The Subaru WRX TR plays to an empty crowd

Special. What does that word mean when it comes to cars? I’d say it’s in the eye of the beholder. Someone might see a regular Corvette and think, “Wow, one day…”. But you and I know there’s a Z06 that’s even better. So, here we are with a Subaru WRX TR. It has some goodies you can’t get on a regular WRX to enhance how it drives. And breaking news: its production run will total just one year.

But does that make it special?

The 2024 Subaru WRX TR Overview

Brands work so very hard to get street cred, but I find the ones that work best are the brands that happen by accident. BMW’s M division started out as a few guys who liked to race. It wasn’t until Gran Turismo popularized the STi brand here in America that Subaru decided the WRX STi was worth shipping over. They had no control over that.

F, V…great cars, yet not quite the same.

So isn’t it weird that this TR, or Tuner Ready, WRX is devoid of any STi badges? It has a revised suspension and brakes, retuned steering, unique wheels and Recaro seats from the GT trim. It’s manual-only, and the sunroof is deleted to save weight. Sounds special.

It also sounds dead, because when the clock strikes 12 on 2024, the TR’s time is up. It’ll be replaced by the tS, which matches up with the BRZ’s name and will indeed have some STi love.

But it’s only September, and there’s still time to grab one. Let’s see if you should.

Performance Score: 6. Batting average

We sometimes have a tendency to poo-poo cars that don’t have the kind of power that immediately removes underwear from a woman’s body.

“Oh, you said 700 horsepower? I now suddenly find you irresistible!”

But less can be refreshing (power, not clothing). You’ll squeeze the life out of this thing and be traveling at 55. But it’ll feel like twice that.

Engine

Here we have our friend from the last WRX I reviewed, the 2.4-liter turbocharged flat four. It’s good for 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, and it’s identical to those offered in other WRX trims.

The characteristics of the engine are exacerbated by the manual transmission, both in good and bad terms. That giant whack of torque off the line (it’s all there by 2,000 RPM) feels even better when you make the shifting decisions instead of Jarvis buried somewhere by your thigh

The problem is the redline: 6,100 RPM. With peak power happening at 5,600 RPM, there’s just not enough time for you to access it. I’m no rookie, but I hit the rev limiter multiple times thinking “Really? Already?”.

Maybe it’s because the TR remains as quiet as the GT – those four exhaust pipes are misleading. It’s cool though – Tuner Ready, remember? Ready For 50 more horsepower and some boom pipes.

Transmission

Subaru offers a CVT in other trims, but the TR is manual only. I don’t need to tell you what a good idea that is.

The six-speed unit here isn’t quite as crisp as what’s offered in the BRZ, but still a real joy to row through the gears. The clutch is easy to engage with clear, direct takeup, and the pedal is the right amount of firmness – you can drive the WRX TR every day and never whine about getting stuck in traffic.

The lack of an armrest here is really an unforgivable sin, and your arm kind of hangs awkwardly as a result, especially if you’re taller like me. Guys, we are getting groceries, not taking down the back turn in Iceland.

Steering and Chassis

This is a car for car nerds, and it’s here where the math lesson is in full effect.

The steering rack here is retuned, and it’s better than the regular model. The effort and feel are improved; I like how they’ve made it a more engaging thing to work. But it’s still not a very direct unit – there’s a small dead spot just off-center. If you told me this was hydraulic, I’d believe you.

Elsewhere, Subie ditches the GT’s electronic dampers (and the base model’s suspension) for a unique setup that’s 5% stiffer. To be blunt; it just works really well, with maybe the best ride and handling trade-off of any sporty car I’ve driven.

The TR remains flat in corners, but never beats you on bad roads. There’s also unique 19-inch wheels (squint to see the difference) shod in TR-only Bridgestone S007 tires. No buttons to push, no guessing which mode is the best mode for what you’re about to do.

Brakes

The other big change is behind the wheels. New six-pot front calipers and two-pot rear units from Brembo clamp down one-inch larger front rotors and 1.4-inch larger rear discs. They are big, red, and bold. There’s also a larger master cylinder for all manual-equipped WRXs.

Guess what? I don’t like them. It’s like stepping on a piece of wood. Remember that brake hardware and brake feel are very much unrelated to each other. I also question giving the TR big brakes if the goal is to lose weight. And of all the things to upgrade on a car, bigger brakes are usually a bit further down on the list (and pretty easy to do yourself).

