Rockville RockGhost Active Powered 8" Hidden Car Subwoofer Sub For 15"/16"/17" Full Size Spare Tire

Needed to add some more bass to the wife's new 2017 Tucson. It has the upgraded Infinity system in it w/factory 8in sub. The sub was not giving adequate levels of bass that I have grown used to with my tastes in audio systems. In my own car (2014 Fusion) I went the route of adding a sub/amp/line converter/power cables/etc and that was it. It sounds great, but was a lot more work and money, and takes up trunk space. I knew my wife was not going to like that, so I was researching replacing the factory sub... when I came across this Rockville spare tire sub.After looking at many reviews and videos and blogs about how great this little all-in-one sub was, I decided to try one.I was not disappointed. The install took maybe an hour and a half (removed rear bench seat, removed rear side panels was the hardest part). The factory amp was located in the rear, so I tapped all my power and high level inputs into that. A quick test to make sure it worked, and I put it all back together and buttoned everything back up. The only modification I had to do was cut the bolt holding it down to the frame about an inch, and I used a larger washer for the top (not shown in photo). It fits snug. I ran all the wires through the spare tire rim's holes too for even more stealth. If I need to take the spare out, I'll have to remove the speaker anyway, and when I unplug the wiring harness, it will easily slip back through the spare tire rim holes.It takes up no space at all, all wires are hidden, the trunk deck fits over it perfectly. It's completely hidden.I believe on the Tuscon, the trunk deck would fit on the lower level if you replaced the tie down bolt with something else more low profile. With the bolt that it came with, the thumb screw and nut under it make it stick up enough that i am using the higher level for the trunk deck. But that's OK, we were using the higher level already anyway. Just note that if you are using the lower level position in your vehicle, it may not fit.Sound quality is ... not bad. I am impressed that it does shake the car a bit for only an 8in speaker if you push it. Its not going to be life changing or win any sound competitions, but I think for a totally hidden, small completely self contained sub/amp combo, this is a huge winner.The remote controls are a nice touch. I tuned it a bit from the front seat, then just tucked the whole remote unit and wire up next to the sub and out of the way. It's not like I need to be adjusting it on the fly. I set it to about 60% gain, 80ish% boost, and around 80HZ for the crossover frequency. Phase was set to 0deg.I can now turn the bass down on the head unit to preserve the rest of the speakers from taking max bass, and then turned the sub up more to compensate. It sounds crystal clear for a factory system at high volume levels. I did this in my Fusion as well, turned the head unit bass down, and then compensated with the sub. The factory speakers will get longer life out of them if you push them all the time.All in all, I'll see how this lasts over time and write back if it fails in less than an acceptable time.Really happy with this unit. I would consider getting one for my Fusion too, and replacing the sub box/amp combo, but will need to drive her Tucson some to see if the bass is OK for my personal tastes or not.

Definitely worth the money. I put it in the wife Nissan Murano 2015, she likes bass but not the over powering kind. The unit is capable of giving you a bass headache. It comes with a install kit, the more expensive types of spare tire subs do not.(did not like the the ground wire on the kit.they give you ample cable, I just think a ground cable should never be separated.)There is a wired remote for gain etc. the remote is not needed if you have a proper head unit or above average factory stereo. From you can see of the sub wooferIt seems like it’s made from good materials. I hope the amp holds up the test of time. Not fives because I know nothing of Rockville and I’ve only had the unit for one week. So far so good. Update it’s been about year and a half she’s still pumping. No issues. Going for 5 stars. The other 3 manufacturers on amazon, from the numbers have less power and cost more. Wonder how clean the sound is for them. I plan on getting a 2019 S5, a car that still has a spare tire.(doughnut) I’m definitely getting another one. Again, great for the wife’s car.I don’t know how it lasts under very very heavy hitting. Good luck.

Update: So I ended up with the JBL because I got a refurb unit for half off and it is worth every penny. Hits harder throughout all ranges and sounds more natural; it's cleaner. It's still a spare tire sub, but it's heavier and is just better built overall. Only con is JBL not including a wiring kit. I added a pic comparing the two; JBL on the right.Installed in a 19 CR-V exl. Originally had a 2nd gen Alpine type r 12 in a slot vented 2 cubic ft box and it flexed the roof at 550 watts. I'm a basshead, but it was just too much at times. And the box took up a lot of space, so I put it in a 1 cubic ft sealed box and it sounded meh. I dealt with it for awhile but then I ended up getting 2 kayaks and needed the cargo area space for the add-ons, so I found the JBL spare tire sub and almost pulled the trigger. But seeing as how the Rockville has the same wattage @200w rms, I figured I'd save a few hundred. Well, the JBL has an 11" woofer vs the Rockville 8" and I'm kind of wishing I'd just spent the extra cash, because even though this thing really brings a stock system to life, the low low end isn't there. 50-80 hz this thing does well, though. My cr-v has factory components front and rear at 180 watts total, and this sub does round out the sound quite well. Can't really hear it outside of the vehicle. It honestly sounds like if you went and bought 100 watt aftermarket component door speakers and amped them. So overall, it's decent for the price, especially considering they give you pretty much everything you need to install. I've put in a lot of systems, so I already had a crimper, wire strippers and heat shrink tubing, which you will need. So, all said and done, I'm going to keep it for awhile and if I can't get used to it, I'll get the JBL and donate the Rockville to the wife.