The First WRX Tuned for the U.S.A.
Subaru is saying goodbye to the WRX TR and hello to the 2025 WRX tS, which will go on sale in early 2025. Long known and respected for its road-hugging handling and prowess as a rally car, the 2025 WRX tS keeps, and improves on, that performance, while also being a very civil everyday driver that seats five.
Subaru invited automotive journalists to Napa, California to get behind the wheel of the WRX tS. We carved through vineyards and mountains before heading to Sonoma Raceway to get some hot laps and to demonstrate its US-tuning. Everything about our driving experience reinforces why the WRX nameplate is the best-selling rally-inspired road car that easily doubles as a compact family sedan.
Power
The 2025 WRX tS is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer (horizontally opposed pistons) gasoline engine putting out 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy has not been released, but should be similar to the 2024 WRX that was rated at 19 mpg city/26 highway/22 combined.
Power is distributed through the Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and a slick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission. Aaron Cole, product planning manager for Subaru of America, says “83% of all WRX buyers choose the manual” and “The WRX is incredibly important to Subaru as it is the car that comes to mind for many people when they think of Subaru.” Cole continued, “The rally pedigree that car has and the enthusiasm it brings to the brand is critical. People really enjoy and grow with the car as it doubles as a family sedan.”
Track Time!
The Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) technology is the key to the WRX tS handling and ride. It has been engineered for smooth and quiet open highway driving and being easy to maneuver and park in the city. The dual-pinion, quick-ratio electric power steering delivers a natural feel of the road with a tight 36-foot turning radius.
Sonoma Raceway was the first stop on our 6+ hours behind the wheel. Our track time began with a few exciting ride-along laps by professional driver Scott Speed, who is a member of the Subaru Rally Team USA. It was a good tutorial for our time behind the wheel watching Scott go through the gears and hit the corner apexes perfectly.
It became quickly apparent the WRX tS is very track capable. The VDC with all-wheel traction control and active torque vectoring, along with the 245/35R Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires mounted on 19-inch multi-spoke matte gray wheels, provided excellent grip on the undulating 2.3-mile Sonoma Raceway asphalt course that was repaved in 2023.
The “tS” in WRX tS indicates the suspension was tuned by Subaru Tecnica International for U.S. track use. Its tuning included electronically-controlled adaptive dampers.
Redline at 5,600 rpm comes on fast as 3rd and 4th gears are used for 90% of the lap. The occasional 5th gear was necessary when the rev limiter provided a not-so-subtle reminder not to push too much harder in 4th. The shifts are fast and smooth, the clutch forgiving.
The suspension required very small steering wheel corrections to find and keep the apex. Confidence grew as I counted on the all-wheel, all-speed traction control and torque vectoring to hustle the 3,430-pound WRX tS around the track.
This combination helped put needed power to the correct wheel at the correct time, even on the fastest corners, with little if any noticeable body roll. The WRX tS felt planted and never heavy or unbalanced.
What about the brakes?
Going fast around corners is fun, but it’s only as fun as the brakes will allow. The Brembo Performance Braking System was more than up to the task. The gold-colored vented and cross-drilled 6-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers provided reliable slowing with zero brake fade under some pretty hard use. This included braking late entering fast, downhill corners or tapping when negotiating esses.
We got a few minutes with Francesca Seca, program manager/applications engineer at Brembo.
CFR: How long in advance does Brembo begin working on a braking system for a specific car?
Brembo: On a standard program we start four or five years in advance. But lately the timing has been shortened, so we are now seeing systems that began three years before production. So it is challenging.
CFR: What is the design and approval process?
Brembo: When we designed the brake system, we got the vehicle information from the constructor (Subaru), including the weight of the vehicle, the weight distribution, dimension of the wheel and the type of suspension. We then put together a draft and have many discussions to make certain we are using all the allowed space in the wheel to maximize the braking. We also have to keep the weight low. Then we could design a brake system specifically for the WRX tS. The goal we have, is to have a powerful system, but the weight has to be minimized.”
[Ed. note: The Brembo brake system on the 2025 WRX tS was first used on the WRX STI and then the WRX TR.]
CFR: If Subaru requests a Brembo brake system for one of its SUVs, is the WRX tS system applicable?
