by Robin Warner, a perennial car nut. The reason for the channel's focus becomes crystal clear when you look at Robin's experience. He spent five years of his adult life as an engineer: four years in traction and stability control calibration, and little over a year in vehicle dynamics. He also spent 15 years of his adult life as an editor at various magazines, including stints at Car and Driver, Road & Track and Autoweek.
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The key problem with any WRX model other than the entry level version is pricing, and even that one isn't a standout value. I tried one out last year - a plain-Jane base version - and while it wasn't my my cup of tea, the performance was in line with the competition at a mid-30s price point (GTI, Jetta GLI, Civic Si, etc). But even if I'd been a fan of the driving experience, the $35,000 example I drove felt very "stripped," particularly against the Jetta, which comes with leather, a pano roof, and an uprated stereo for the same money, and is still a brilliant car to drive.
But this version is pushing fifty grand, and for that money, buyers will be shopping it against the likes of Golf R, Civic Type R, GR Corolla, and maybe even the S3, and in that company, the Subaru is totally outmatched.
WRX sales have taken a beating recently, and I think the lousy value proposition is the reason why.
Ugly car, crazy price. Thumbs down!