The Subaru WRX competes against a variety of machinery across several segments. Subaru WRX's are fast and handle well, However, Subaru offers a degree of practicality that puts them up against many compact, similarly priced European cars like the MINI Cooper and BMW 2-Series.
The 2025 Subaru Impreza is only available as a hatchback with three trims, Base, Sport and RS. Power comes from a direct-injected 2.0L flat-four engine making 152 horsepower. Power is sent to all four wheels via a CVT transmission. The RS trim is powered by a 2.5L flat-four cylinder engine that produces 182 horsepower.
The Base trim is well equipped with 16-inch wheels, automatic climate control, an HD satellite radio, a 7-inch touchscreen, a USB port, a 4-speaker sound system, and internet radio. The Sport trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen, integrated SOS, internet access, wireless device connectivity, 2 USB ports, and push button start.
The RS is the performance model and features paddle shifters, sport pedals, grey wheels, heated front seats, premium cloth upholstery, a cargo cover, a 6-speaker sound system, wireless device charging, 4 USB ports, and a leather wrapped steering wheel.
Safety features across the lineup include adaptive cruise control, 7 airbags, active lane departure, forward collision mitigation, front pedestrian detection, a driver attention alert and a following distance alert.
The 2025 Crosstrek is available in five trim levels: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Wilderness. The 2.5-liter flat-four has been lifted from the mid-size Legacy sedan and Outback station wagon and plopped under the hood of Sport and Limited models of the Crosstrek; It's the same horizontally opposed flat-4 engine found in the larger Forester, and its 182 horsepower represents a 30-horsepower gain over the 2.0-liter still used in the other 2025 Crosstreks.
Subaru makes sure the Crosstrek is well-equipped, with its Base model seeing a host of standard features: 2.0-liter flat-4 engine with an automatic transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps, automatic climate control, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch touchscreen, and tilt/telescopic steering column.
The Premium trims upgrades the touchscreen to 11.6-inches, roof rails, LED fog lights, a 6-speaker sound system, wireless device connectivity, 4 USB ports, and push button start.
The Sport trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, premium cloth seats, and a remote starter. The Limited trim provides a 10-way power driver seat, leather seats, blind spot warning, rear collision mitigation, and heated windshield wipers.
Standard safety features across the lineup include adaptive cruise control, 7 airbags, active lane departure, forward collision mitigation, front pedestrian detection, and a driver attention alert.
The 2025 Subaru BRZ comes in Premium, Limited, Series.Purple and tS trim levels. The BRZ is powered by a 2.4L flat 4-cylinder engine that produces 228 horsepower mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Both transmissions come with a mechanical limited-slip differential.
The BRZ includes a standard feature set than might be expected in a sports car at this price. An 8-inch touchscreen interface stereo takes center stage. It features Bluetooth, iPod integration, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM and smartphone app integration. Power windows, locks and heated mirrors are also included. The shift knob, steering wheel and parking brake lever are leather-trimmed and dual-zone climate control also come standard.
The BRZ rides low, with an overall height is just 51.6 inches. But as Subaru tells us, there is enough extra headroom inside to accommodate the driver's racing helmet. Rear seatbacks flip forward to open up a trunk pass-through, and while the 6.9-inch-cubic-foot trunk is small, it's shaped well enough for two standard golf bags, a couple of small weekend bags or, as Subaru notes, four race-tire-shod wheels for track day.
Performance is the BRZ's true focus. Built on a rear-wheel-drive platform and designed to ride lean and low, the BRZ weighs only 2,800 pounds and has one of the lowest centers of gravity of any production car. Power is provided by a Subaru 2.0L horizontally opposed "boxer" 4-cylinder engine fitted with direct injection. 228 is plenty of horsepower, but unlike other rear-wheel drive sports cars available, it isn't exactly neck-snapping. But to evaluate the BRZ only by its horsepower numbers is to miss the true design purpose of the BRZ.
The lightweight chassis, the rev-happy boxer engine, the relatively narrow 215/45R17 tires and the limited-slip differential all work together to make the BRZ some of the most fun available at the price. The handling is nimble, the steering quick and the engine note intoxicating. While Subaru clearly intended it to be a tail-happy weekend track racer, it shines in daily driving, with all the modern comfort features and strong fuel economy numbers.
The new tS trim includes painted front and rear calipers, larger brakes, black exterior accents, heated front seats, 8-speakers, navigation, rear parking sensors, blind spot warning, and rear collision warning.
Despite the BRZ's performance focus and attention to weight savings, there's no sign of any compromise in safety. In addition to stability control, all BRZ models include front side airbags, side-curtain bags, and anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist.