Brembo: It is important to right size the system for the vehicle. Our design and engineer team will take the same information (for the WRX tS) and then calculate the need for pressure that corresponds to 1G. We then will make changes to the pistons, caliper and the pad to proper size the system.
CFR: How do you test the brakes?
Brembo: We have a caliper endurance test that has more than 300,000 cycles simulating a brake stop with 1G. We make sure we are not getting any cracks, leakage or parts untightening.
On-Road
Departing the raceway and heading back to our base at the Carneros Resort & Spa wound us through harvested vineyards where the grape vine leaves had not begun to turn colors. If you have never driven in the Napa, Sonoma or Mendocino wine areas, they need to be on your must-do list, as the roads offer a driving challenge with some of the best scenery anywhere.
The handling and braking attributes we experienced on the track were greatly appreciated out on the road, where the performance tuning didn’t produce a rough or stiff ride. There are three driver-selectable modes for adjusting the dampening force (Comfort, Normal, Sport) and five drive modes (Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Individual) that each control the engine, suspension, steering and the EyeSight responsiveness. We were in Sport+ for our Sonoma Raceway laps, but on the roads used Comfort, Normal and Sport based on the need.
What we found was selecting both Comfort settings gave the most compliant and comfortable ride, while Normal was best on the highway, then we clicked into Sport when we found some twisties just begging to be attacked. Subaru has done a very good job designing ride and handling options that should meet every driver’s needs and preference.
Exterior: Uniquely WRX
The 2025 WRX wide body design looks aggressive, but not intimidating. Featuring a forward-leaning stance with LED steering-responsive headlights and LED fog lights. The sloped hood with a large scoop leads to a slant-back windshield and the roof, which has a shark fin antenna. A diminutive lip spoiler on the trunk sits above the boomerang shaped LED taillights. Slyly poking-out from under the air deflector are twin dual chrome exhaust tips.
If you like color options, the WRX comes in Galaxy Purple, Crystal Black Silica, Ignition Red, Sapphire Blue Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Ceramic White, and World Rally Blue like our test car.
Interior: Driver Centric
Recaro seats wrapped in black Ultrasuede and accented with in World Rally Blue set the stage for an interior that is driver-centric with everything in easy reach. The front seats, with red embossed “WRX tS” on the headrest and “Recaro” on the upper seat, have large side and shoulder blade bolsters to keep the front occupants snug when pulling a few corner Gs.
The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel, with World Rally Blue top stitching, has multiple buttons and toggles that control the 12.3-inch LCD digital gauge cluster, suspension and engine modes, EyeSight, navigation and the sound system.
The 12.3-inch high-definition multimedia touchscreen, looming impressively on the center stack, handles the sound system—with both channel and volume knobs! The touchscreen houses the StarLink in-vehicle technology with voice-activated navigation and Bluetooth plus multimedia offerings of SiriusXM/AM/FM HD radio/CD, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Front USB-A and C ports and the wireless phone charger complete the connectivity features.
The front cabin is comfortable with an automatic climate system, a customizable information screen with large round tachometer and speedometer gauges, leather-covered shift knob and drilled aluminum-alloy pedal covers.
Additional safety and convenience features include a rear vision camera, push button start/stop, remote keyless entry, exterior power mirrors, a tire pressure monitoring system and 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes with brake assist. The optional power moonroof has been eliminated to accommodate a helmeted driver and passenger.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing and exact on-sale date have not been announced by Subaru other than “first quarter of 2025.”
Observations: 2025 Subaru WRX tS
The 2025 WRX tS elicits an “Ooo, this is going to be fun!” moment when climbing into the low slung, Recaro performance seats and getting the satisfaction of pushing on the third pedal, slapping the 6-speed manual shifter back and forth a few times, and depressing the red STI start button. A pleasant guttural rumble fills the cabin, the tach bounces a few times when blipping the accelerator pedal, and then the fun really begins. And all this is happening in your driveway as you are about to take the kids to school or make a bread and milk run.
Subaru says “WRX customers are among the youngest in the industry” and are “much more likely to have children living at home than the average Subaru owner.” Doing the math, this means WRX owners are in their mid-thirties and got started early having a family. If I am a little kid strapped into my car seat and mom or dad is whipping us around in the WRX tS, I am in a seriously good mood every time we roll out of the garage.
So, slip on your driving shoes and visit your local Subaru dealer for an enthusiastic 2025 WRX tS test drive.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Subaru.
Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
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