Why the 2025 Subaru WRX tS Makes More Sense as a Family Car Than You’d Think

The 2025 Subaru WRX tS is a family car. Don’t believe it, let’s talk about how this manual-transmission sports sedan can be great for your family.

A 271-horsepower manual sports sedan with Brembo brakes seems like an odd family car pick, but the WRX tS brings standard AWD, decent fuel economy around 22-26 mpg, and rear seat perks like hidden floor vents and USB ports that actually make it work for hauling kids. At $46,100, it gives you an adjustable suspension that switches from track mode to comfortable grocery getter while keeping everyone safe with Subaru’s top safety ratings. Parents who refuse to drive boring cars will want to read this.

The 2025 Subaru WRX tS stakes its claim as a family car

When you think of the car that replaced the WRX STi, you don’t often think of getting groceries, driving kids to soccer, or going on family road trips. That said, the Subaru WRX has the safety features to make it an excellent AWD sports car for families. If you don’t mind a manual transmission family vehicle that can be both practical and a performance car, you’ll be glad to take the WRX tS out for a drive.

Let’s look at a few reasons why this version of the WRX makes a good family sedan.

This performance sedan comes with more rear seat space than you expect

The cabin features ample room for all passengers to ride along. This might not be the car you want to use when your kids get to be adult-sized, but it’s a great choice for younger children and can fit two car seats if you need to. The trunk space is a little disappointing at 12.5 cubic feet, but as long as you don’t try to haul a massive double stroller, you should be ok. You’ll find cup holders for your drinks and enough room in the rear footwells for bags and toys that need to come along with younger children. The WRX tS doesn’t have SUV-like space, but it’s not an SUV; it’s a compact sedan, and it has more room than most cars in its class.

The drive modes are perfect for a family on the go

If you want your 2025 Subaru WRX tS to be both a family car and a fun and sporty sedan, the drive modes are ideal for you. You can easily switch between Comfort, for when the family is along, and you want to provide them with a smooth ride, and Sport+, which feels like the car is ready to head out to the track. This Subaru has several drive modes, including Normal, Sport, Sport+, Comfort, and Custom. If you want to create your own driving mode, Custom is the way to go. This Subaru all-wheel drive car offers family benefits and exciting driving prowess to be a great car for parents who want some excitement in their driving.

The WRX fuel economy is much better than you’d expect

The 2025 Subaru WRX tS makes another argument for being a family car thanks to its reasonable fuel mileage. You don’t expect an AWD sports sedan with a manual transmission to get decent fuel mileage, but this one does. It achieves between 22 and 26 mpg combined, depending on how you drive and where you drive, which is respectable. The efficiency is a bit of a trade-off for performance and AWD, but you won’t go broke putting gas in the WRX tS.

Safety is a huge part of making the 2025 Subaru WRX tS a family car

The EyeSight safety system is present in this sport sedan, and it gives you the peace of mind you need to feel comfortable on the road in this car. That’s a good thing since kids can sometimes distract their parents while driving, making for a challenging situation. You can find many testimonials regarding the safety of Subaru as a brand, but the five-star rating from the NHTSA for the WRX could be enough to put it over the top when you want a sports sedan that’s great for your family.

The rear seats are comfortable, even for older kids

While you won’t want to stack three teenagers across the back of the 2025 Subaru WRX tS, it can be a great family car for two teens thanks to the comfortable seats. A rear-seat control for the climate system is missing, but the WRX has floor vents and center vents to send cool or warm air to the rear passengers. This makes for a comfortable space for every passenger who steps into the rear of your WRX tS.