Subaru WRX tS Spec B review
This is the way this generation Subaru WRX should have been from the start.
Manual. Adjustable suspension. Configurable drive modes. Improved interior tech. More fun. More grip. More anger. More noise. More wow.
NEW WRX DELIGHTS
There's a lot to like about the Subaru WRX tS Spec B, but it's also worth noting that this is not a proper STI model, and the 2025 updated range also ushers in the first time a 'non-STI' WRX has crossed the $60K barrier.
This example is $61,490 plus on-roads (about $67,500 drive-away) with the six-speed manual gearbox, while there's a CVT auto wagon range-topper at $63,490 (~$69,500 drive-away) that any true Rex Head will tell you isn't a proper WRX.
Compared to the regular WRX models, the tS Spec B all-wheel-drive sedan doesn't see any power changes from its 2.4-litre boxer engine, with 202kW and 350Nm – well behind rivals in the performance small car class, considering a Honda Civic Type R has 235kW/420Nm from a smaller engine and it's front-wheel drive only … and the updated VW Golf R AWD has 245kW/420Nm.
NEW WRX DISAPPOINTS
It's not as fast as others, either. There's no official 0-100km/h claim, but it has been reported at 6.0 seconds for the manual. And it's not as frantic feeling as others, but the changes for the tS Spec B do make a driving difference, though the manual shift is still less precise than in a Civic Type R.
The drive mode selection system is aligned with new electronically adjustable dampers, and you've got a host of choices to pick from: Comfort, Normal, Sport, Sport+ and Individual Mode, the latter of which allows you to customise different attributes to your tastes.
It was hard to say what the ride comfort was like on a closed road course test drive, but it seems like there will be some comfort improvements in the more sedate modes, while the assertive settings felt more fitting for this lary looking lout.
The new-look 19-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres make for a nicer looking thing, but also help to make it feel grippier in the bends, particularly higher-speed sweepers. In tighter turns there's still a little bit of understeer to contend with, but it powers out of tight sections with theatre.
LOOK GOOD, STOP HARD
And while the model I tested had the no-cost-optional sports exhaust system, it didn't quite raise the hackles like my 1998 WRX with a 3.5-inch turbo-back with a nine-inch cannon. It also, thankfully, isn't a deafening warble.
Better brakes are part of the combo here too, with Brembo six-piston front and two-piston rear calipers, as well as vented and drilled discs that look good and stop hard.
And while the current gen model has its haters in terms of its appearance, the Spec B model's huge boot spoiler should appeal to Subie superfans.
Inside there are improvements as well, including Recaro bucket seats with power adjustment for the driver, and in front of the pilot is a new 12.3-inch digital cluster to bring it in line with many new models. And, as if to rub a bit of salt into the wound, the leather steering wheel has an STI logo. Rude.
NO STI HERE
It isn't an STI, but the WRX tS Spec B is a better example of this breed than we've seen to date, but it has taken three years to get this good. And while it might have more presence, it's still less powerful than it should be.
3.5 stars
Subaru WRX tS Spec B
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motorsport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Chaz Mostert fired back at the online critics who reckon he's too old to cut it in Supercars by claiming his first pole position in over a year at the Perth Super 440 on Saturday. The 33-year-old Mostert turned back the clock and unleashed a sizzling lap in his Ford Mustang to jump to the top of the timesheets after the first split qualifying session. Crossing the line in 53.685 seconds, Mostert secured pole position for first of the three races at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend, and Race 14 for the 2025 season. Chaz Mostert claimed pole position in his Ford Mustang for the first of three Supercars races in Perth Monster's pole was the 26th of his Supercars career and his first since he started at the front of the grid at Perth in May 2024. Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United team mate Ryan Wood locked out the front row with the second best time, with Brodie Kostecki third and championship leader Broc Feeney fourth. 'It's always nervous coming 12 months from a good result,' Mostert told Fox Sports. 'I'm glad I had a really fast teammate, tuned me up on a bit of driving, and just sent it in and came out on the other side. 'The simple work is that there's a few internet trolls out there that basically say, 'you're done; since you have a kid and wife you lose two tenths'. 'So I'm glad to show you can find two tenths by having kids and wife, so thanks to the trolls out there, appreciate you.' Originally published as Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
News.com.au
19 hours ago
- News.com.au
Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
Chaz Mostert fired back at the online critics who reckon he's too old to cut it in Supercars by claiming his first pole position in over a year at the Perth Super 440 on Saturday. The 33-year-old Mostert turned back the clock and unleashed a sizzling lap in his Ford Mustang to jump to the top of the timesheets after the first split qualifying session. Crossing the line in 53.685 seconds, Mostert secured pole position for first of the three races at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend, and Race 14 for the 2025 season. Monster's pole was the 26th of his Supercars career and his first since he started at the front of the grid at Perth in May 2024. Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United team mate Ryan Wood locked out the front row with the second best time, with Brodie Kostecki third and championship leader Broc Feeney fourth. 'It's always nervous coming 12 months from a good result,' Mostert told Fox Sports. 'I'm glad I had a really fast teammate, tuned me up on a bit of driving, and just sent it in and came out on the other side. 'The simple work is that there's a few internet trolls out there that basically say, 'you're done; since you have a kid and wife you lose two tenths'. 'So I'm glad to show you can find two tenths by having kids and wife, so thanks to the trolls out there, appreciate you.'
