2025 Subaru BRZ tS Review

The Subaru BRZ is one of the best sports cars you can buy under $50k. Combining a lightweight body with a low centre of gravity, a punchy boxer engine at the front and rear-wheel drive, it’s a textbook act when it comes to delivering pure driving fun.

While it’s absolutely capable of tearing up a nice, challenging stretch of back roads every day of the week, plus the occasional weekend track day, anything heavier duty will require a visit to the tuner shop. Bigger brakes, chassis strengthening and extra cooling are just some of the many things enthusiasts often upgrade their BRZ with before going down the path of extracting more power.

Well, what if you can buy a BRZ from Subaru that is a little more track ready, a little more focused and comes fully backed by the factory warranty? Cue the Subaru BRZ tS. The additional badging stands for ‘tuned by STI’, as such this isn’t a full fledge STI model, but one that is tweaked by the company’s in-house go-fast division littered with bits of STI goodies.

The new range-topping tS is priced at $48,690 for the six-speed manual and $49,690 for the six-speed automatic. Prices exclude on-road costs. That’s $3,600 more than the BRZ S of equivalent transmission type, or $5,900 more than the base BRZ.

Is it worth the premium? We’ll come to that later, but first things first, as the tS is not a full STI model there’s still no turbocharging. Secondly, not only is there no turbo, the power figures remain the same. That’s because the tS upgrade is purely dynamics focused. You can expect a bigger price tag if there was any sort of powertrain enhancement.

But dismay not, as Subaru has tuned up where it matters. There’re STI tuned front and rear suspension dampers for tauter handling. There’s also a set of Brembo brakes with gold painted 4-piston front callipers and 2-piston rear callipers, complete with larger brake pads and rotors. The standard car only has 2-piston front brakes. The gold painted Brembo brakes are tucked behind tS exclusive black 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 215/40 R18 Michelin Pilot 4 tyres all around.

Elsewhere, black door mirror caps, black shark fin antenna, subtle red BRZ wordings in the headlights and front and rear tS badging serve as clues that this is something a bit more special than a regular BRZ.

The standard BRZ is already a beautiful car but the tS version just accentuates it with a bit more attitude, thanks in large part to those black wheels and contrasting gold brake callipers. And in the World Rally Blue Pearl paint work of our 6MT test vehicle it just looks fantastic.

Inside, the BRZ tS brings red accents to those great looking and ultra supportive sports bucket seats which are upholstered in part leather and part suede. Look closer and you’ll pick up the STI embroidery on the seat bolster which is a nice touch. The STI logo is also featured on the red engine start pushbutton and instrument cluster. The latter also sports red framing for the rev counter and red stitching for the suede-lined binnacle cover for added sportiness.

The rest of the cabin is the same as the regular BRZ S grade, which in itself is quite nice. Subaru has done a commendable job with making most touch points, from the steering wheel and gear knob to the dashboard and door cards, feel high quality enough for the price of the car. The buttons and switches in the centre console aren’t flashy but they don’t feel low rent either. There’re aluminium pedals and footrest, too, which are nice.

What drivers will appreciate the most though is the driving position. It’s perfect and exactly what a sports car needs. You sit low and snug, with steering wheel at chest level and unobscured visibility through the front windscreen and quarter windows. The gear shifter is also at ideal height with the arm. The brake pedal however, can be positioned slightly lower for easier heel and toe action (not that it matters for auto models).

There’s a pair of back seats if you care to use them. We did and it’s actually not bad for kids. For adults though, they’ll struggle for head and legroom so it’s best to limit those trips to short distances.

The boot measures 201 litres, not a lot but enough for a small suitcase plus a couple of small bags. Fold the rear seats and you get more space. Unofficially, we were even told it’s enough space for a set of 4 track wheels and tyres. Very handy if you’re a track junkie.

Equipment wise it’s pretty generous. There’re dual-zone climate control, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports DAB+, Bluetooth, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation and reverse view camera. You also get keyless entry and start, auto LED headlights, auto high beam and the full suite of Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist system which includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Sway Warning, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Lead Vehicle Start Alert, Pre-Collision Braking System, Pre-Collision Brake Assist and Brake Light Recognition.

As mentioned before, the tS shares the same powertrain and driveline as the rest of the range. It’s a 2.4-litre aspirated 4-cylinder boxer engine developing a healthy 174kW and 250Nm. They’re aren’t flashy figures in today’s standards but with just 1270kg of weight to move they translate to respectable performance on the road. The sprint from 0 to 100km/h takes just 6.6 seconds in the 6MT and 6.8 seconds in the auto. Both variants will max out at 226km/h.

But the BRZ isn’t about figures, it’s about the drive and engagement. The engine revs hard all the way to its frenzy 7500rpm limiter, with lively response at any point in the rev range. The accompanying soundtrack is pretty enthusiastic as well.

