Review 2025 Subaru WRX tS goes STI light
If you were disappointed with the WRX TR, Subaru is looking for redemption, and in 2025 you'll get it in the form of the Subaru WRX tS.
Finally, Subaru let the STI team get their hands on the latest WRX. As a result, the WRX tS gets a suspension upgrade that addresses the TR's steering complaints.
Still, the new STI is far from what it could, or should, be.
Subaru threw me the keys to a 2025 WRX tS in WR Blue Pearl and had me drive it around Sonoma Raceway and local neighborhood roads to determine its handling and how it addressed the shortcomings of the WRX TR.
The 2025 Subaru WRX tS
The Japanese STI crew must have been bored or begged the right person. tS stands for Tuned by STI, but without the STI badge. There are STI labels all over the cabin.
As you may have already forgotten, the WRX STI disappeared with the 4th generation cars in the US (5th generation in the rest of the world) due to emissions regulations. There is no revival.
The STI team took the electronically adjustable dampers from the automatic-only WRX GT and retuned them for the tS with an emphasis on public road and track use. The result, according to Subaru, is a damper tuned similar to the TR in Normal mode, but stiffer in Sport mode to reduce roll by 30% and pitch by 55%. In Comfort mode, they become softer and more confortant, contrary to the TR, to make the WRX's stiffer chassis more comfortable on paved roads.
The steering system that Senior Editor Kirk Bell felt was too light in the WRX TR has been replaced with a driver selectable system; STI has tuned the Comfort mode to feel light like the TR, while Normal and Sport add heft to the steering
Hotel parking.
It took me only a few miles to turn right out of a hotel parking lot and feel the difference the WRX tS's new adjustable dampers made. Switching the mode button on the steering wheel from Comfort to Normal and finally to Sport+, the dampers gradually and noticeably stiffened. In Sport mode, the dampers remain in Normal, so I omitted them here.
Cruising through a construction zone of asphalt that had not yet been paved, I found that Comfort mode was more comfortable on the grooved surface and Sport+ was too stiff. I switched to Comfort. But even in Comfort mode it was different from the WRX GT.
The mode change also dialed up the steering weight, but the Sport+ never approaches the “why is it so heavy?” limit found in the latest Korean metal like the Genesis G70.
The drive to Sonoma Raceway was a short one, but it was enough to realize the vastness of the STI team's tuning breath with adjustable dampers. It painted a rosy picture for those who drive the WRX tS on a daily basis but still want to hit the track or blast through the backcountry on the weekends.
Heading to Sonoma Raceway in the WRX tS, I switched to normal mode to check out the baseline suspension and steering system. After connecting the first few corners, it was clear that the steering in normal mode felt lighter and moved quicker than intended, but not uncomfortably so. The suspension tuning in normal mode kept the car under control and did not feel too soft, but the car did not turn as it should when rolling through the corners. I was tempted to kick the rear end out, but the Bridgestone Potenza S007 245/35 R19S (same tire as the TR) tried to push me through the carousel and onto the straight leading into Turn 7.
2025 Subaru WRX tS
These Brembos are the same as the TR's, with 13.4-inch cross-drilled front rotors paired with Brembo 6-piston calipers and 12.5-inch cross-drilled calipers. In the rear, 8-inch rotors and two-piston calipers; multiple journalists ran multiple lapping sessions over the two days, and the brakes showed no signs of fading or weakening. Pedal progression and bite were strong, instilling confidence heading into the turns at 101 mph.
As the laps wore on, the Sport+ mode proved to be the ideal choice for the track. The gas pedal tipped in a little faster, the heavier steering made steering input smoother, the stiffer dampers made it easier to kick the rear end out, and it seemed easier to slide down the Turn 6 carousel and head straight. Just to see. I had to know. That was a mistake. The steering felt lighter and looser. I immediately understood why Bell hated the steering on the TR. I switched back from Comfort to Sport+, stiffened up the steering and dampers, and drove another lap.
