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The manual gearbox isn’t the most popular transmission in the United States. Only a select few prefer a sick shift, with mainstream consumer interest having largely shifted to automatic and CVT units. On top of the convenience of the automatic or CVT, manuals aren’t a cheaper option anymore. Back in the day, the manual transmission was standard kit on many cars, with the automatic options having an up-charge – but that’s no longer the case. And since automatics are generally more frugal, more buyers are opting for those – and thus, so are manufacturers.

However, there is still a niche market here in the States that refuses to let the stick shift die. A few car companies are still producing them – mainly on enthusiast-type cars – with one automaker still producing an all-wheel drive, manual sports sedan. It’s the last of its kind to be sold in America in 2025: the Subaru WRX. It’s been a rally legend and fan-favorite for decades, along with having quite a reputation in tuner car circles. Here’s why we think it deserves a closer look.

The Last AWD Manual Sports Sedan

The 2025 Subaru WRX is the last manual, AWD sports sedan on sale in the United States. A turbocharged 2.4-liter engine does duty in the WRX, a flat-four unit, which is the brand’s signature configuration. Subaru’s reasoning behind this engine type is its ability to balance itself better than a traditional inline-four; it also has a lower center of gravity, which aids in the WRX’s handling.

While the FA24F engine used here only produces 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, its short-ratio manual transmission allows it to reach 60 mph in the mid-five-second range. But ‘performance’ in this application is so much more than acceleration and outright speed.

There’s No STI for 2025, But There Is A tS

The WRX STI went out of production a couple of years ago, and Subaru introduced a new trim level in 2025 that gave us some hope of more excitement. This trim, called the ‘tS’, stands for “tuned by STI’ and has previously been used on the Subaru BRZ sports car in other global markets. This will be a first for WRX buyers in the USA, however.

2025 Subaru WRX tS Manual

MSRP

$45,705

Engine

2.4L H4 ICE

Drivetrain

All-Wheel Drive

Transmission

6-speed manual

Horsepower

271 HP @5600 RPM

Torque

258 lb.-ft. @ 2000 RPM

Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)

19/26/22 MPG

Expand

The WRX has a storied past with a rallying legacy that resulted in its unique mechanicals. Augmenting that flat-four engine and six-speed manual transmission is the brand’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, applying power to each individual wheel thanks to front and rear open differentials that utilize brake torque vectoring. A sport-tuned suspension system is standard, with top-of-the-range models getting electronically controlled dampers, a Drive Mode Select system, and the brand’s SI-Drive engine performance management system, too.

Those well-versed in rally car history will remember the WRX used to have quite a fierce competitor in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Both the Evo and the WRX sported near-equal specs and were capable of many of the same things. Both were also born and raised on rally stages, and both had reasonable prices. However, the Evo was discontinued in 2017. Nowadays, the WRX holds the top spot by default when it comes to manual sports sedans with all-wheel drive.

Buying The Last Manual AWD Sports Sedan In 2025

To get your hands on the 2025 Subaru WRX will cost you a surprisingly reasonable amount. There are four trims in the lineup, and all of these come in at way under $50k. The base Premium kicks off at just over $35k, and it comes with LED headlights and foglights, keyless entry, heated front seats, and 18-inch alloys. At the top of the range is the tS with upgraded brakes, upgraded suspension, and model-specific visual updates that set it apart.

The Competition In 2025

Although there is no direct competition for the WRX in 2025, there is a rival that ticks some of the boxes the Subaru currently monopolizes: although it isn’t a sedan, it is all-wheel drive, and it does have a six-speed manual transmission. Enter the Toyota GR Corolla hatchback.

Just like the Subaru WRX has its roots in rally racing, the GR Corolla has similar claims, albeit not directly. A couple of years ago, Toyota developed a special powertrain for the 2021 World Rally Championship, using a turbocharged engine and adjustable, variable-split all-wheel drive. The brand reskinned a Yaris hatchback and threw the engine into it – sadly, after a change in powertrain rules, it wasn’t usable anymore. So Toyota converted the Yaris – powertrain and all – and made the Yaris available to the public. In America, however, that powetrain went into the Corolla Hatch, amped up from the humble little commuter already being sold here, and unleashed on enthusiasts as one of a few true hot hatches left stateside.

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The little GR Corolla has won the hearts of every enthusiast that’s driven it. It’s smaller and nimbler than the WRX, but it also has more power -it’ll get to 60 mph more than half a second quicker. It’s a hoot to drive and in each instance we’ve spent time behind the wheel, it’s left us wanting to park one in our garage. However, when comparing base prices – with the GR Corolla starting at $38,860, the WRX remains a performance bargain in 2025.

History of the Subaru WRX

• The first WRX models appeared in 1992
• First three generations were based on Impreza sedans
• The WRX became a standalone model in 2015
• WRX stands for World Rally eXperimental

The WRX’s timeline stretches back over 30 years, with its humble beginnings in Japan. At the time, Subaru was beginning to dominate rally stages across the globe. This newfound fame began to get the attention of the masses, who wanted a piece of that rally expertise in their daily lives. So, Subaru hatched a plan in 1992; they’d build a hot version of their Impreza model and affix a WRX badge to them, letting everyone know this was an Impreza that meant business.

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Thus the Impreza WRX was born. At the time, it was only available in Japan, and it was an instant hit. Buyers loved the WRX’s blend of rally-bred grit and daily drivability. Not to mention, the WRX also utilized Subaru’s world-class all-wheel drive system which afforded the WRX a reputation as a safe car. At launch, the Impreza WRX was able to beat most other small cars in a sprint as well as around a track, furthering its new fame even more.

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When Subaru decided to update the Impreza in 2000, the WRX went along with it. A total of three facelifts took place during its second generation, all of which had their own pet names. The first iteration was called the ‘bug-eye’, referring to its circular, bug-like headlights. Then came the ‘blob-eye’ facelift in 2003, and the ‘hawk-eye’ in 2006.

The third-gen Impreza was introduced in 2007 and dropped the eye-related tomfoolery and, surprisingly, began to offer a hatchback version. However, the third generation Impreza WRX was met with much criticism. Loads of drivers claimed this iteration was too soft, slow, and big to be considered a true WRX. Its 2.5-liter Boxer engine did receive an upgraded turbo, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the purists. So, for the 2008 and 2009 model years, Subaru set to work righting their wrongs by tweaking the motor, swapping the tired old turbo for a bigger one, and giving it a wide-body shell borrowed from the WRX STi in 2010.

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When Subaru redesigned the Impreza for its fourth generation, the WRX became a separate model with the VA chassis code. The WRX of 2015 is thus considered to be first generation of the standalone model.

The WRX Is Here To Stay, For Now

We’ve lost a lot of iconic cars over the past decade. There are a few main reasons for this, with lack of consumer interest and increasingly-strict governmental regulations being main culprits. As the world becomes more keen on saving the planet, things like the V8 are becoming things of the past, along with some conventionally-fueled performance as a whole.

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The automotive world received a scare a couple of years ago when Subaru canceled the WRX STi, as many thought the WRX would be next. However, just last month, Subaru announced the WRX tS – an STi-tuned WRX – will be released for the 2025 model year. This is also good news for the WRX as a whole, because it means that, luckily, the WRX will be sticking around for the time being. Once it’s gone, gearheads in the United States will be in mourning for the last manual AWD sports sedan.

Sources: Subaru, Toyota, EPA