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Roadkill is costing Australians thousands. Could virtual fencing be the answer?
Lindy Butcher is up all throughout the night bottle-feeding some unexpected babies. The ACT Wildlife volunteer is caring for two wombats — Midge and Claire, just weeks old — rescued when their mothers were fatally hit by cars. Ms Butcher knows the cost of roadkill up close, having cared for thousands of injured animals over 30 years. "They would have been fox or bird food within a couple of hours." However, Ms Butcher isn't angry — she knows most collisions between vehicles and wildlife are accidents. "I feel sorry for people who have hit a big animal with their car because usually they haven't done anything wrong," she said. "The animal has leapt out in front of their car, scared the tripe out of them, damaged their car and then the poor animal has died or is injured. It's a problem." It's an issue with a big price tag. Every year, more than 7,000 insurance claims are made after collisions with kangaroos, with Huddle Insurance estimating damage from those crashes cost Australians more than $28 million in repairs and $6 million in excess payments. Two hours from Canberra, Eurobodalla Shire Council (ESC) trialled a virtual fence along a strip of road north of Batemans Bay in 2023. Green fence posts, distributed every 25 metres, form a virtual fence along the roadside, sensing approaching vehicles and emitting a light and beep. It is designed to warn wildlife about oncoming traffic and make animals pause before they step out and become startled by the blinding headlights of an oncoming car. The technology works best with vehicles travelling at up to 80 kilometres per hour. ESC reported incidents down from five per week to just five in the first year. Mayor Mat Hatcher said the fence cost $10,000 per kilometre to install, but he said it reduced insurance claims by drivers, council staff call outs and wildlife deaths. "It's a great return on investment for the ratepayer," he said. ESC has since installed virtual fences at two more locations in the shire and has allocated money in the annual budget to keep installing more fences. "For areas with a lot of wildlife, especially late at night when the roads are dark, it's been fantastic for us," Cr Hatcher said. Save Canberra's Kangaroos' Aisha Bottrill read about the success of the trial on the south coast and wants the fences installed in Canberra, where she often pulls over to tend to injured or dead kangaroos on the roadside. She started a petition hoping for a virtual fence trial on the road she commutes along twice daily. "Something needs to be done about it for the safety of the wildlife and for the safety of people who use that road." She said drivers had become desensitised to signage urging them to slow down for wildlife. "We need to put something in place that will deter animals from crossing the road if we can't deter drivers from slowing down in high-risk times," she said. "We live in the bush capital and we're so lucky to share our homes and backyards with so much wildlife. It's devastating to see so many injured kangaroos and not see anything done about it." Ms Butcher said 70 per cent of the incidents reported to the ACT Wildlife hotline were for collisions with birds, which would not be stopped by the fence. She said attempts to reduce roadkill also needed to include planting more trees so animals could move along the canopy without needing to come to the ground. But Ms Butcher would love to see the fences trialled in the ACT. "If we could even just reduce the number of wombats, wallabies, kangaroos and possums hit by cars, that would be great," she said. "It would be great to see something like that here.
