I guess there's more of you than I thought there were... Maybe the people who don't like it are just louder??
And for the arm rest issue, like others have said, I normally just use the e-brake and that works fine, but I still don't see why an arm rest couldn't have been standard :(

I like it. Hell, I even like the cupholders in it, and how versatile they are. Don't even mind that there's not an armrest, as they usually just interfere when I'm driving manual (and are next to worthless with racing buckets anyway, so whatever...)

perfect. didnt buy this car for the interior or features.

people are always more motivated to speak out against something they don't like. Doesnt mean they are the majority.

Just the stupid ventilation controls. They are just about an EXACT copy of the ones used in the current model Ford Fiesta. I know the climate controlled ones in the BRZ look better but honestly, they are too bad.

Rest of the car is fine for the money

Personally, I like the simpler controls versus the fancy BRZ limited ones, but that's only because I get super ADD when there's too much going on and I can't focus! (whoa, run-on sentence.) I also like buttons, so I picked the original stereo over the touch-screen one.

Back to the main topic: I'm not mad at the interior design. There were little things that bugged me like how parts of the tachometer were white (a friend with the BRZ said he wished his HAD the white so he could tell if he was redlining... lol) and the red panels in the seats seemed too bright... But I grew to appreciate the whiteness and I eventually got that Katzkin leather installed. :D BTW @whaap I'm loving the leather!

I like the interior just fine. The red shoulder panels on the seats are a nice racy contrast to the Raven colour. Not so sure with Hot Lava though that is a very minor thing. Agreed the HVAC controls look like the rest of the Scion econo style but they are easy to use. The soft plastic on the dash is better quality than most all Toyotas except the new Camry with the stitched leatherette cover. I like the "T" pattern too as it reminds one of the 2000 GT. same logo as Toyota used on earlier models.

I just want wider wheels and stickier tires as well as 50-100 extra HP putting it into Cayman performance territory.

It's not necessarily fake cf, it's just a print they chose and to me it's not bad. I personally like the print a lot more than the silver in the brz. The print blends the pieces into the dash rather than highlighting them the way the brz does. Also people don't get that cf really doesn't do a lot for cars. It's more form over function 90% of the time. If Toyota had actually made a print that was supposed to look like cf but wasn't (let me point you towards the carbon look package on the e92 M3) I would be bummed. This is t supposed to be so close to real that you question the authenticity of the material.

Best interior I ever owned actually. I love the soft materials all over the doors and dash.

Close second would be my 94 celica GT-S I had, cool layout.

I actually like it a lot. It reminds me of the interior in the Integra type R. I only wish they would not have made the upper corners of the seats red. I would have preferred all black with red stitching.

These 3 people nailed my feelings exactly; I couldn't agree more.

I like the interior well enough, but here are my complaints:
1. No panic handle for the passenger.
2. The cruise control location is a bit funky.
3. Multi-function and odometer display buttons are in a strange place (hidden behind the steering wheel) and aren't illuminated.
4. Analog speedometer is oriented in an inexplicable manner and the numbers are tiny, making it useless.
I could also do without the red interior accents.

Certain parts of it are great (sporty white face tachometer, digital speedometer, great seats, small steering wheel, shifter) and certain parts are just ok (radio/bt, climate control, switchgear).

Thankfully Toyota/Subaru got the important parts right. There's just a retro 90's theme going on with the rest :D

I love the interior, especially the pedals and kick guards on the door. I like how they look almost aftermarket, but come stock. I also really like the steering wheel, and shift knob stock. They both feel like really nice quality under my hands. Also, the lack of an arm rest doesn't bother me. My arm actually rests perfectly on the edge of the open area and it's not uncomfortable at all.

My only complaint would be the touch screen on the Bespoke radio. I'm not sure if it's just me, or what, but I have a bit of difficulty changing the station, skipping songs or anything like that while moving. I guess it's harder to hit a touch screen than press a raised button. Other than that, I love the interior. It doesn't seem to be cheap to me.