For the last five years, cries for a new Subaru WRX STI have been loud, numerous, and widespread throughout the enthusiast community and, for the most part, have gone completely unanswered. The STI-grade was, at one point, the hottest iteration of the Impreza WRX, which then just became the “WRX” beginning in 2015. Subaru positioned the trim as the closest a civilian could get to owning a true-to-type rally car for the road. It was never a bestseller, but the STI always had a reliable niche of buyers it could rely on. That is, before the automaker axed it.
Now, the Japanese automaker has released something called the WRX tS, which marks the closest thing to an STI the company has put forth in the last few years. It’s got many of the go-faster components you’d expect in a rally car for the road, except a hot engine. Across a litany of independent tests, the WRX tS actually manages to be slower than the base WRX. That definitely makes one wonder if Subaru intentionally built it to be slower, or is that simply how the dominoes fell?
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2025 Subaru WRX tS, Front 3/4, Rolling Shot in WarehouseSubaru
Before we get into it, we need to make one thing clear. Subaru has not attempted to officially position the new WRX tS as an STI replacement. Instead, the brand touts it as “STI-tuned”, but stops short of officially calling it an STI.
Now for what the tS actually has to give us. Underneath its familiar frock, Subaru decided to outfit the thing with a good number of rally-inspired upgrades, most of which you’d expect to find in a fully-fledged STI model today. For starters, it carries a set of adjustable dampers built by ZF and tuned by STI, which are hooked into a five-setting selectable drive mode system, operated by the driver, which tailors its ride to whatever sort of driving you’re engaging in. The modes range from Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport +, and a customizable “Individual” setting.
2025 Subaru WRX tS, Rear 3/4 View, LowSubaru
To stop its not-so-fast self, the WRX tS employs a set of Brembo brakes. Up front, a pair of large, six-piston calipers squeeze cross-drilled rotors with larger-than-standard brake pads. At the back sits a couple of two-piston calipers operating on the same sort of cross-drilled brake discs as the front, albeit a bit smaller in size. As for the basic, core chassis, it remains virtually unchanged over the standard WRX. A set of 19-inch wheels are seen, as well.
2025 Subaru WRX tSSubaru
Inside, the WRX tS boasts some more go-faster stuff. Its front seats are bolstered Recaro units. While the standard WRX received a power-sliding moon roof straight from the factory, the WRX tS loses the feature, likely in an effort to save a little bit of weight. Its gauge cluster is fully digital, which differs drastically from the standard WRX’s, as it takes advantage of an analog setup.
2025 Subaru WRX tS front viewJared Rosenholt/CarBuzz/Valnet
Things are unchanged under the hood. The very same turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer-four found in the standard WRX is also found in the tS model, with no work done to it. Subaru seemingly wasn’t interested in building a powerful, all-wheel drive rally car for the road this time around. Instead, it’s quite apparent that the brand wants the WRX to be taken a bit more seriously as a true driver’s car, rather than a turbocharged toy to chuck down a highway late at night.
Subaru WRX VS. WRX tS Specs
WRX tS
Standard WRX
Engine Details
2.4L turbocharged flat-four
Horsepower
271 hp
Torque
258 lb-ft
0-60 MPH Time
5.6 seconds
5.4 seconds
Top Speed
145 mph (limited)
Starting MSRP (2026)
$44,995
$32,495
*Specs courtesy of Subaru, Car and Driver, & The Weekly Driver
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Here’s Why It’s Slower
2025 Subaru WRX tS side viewJared Rosenholt/CarBuzz/Valnet
So, they both have the same engine, but the more-expensive WRX tS also manages to be slower — to 60 mph at least. It certainly isn’t the extra money you need to pay for it weighing it down. Instead, it mainly has to do with something called rotational inertia. Because the WRX tS has larger brakes and larger wheels, getting these components to actually spin takes marginally more energy than it does to spin the standard WRX’s smaller 18-inch wheels and smaller brakes. Reportedly, each wheel and tire on the WRX tS weighs approximately 55 pounds by itself — somewhat heavier than the standard 18-inch setup. That’s 220 pounds of just rims and rubber that it needs to rotate. In total, the WRX tS weighs roughly 3,425 pounds, whereas a base WRX clocks in at around 3,351 pounds.
Now, we’re only dealing with time differences as miniscule as one-fifth of a second — slightly more, in some cases — individual tests can absolutely differ. Still, the fact of the matter remains, the WRX tS with its higher price tag, managed to be slower to 60 mph in a test by a Car and Driver. Not to mention, it also clocked a quarter-mile time and speed that was nearly identical to the base WRX, along with an extremely similar lateral g measurement.
2025 Subaru WRX tS wheelsJared Rosenholt/CarBuzz/Valnet
When dealing with cars that have the exact same engine, just a few pounds added here and there can make all the differences in straight-line performance, and the WRX tS is a great example of this exact phenomenon.
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2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
When compared in an apple-to-apples fashion, the WRX tS differs quite a bit from the old-school WRX STI. In the olden days, Subaru poured a lot more effort into the STI model because, as we mentioned before, it was essentially just a rally car with license plates and turn signals. It needed to be more powerful than the standard WRX because the competition model was more powerful. It also needed to be tighter and more nimble because, of course, the racing version was tighter and nimbler, too.
As for the latter fact, the WRX tS does manage to spice things up with its upgraded dampers and springs that are reported to be about five percent stiffer than the base WRX’s. Without an increase in power to match, the WRX tS is stuck trying to make up for its Achilles Heel with a well-sorted suspension and braking system which, as it seems, it’s managed to do. With its adjustable suspension and upgraded brakes, wheels, and tires, the emphasis is placed on pure driving performance and enjoyment, rather than just becoming a bullet when you mash your foot into the carpet.
2025 Subaru WRX tS front angle in blackJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
Another unfortunate aspect of why the WRX tS came about instead of an all-new STI can be explained by the ever-tightening of worldwide emissions regulations. It’s becoming harder and harder for automakers to produce powerful, lightweight engines for the masses without spending a boatload of money to do so. With the WRX tS and its complete lack of engine tuning, it seems to be something of a reinterpretation of the STI as a whole for the current automotive epoch. It seems the brand has decided to end its WRX-fueled horsepower chase, at least for now.
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At Least The Track Day Folks Are Happy
2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholt/CarBuzz/Valnet
Lamenting the fact that the WRX tS isn’t a “true” STI is easy, but its ingrained performance prowess that’s meant for a track can’t simply be ignored. Its upgraded suspension, brakes, wheels, and intuitive gauge cluster all help turn it into a serious track day threat to other models on the course. Even its moonroof-delete option is meant to lower its center of gravity, as well as provide more headroom for drivers wearing racing helmets. In that sense, apart from its lack of power, the WRX tS does boast virtually everything else a pure-blooded STI should offer its owners.
2025 Subaru WRX tSJared Rosenholt/CarBuzz/Valnet
In the end, the fact that we haven’t gotten a true WRX STI in five years is sad, no doubt. The WRX tS does fill the void to a certain extent, especially among those who regularly hammer racing circuits. The “STI-lite”, as it’s referred to in some circles, does its job, and it answered many Subaru enthusiasts’ prayers for chassis refinements over the base WRX. Sadly, though, the prayers for more power went completely unheard.
Sources: Subaru, Car and Driver, The Weekly Driver, TheGentlemanRacer.com.