Perhaps the picture is a bit more clear as to why Subaru has discontinued the car so soon. It’s a sort of in-between, and yea, it’s missing that STi edge (and price advantage). You could walk into a Subaru dealer in 2021, and for less than $40,000, buy a WRX STi with over 300 horsepower.

Sigh…

Lifestyle Score: 9. Your dog will still love it

Everything I wrote in my last review still applies. Use the TR as you would any other WRX, prescribed for daily use.

One cool bit are the front seats – the TR is the only manual-equipped trim to get these Recaro buckets, and though I still feel they are too tight, they’re nice if you fit into them. The seats might make the TR worth it on their own if you insist on the manual.

The back seat is plenty roomy – larger than some bigger sedans. No sunroof means even more headroom, and aside from the arm rest, you’d be hard-pressed to find a complaint from me as a daily.

Okay, okay – it’s bad noisy inside. You know – wind and whistles, not turbos and exhausts.

Fuel Economy: 4. Another manual fan

In the old days…(you know, the ’90s), manual transmissions usually had a better mileage rating than automatics. I’m happy to report that the TR continues this trend, and it gets a whopping 1 MPG better overall than the CVT-equipped GT.

I averaged 21. Point 4. The EPA says 22. That’s less than my X3 M40i. What the hell? Both are all-wheel drive. The X3 is obviously heavier and much more powerful. And we can’t blame the transmission, since it’s more efficient than the CVT. Big fuel tank too, so it’s a lot to fill up.

A VW Golf R with a manual will get 23 on average, so maybe it’s a four-cylinder problem, and not just a WRX one.

Features and Comfort: 7. Stop being a jerk

The WRX has a lot of premium features, despite its weight-saving mission. Most of them are welcome, but there’s one problem I have with…

I’m blind

Subaru’s EyeSight system. It’s been an issue for me, and it remains such on here. Have Active Cruise Control on? Expect about five car lengths left open in front of you. That means everyone cuts in, slowing you further.

The second, and worst example, is during a lane change. If the WRX detects a car in your blind spot, it will do everything in its power to avoid a collision. It did it to me once, even though I was perfectly fine to change lanes, and it tugged the wheel from me so hard I thought it grew an arm out of the dashboard. Then, it wouldn’t let me turn back into the lane. Not cool.

The solution is simple – don’t option it on the car. The TR is the only manual WRX to get EyeSight, so you can avoid it.

Elsewhere, aside from the seats and lack of armrest, this WRX is like any other. No special badges to let anyone know they are in a unique example. But it’s clean, simple, easy to see out of, and made up of higher-quality rubber than you’d find on some other cars in its price class. Downside is, it feels a bit “tinn-y” – more sound deadening wouldn’t hurt.

You get nothing and like it

I think that when BMW adds “CS”, or Porsche adds “RS”, they do a pretty good job of making the cars slightly different without going all Sonic the Hedgehog. It can’t look too boy racer.

But for a WRX, doesn’t the audience want boy racer? Spoiler. More aggressive kit? Wheels that pop? I think I just described an STi.

For the TR we do get unique wheels, but unless a GT is sitting next to it, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Aside from those red Brembos, you’d never know.

I’m still not a fan of all the unpainted bits, and the hood still flutters at speed. But the WRX is more grown-up than ever, and I do like the overall refined looks.

Maybe add a wing?

The 2024 Subaru WRX TR is here, but the parking lot is empty

“Can we haz a wagon WRX?!”

No.

“Can we haz a WRX STi?!”

Still no.

“Well, can we haz…anything?”

And thus, the TR was born.

But I’m afraid it’s not really what everyone wants, so they just sort of left. The game is over. The stadium empty. Garbage blowing through the lot like tumbleweed.

It might be the price. At $42,775, this special trim is just slightly less than the top-of-the-line GT, yet aimed at people who might strip the car and make it their own. It feels like it should be about $5k less.

I already like the tS idea better because it has STi touches in it. Why did Subaru create the TR without their special tuners? I digress.

If you’re a manual WRX fan, it doesn’t get better than this TR for now. I’m just not sure that makes it “special” enough.

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