The long awaited armrest arrived from China on wednesday! Massive thanks to Alan (Beijing polo) for his brilliant communication throughout
Out of the box the armrest felt very solid and well made. The support-surrounding plastics are a bit thinner and stiffer than stock but it's no detriment to the overall quality once fitted, the upper section is just as VW intended. It required a bit of fettling to the centre console mounts to fit the metal anchor bracket but it is totally hidden from view once fitted, just a bit of trimming of excess carpet. Now it's in I can't imagine the space without it. It's brilliant for motorway/A road trips as it feels like an armchair. Gear shifts are totally unimpeded and actually comfier since you just slide your forearm to the gearstick to shift. Using the handbrake is a bit trickier, I'm still getting used to it. I normally have it folded vertically for urban driving since you don't get much time to rest your arm anyway!
The compartment is dead handy. I reckon Ipod connectivity through the armrest is a definite possibility, I would do it in a heartbeat if mine weren't dash mounted. The plastics are slightly darker than stock, but it's barely noticable at all.
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/Ben90/BEN-LAPTOP/DSCF0986_zps3161cf0e.jpg)
Ideal space for the ultimate driver's drink
Now for the subwoofer. It was my first electrical install in a car besides the Xcarlink (which was simples) but I did a ton of reading beforehand and was able to get all the bits I needed like mini fuse taps etc, and fit it myself.
![Image](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/Ben90/BEN-LAPTOP/DSCF0987_zps7031b8c8.jpg)
Alpine SWE-815 fitted.
Audiophiles look away now - I've kept the weedy 20w stock stereo
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I'm happy enough with the way it sounds and just wanted a bit of bass where the stock system severely lacks. To fit I had to splice into the stock speaker wires since there was no pre-out, fortunately the sub accepts speaker level inputs with no distortion. The result was just what I wanted, clear and audible bass with a good bang-for-your-buck enclosed in a small unit which doesn't take up my entire boot, since I need the space. I would definitely recommend this active sub to anyone on a budget who is happy with their system but just wants a bit more bass out of it
That's all for now! Next up - heater control knobs.