Anyone have a suggestion on where to get a good armrest? I feel that 'its about time' and want the best value for $$/comfort. Should I get one with or without storage, for example, I look forward to your suggestions, thanks!

 

I have the optional factory armrest and can't be happier. Best investment of all time. It matches the rest of the interior and it is well designed.

 

what should i expect to pay for these armrests? also, what is the best place to purchase from (price + shipping)?

 

Factory armrest from TRDSparks.com is 73.90 plus shipping.

 

This forum is the best - fast, good responses and no flaming - thanks for that. Any better deals/suggestions out there?

 

I agree with the factory one, easy to install, matches texture, and is the right height. Also keeps the rear center cup holder.

Scionpartspeople.com has it for $69. They're the online arm of Scion of Puyallup like TRDSparks is run by Sparks Toyota in SC.

 

Bommerang is decent too I have it

 

^^^Boomerang is awesome! A bit short in height but awesome nonetheless!

 

I like my boomerang. My only issue is that it wobbled a bit. I placed two wood shims under the carpet and now it's totally stable.

 

Try this one, its one of the nicest I've seen. A little pricey, but it was worth it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...spagenameZWDVW

If the link doesn't work, just search "scion xa armrest" on ebay.

The armrest is comfortable and the storage compartment is huge. I got it with the silver "carbon fiber" pinstripe to match the silver interior accents, but there are several options to get the look you want. The only downside is that it makes it somewhat difficult to use the parking brake, which I hardly ever use anyway.

 

That armrest looks nice. Might consider that one when upgrading my interior to leather skins. I would love to see a better pic of the armrest installed.

 

 

I remember reading a similar post on here on an armrest for the xD. It looked like that one only without the accent stripe. The guy was not happy at all with it, hardware store hinges were used, the stitching was poor and it interfered with his seat belt buckle and sliding the seats forward / back. Not sure if it was the same manufacturer or just a similar design though. That one looks like it would squeeze the seats if you have thick seat covers on as well.

The OEM doesn not have a storage area, but does flip up for better eBrake access, screws down for a solid fit with no wiggle, is at the proper height, keeps the rear cup holder for your back passengers, and matches the cloth texture material.

 

Now that you mention it, the hinge does look like it came from a hardware store, and though it has a very slight right/left looseness to it, it has held up for the year and a half that ive had it. The stitching on mine has also held up and looks nice. I just wanted one that was comfortable and had a large storage area. I have Wet Okole front seat covers that have a layer of padding. While the seat does rub on the armrest if I have to slide forward or back, the armrest stays in place. Also, the seatbelt latch does have a tight fit betweent the seat and armrest, but it doesn't prevent it from moving when you need to adjust it. No installation hardware or anything, the sides of the armrest just kind of tightly wedge down in between the seats and center tray. You can adjust so it sits closer to front or back depending on how you want it placed, which I also liked. I have mine slid more forward, so I have to slide it back or lift up the front end if I want to fully engage the parking break.

 

In my opinion, the OEM armrest is lower for me to be comfortable. Is there a way to increase the height?

 

You need to be a forum sponsor before you can advertise/sell here on SL.

Contact info here: http://www.internetbrands.com/autonetwork

 

My arm rest was about 2" to low for me, I cut a 2x4 so that it would fit inside the removable part of the armest,then cut it to the correct height.
Then I got self tapping black screws, screwed it in place now it's the perfrct height for me.
The screws are 2 in the sides not noticable, 1 in the front and one in the back which you really don't notice the screws. Works well of me.
About $2 in parts (for thr screws) about 2 hrs for labor to get it to the right height.
Next is to add extra padding.

 

The OEM arm rest was one of the best additions I have made so far. It's very sturdy and matches the interior perfectly. Like others have posted, I got mine for around $80 shipped from ebay.

 

I like the optional factory one. I started out with the boomerang armrest, which lasted me around 4 months before the hinge that lifted up continued to get loose and no matter what could not keep them tight, so the top continued to slide around on the magnetic connection. Then one day I flipped it open (not even that hard) and when it laid back the hinge and screws broke away from the main piece. Replaced it with the factory one and two years later I have not had any problems.