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This review was prepared for MotoringFile by DK…
Unlike the more affordable armrests, this one is spare
in appearance, stylish and unobtrusive. It is what it
says: an armrest. No room for phones, change or
cups…just arms.Installation was a matter of seconds. The front arms
pop in on either side of the brake console. At the
cupholder side, was a strip of mild adhesive, which
seemed more like caulking or silicone than anything
else. It seems to function like a gasket/sealant, and
was only a couple of inches around the circumferance.
It's circular design of the foundation matches the
shape and color of the door trim perfectly. There is
plenty of room to access the handbrake without
incident.
The top of the armrest itself is wider than I'd
anticipated. Plenty of room for the driver and
passenger if they don't mind sharing the space. It is
slightly lower in hight then the armrest in the
doorwell, but not noticeable enough to be distracting.The vinyl is grey in color matches perfectly with my
sportseats. It is slightly padded, but not overly
firm–somewhere between my dashboard in firmness, and
my seats in softness. The top of the pad also slides
backwards and forwards for reasons that I'm not
entirely aware–though I presume it has to do with
access to the handbrake area. The top 'locks' in the
forward position, but remains unfixed and slides
loosely when it's slid to the backwards position. I
have easy access to the seatbelt area, and have not
found it to be obtrusive to the way I interact with
the car.I drive a CVT, and have used the armrest in the
'Steptronic' mode to try and simulate shifting, and my
arm interfaces nicely with the shifter–easily within
arms reach. I haven't had to adjust my driving style
in any respect to accomodate for the armrest.
It appears to be incredibly sturdy. At 6' 1″, I'm not
a small person, and I've used it as a balance to shift
my weight in the seat, and the armrest worked like a
champ. It's the sturdiest design I can think of, and
why Mini doesn't work out some sort of 'deal' with
DesignGMBH, I'll never know.I can't imagine an armrest without the 'three point'
support being as simple, solid and stylish as this
one. Aside from the price, the design is rock solid.
The Design Parts Armrest retails for around $260. For more info on the armrest and to find a retailer, check out the Desgin Parts corporate site here. Thanks again DK!