Some loathe the BRZ for the lack of a turbo but for us we’re glad it comes without one. The free-revving boxer is much more suited to the BRZ and what it represents. This is a no-nonsense driver’s car. You work the engine to get power. The harder you prod it the more rewarding it is. And it’s always eager to rev. There’s no trickery, just pure, undistorted build up of power as the needle sweeps across the rev counter. It’s a rarity these days and it’s so much fun wringing this thing out.

Automatic or 6MT, the gearbox always feels like it’s a part of the equation. What that means is that the ratios are spot on relative to the engine’s power curve. Every up shift drops you right back in the thick of the power band, ready for your right foot to extract the most of the boxer engine.

The 6MT with its short throw, especially, is sleek, precise and a joy to use. But that doesn’t mean the auto can be discounted. It may not be as fun as the manual but the shifts are nice and crisp, relatively quick, too, for a torque converter auto. And in city traffic, you’d be wishing to have the auto. It’s just less work.

The Brembos in the tS provide added stopping power for sure, with less fading after some hard driving. If you track occasionally, get the tS. But even if you don’t the beefier brakes are never a bad thing to have on some back road sprints.

There’s noticeably more road feel and tautness from the firmer STI-tuned dampers in the tS which help with cornering. While it feels more focused and planted, it actually isn’t any less comfortable than the standard car for the most part. There ride is never harsh and it’s certainly still good as a daily, just like the lesser BRZ variants. You’ll just have to put up with the louder than usual road noise thanks to a lack of sound deadening. Something has to give for it’s featherlight weight.

Now on the question of whether the tS is worth the extra premium over the S, let’s put it this way. If you went to a shop with a regular BRZ and upgraded the dampers and brakes, it’d have probably costed around the same. If you’re a good negotiator you might end up with a better deal like adjustable coilovers. But unless you’re thinking of lowering the car with some nicer wheels, or a turning the car into a hardcore track machine, the tS’ fixed dampers would do just fine.

The tS comes with a few other cosmetic bits as well and it’ll probably retain a better residual value being somewhat more special. Then there’s the full factory warranty. So, from some perspective it’s a justifiable spending.

Verdict

Design & Comfort

8.5/10

Performance & Handling

8.5/10

Quality

8.0/10

Economy

8.0/10

Equipment & Features

8.5/10

OUR SCORE

4.2/5

Our Score: 4.2/5

+ Plus

  • Sharpened dynamics
  • Connected driving feel and engagement
  • Affordable
  • Beautiful styling with tS touches

Minus

  • Road noise
  • No power upgrade

Overall

What Subaru has done with the BRZ tS is taking something that has been honed to perfection and make it a bit more focused through sensible upgrades without going overboard. Out of the factory it’s a pretty well sorted package for both on-road enjoyment and light track duties.

The BRZ is a sports car that lets you appreciate the fundamentals of driving, and the BRZ tS respects that while tightening things up a notch.

What else could you add to it? Perhaps better cooling and extra chassis bracing. An intake and exhaust upgrade plus a mild ECU tweak for a bit more power wouldn’t go astray either.

2025 Subaru BRZ tS Pricing and Specification

Price (Excl. on-road costs):$48,690 (6MT)

$49,690 (6AT)

Warranty:5 Years/Unlimited Kilometers

1 Year Roadside Assistance

Country of Origin:Japan
Service Intervals:12 months/15,000km
Engine:2.4-litre horizontally-opposed boxer 4-cylinder, petrol engine

174kW @ 7000rpm, 250Nm @ 3700rpm

Transmission:6-speed manual / auto
Drivetrain:Rear-wheel drive
Combined Fuel Consumption (L/100km):6MT – Claimed: 9.5 / Tested: 8.2

6AT – Claimed: 8.8 / Tested: 7.9

RON Rating:98
Fuel Capacity (L):50
Body:2-door coupe, 4 seats
Safety:5-star ANCAP, 7 Airbags, Seatbelt Pre-Tensioners/Load Limiters (front), Reverse Camera, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Emergency Stop Signal Function, Hill Start Assist, Automatic High Beam, Adaptive Cruise Control, Parking Sensors, Collision Mitigation (low/high speed), Collision Warning, Hill Descent Control, Lane Departure Warning, Anti-Lock Braking System, Brake Assist, Traction Control, Stability Control, Electronic Brake Force Distribution.
Dimensions (L/W/H/W-B) mm:4265/1775/1310/2575
Tare Mass (kg):1,256 (6MT) / 1,276 (6AT)
Ground Clearance:130mm
Entertainment:8-inch Infotainment System, 6 speakers, Satellite Navigation, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, USB and AUX

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