IMO... the 3 gauges they give you aren't very useful, the arm rest gets in the way of shifting, & the fog lamps are tiny and look out of place (get the jdm ones!). Keep the short shifter if you want to spend the money, and maybe the boost gauge, even though it's not in PSI, just so the pod is installed when you want to change it out

 

The short throw is definately worth it, but i wouldn't consider for a second the factory 3 gauges, as Seranin said they're not very useful. The fog lights.....well i admit that i really hate driving in the fog in my STi, but i'm not even sure how much it would help, as the foglights will be overpowered by the HIDs in the fog, and you'll most likely still get that silly reflective cloud in front of your car. In normal driving, they look cool when other people see your car, but again the HIDs will overpower the fog lights, you won't see much of a difference at all, unlike the bugeye foglights, which cover the void from 0-3 ft in front of the car.

 

I have the factory gauge package and armrest extension in my MY02 WRX. I think the gauge package is the same or similar to what is being offered currently.

The gauge package is very expensive for what you get. The gauges use non-U.S. standard for the boost and oil temp, mega Pascals and Centigrade, respectively. In addition to what the other members have already said about the gauges, the oil temp gauge has a range of measurement that is not so useful. Depending on your location, the gauge may not register anything during cooler months of driving. You'll find yourself tapping the gauge when cooler weather sets in.

There are some beautiful gauges offered from the aftermarket that fit their own gauge pod that sits exactly where the factory gauges would sit. They are much larger, easier to read, and come in a variety of styles including some that are even a close match for the factory speedo and tach.

I found the armrest extension to be very useful, but I'm one of those lucky folks who finds that it doesn't interfere with my shifting. It still is of very limited use as an actual armrest - its best selling point is the additional storage space within reach. I bought one used for $70 and installed it myself.

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