There are few nameplates in motoring that get the pulse racing quite like WRX. For Kiwis, the letters themselves conjure up gravel-strewn backroads, turbo whistle, and a bonnet scoop that could inhale small wildlife. It’s a cult, a legacy, and – let’s be honest – a slightly unhinged obsession for those who remember when Subaru was the rally-bred underdog taking it to the big boys.
Well, guess what? Subaru’s been listening to the faithful. The plea for a manual WRX with some proper bite has been answered. Enter the 2025 Subaru WRX 2.4T tS Spec B manual, a car that’s equal parts throwback and tech-laden evolution. At $69,990, it’s pitched squarely at purists, enthusiasts, and anyone who’s sick of being told CVTs are “fine once you get used to them.”
Here’s the headline: it’s manual. A six-speed, row-your-own-gears, blip-the-throttle, heel-and-toe if you dare gearbox. And not just bolted to the same-old running gear, but paired with Drive Mode Select and electronically adjustable dampers, a first for the manual WRX. That means you can actually choose between Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+, or an Individual mode. Subaru has effectively merged the raw joy of rowing your own gears with tech you’d expect in something German and twice the price.
Oh, and yes – the wing is back. A proper, park-it-in-front-of-the-dairy-and-let-the-teens-stare, unapologetic spoiler. Let’s face it, Subaru knows its audience.
The Spec B badge isn’t just alphabet soup either. The “B” is a hat tip to Brembo, who’ve provided a braking system that’s properly meaty. Gold-painted 6-piston fronts, 2-piston rears, clamping ventilated and drilled discs. They don’t just look the part – they give you the kind of confidence where a late-braking manoeuvre into a tightening corner feels less like a gamble and more like an invitation.
Under the bonnet sits the (let’s call it) familiar 2.4-litre turbocharged Boxer. Paired with Subaru’s trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, the thing just digs in. Launch hard and it scrabbles for grip in that WRX way – raw, mechanical, slightly chaotic – but somehow it all hooks up and goes. It’s not the most refined turbo four out there, but that’s kind of the point. A WRX should feel a bit rabid.
Here’s where Subaru surprises. The interior is no longer just hard plastics and Fisher-Price ergonomics. The Recaro bucket seats hug without strangling, and they’re perfect for a backroad blast. In front of you sits a new 12.3-inch full LCD cluster – Subaru’s first in NZ, and it’s slick. You can choose display modes, play around with layouts, and it finally makes the WRX feel 2025-ready instead of 2005-leftover.
But the real eyebrow-raiser? The Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS). Hooked into Subaru’s EyeSight suite, it monitors driver inputs and, if it thinks you’ve nodded off or keeled over, it’ll stop the car, flick the hazards on, and even unlock the doors. That’s proper futuristic stuff – though let’s be honest, most WRX owners will be more concerned about their heart rate on a mountain pass than having one mid-commute.
So, what’s it like on Kiwi tarmac? In a word: engaging. The turbo four doesn’t just pull, it snarls. The gearbox has that notchy-but-satisfying, highly-mechanical Subaru shift feel, and with the adjustable dampers you can finally set the thing up for daily comfort or full send.
Throw it against rivals (say, a Hyundai i30 N manual or a VW Golf R) and the WRX doesn’t feel quite as polished or surgically precise. But that’s fine, because the Subaru’s charm lies in its edges. It’s less “clinical hot hatch” and more “big-shouldered brawler with a rally chip on its shoulder.”
Steering is direct but not razor sharp. Body control in Sport+ mode tightens things up beautifully, though you’ll still feel some roll if you’re really chucking it. The payoff? That Symmetrical AWD grip that’s basically witchcraft in the wet.
The 19-inch matte grey alloys wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S007s look the business and grip like barnacles. And there’s subtle badging – a “tS” emblem, a splash of purple if you go for the new Galaxy Purple Pearl (Solar Orange is out, sorry scene kids). It’s understated until you clock the wing, then all bets are off.
And yes, for those who remember the WRX of old – this is Subaru leaning back into its STI-tuned heritage without pretending this is an STI. That’s important, because it manages expectations.
The 2025 Subaru WRX 2.4T tS Spec B manual isn’t perfect. It’s loud, a bit coarse, and in a world where rivals are getting slicker, smarter, and more premium-feeling, the WRX remains gloriously unrefined. But that’s why we love it.
Subaru has managed to combine proper analogue engagement with genuinely useful modern tech. It’s fast, fun, flawed, and utterly faithful to what the badge stands for. If you’ve been begging for a manual WRX that feels like an event every time you drive it – congratulations, your car has arrived.
Pros
- Manual gearbox paired with adjustable dampers – purist meets progress
- Brembo brakes with serious bite
- Symmetrical AWD grip, rain or shine
- Recaro seats and new digital cluster finally modernise the cabin
- Big wing nostalgia points
Cons
- Rough edges compared to slicker Euro rivals
- Still not a true STI
- Cabin, while improved, not exactly plush
- Turbo four lacks some refinement
- At $70k, it’s not the budget hero WRX once was
This is the Subaru that WRX fans begged for (or maybe just us). Not perfect, not polished, but absolutely brimming with character, and in 2025, that’s rarer than ever.