2025 Subaru WRX tS
With the WRX's all-wheel drive system distributing power in a 50:50 ratio, the car sometimes tried to pull and push in the corners while trying not to ram the front end. You could feel the front tires trying to spin the car, and those expecting the STI team to give the tS an electronically controlled variable center differential will be disappointed. There is no function here to change the torque split.
The adjustable steering solves the weight problem, but no one will rave about the steering feel. No one will confuse this steering with that of a Porsche.
Surprisingly, the Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires were predictable and gave me ample warning when I was approaching the limit. I am usually not a fan of Bridgestone summer tires. Generally, they give little warning when they reach their limits, and then I often find out. This was not the case this time.
2025 Subaru WRX tS
The 6-speed manual is the only transmission that will please enthusiasts and is a well known unit. No change. That means it is a notchier gearbox with longer throws than the Honda Civic Si or Type R. While unavoidable in this automatic-only era, the Subaru unit simply does not click smoothly from gear to gear like the Honda manual.
On the winding back roads around Sonoma, I found broken pavement. What has happened to California's pristine roads? The programmable Indivisual Drive mode came into play and turned out to be the ideal setup, combining comfort suspension with sport steering and sport throttle response. The sport mode of the damper is skittish and unsettling. The dampers never approached the quivering state of the Hyundai Veloster N, but the stability was not what one would call running at ideal speeds.
In 2025, tS will introduce a digital meter cluster in the WRX. Admittedly, I didn't like it when I saw it in pictures when Subaru announced the tS, but it was pleasing to the eye when I saw it in person. The gauges are by no means deep, but the display is sharp and the red needle looks as if it belongs on an STI.
The 12.3-inch digital meter cluster also has an STI badge in the lower left corner to remind you who you're here for, complementing the red start button with white STI lettering.
Since I slipped behind the wheel of the WRX - to be exact, the year was 2022 - it's been a minute, but Subaru has greatly improved the 11.6-inch touchscreen interface. The heated seat controls are now always visible on the touchscreen, rather than buried two taps deep in the menus. It is a Subaru, after all. The interface was easy to use with oversized iPad-like icons, and the wireless Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly.
The rest of the interior is standard WRX fare, except for blue trim and nice standard black Recaro sport buckets up front. All WRX tS Recaros will have that blue trim whether the exterior is white, red or blue. Choose your favorite color. The driver's seat is 8-way power, while the passenger seat is manual. These seats fit my slender 5'10” frame perfectly and supported me well as I drove around the circuit. People who are a bit wider said their sides felt cramped. Your mileage and comfort may vary.
Thankfully, like the TR, the tS does not have a sunroof. This helps with headroom, but also keeps weight down.
The WRX's standard 2.4-liter turbo four makes 271 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque; 0-60 mph is quick, 5.5 seconds, but not as quick as the STI. The current STI has 315 hp and a 0-60 mph time of about a second less. tS doesn't have the power of the STI.
That's the problem.
Subaru has not announced pricing, but said that when the 2025 WRX tS arrives early next year, it will be priced about the same as or just below the top-spec GT model The WRX GT is priced at $45,335, including a $1,120 destination charge; the TR was slightly below that at $42,775.
This pricing puts the 2025 WRX tS firmly in Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla territory, but less powerful than both; the WRX's claim to fame is that it comes standard with all-weather, all-wheel drive that the Type R cannot match and a nicer than GR Corolla interior (including front armrests).
For buyers who were ready to spend money on a WRX TR but simply didn't like the steering or wished the GT had adjustable suspension, the tS makes sense. For those who want Subaru to let the STI team monkey around with the WRX again, the tS really makes sense. But for those who want a full STI makeover, tS is just a taste, not a complete pie.
To bring you this real-world review of the 2025 WRX tS, Subaru has covered the travel, lodging, and delicious bacon.
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