The Subaru WRX has always been the equivalent of an automotive shrug. Not because it lacks character but because it simply doesn't care what others think. It's a punk rock band with enough talent to fill stadiums but band members who don't seem to care about chasing fame. And the STI versions of yesteryear proved so talented that fame chased them.
For 2025, Subaru updated the WRX to now include the tS, which at first glance appears to be the same flannel-wearing street fighter. But looks can be deceiving. The tS hides sharpened tools underneath, translating to better handling and responsiveness.
What does “tS” really mean?
Subaru positions the tS as being tuned by STI, but it's not an STI return. Sure, that's technically true; only Subaru can name something STI. And to be clear, there's no extra power here, no gigantic wing that takes out flocks of birds, and no pink STI badge on the trunk. But the tS is imbued with enough STI-ness to make a case.
The WRX still sticks to the same recipe that made it so popular, starting in the late '90s. Credit: Jim Resnick
The hardware updates begin with electronically controlled dampers, stiffer engine mounts, a reworked steering rack, and huge, gold-painted Brembo brakes from the WRX TR, with six-piston calipers in front and two-piston units in the rear. Subaru's engineers didn't try to reinvent the WRX. They just put some finishing touches on it.
The engine story remains essentially the same. A 2.4 L turbocharged flat-four still produces 271 hp (202 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque from 12.0 psi of turbo boost, unchanged from the standard WRX, and the familiar boxer thrum remains. Power courses through a six-speed manual transmission to Subaru's faithful symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. And not that most WRX buyers or fans would care much, but the sportster logs low EPA figures of just 19/26/22 city/highway combined MPG (12.4/9/10.7 L/100 km).