My '11 has only one, just above the rear view mirror, but our '13 Tacoma has two, also above the rear view mirror. Could not live without them.

 

At least you have one. On an SJ with a sunroof and Eyesight you get none. That got fixed on the SK.

OTOH, our '05 with no sunroof has two back to back.

 

The most annoying things about our 2015: in order to be able to buy the optional Eyesight, we had to get at least a Premium, which meant non-optional sunroof and roof rails… and no sunglass compartment, and extra-narrow visors. Oh, the price we pay for safety!

 

The most annoying things about our 2015: .... and extra-narrow visors. Oh, the price we pay for safety!

Actually, they aren't "extra-narrow" -- they're extra-wide (enough to block the rear-view mirror, if you want). You haven't found the little slide out? See this picture, and compare the left visor (slide closed) with the right visor (slide pulled all the way out). They had to do that (using the slide) to get around the eyesight's cameras.

 

Hey OP, that is the bellows for the tilt wheel, isn't it? I'm guessing you could crush sunglasses if you lift the wheel.

Are you the guy who used the CD player in your computer for a cup holder also?

 

Just checked my 2022 Wilderness. In full agreement with YoGeorge above. There are vinyl/fabric covered cavities directly above and below the steering column. These spaces accommodate movement of the steering wheel. They are not intended to be storage compartments.

 

@ForesterTheGrey

Picture please.

 

Picture please.

 

@YoGeorge Ah, yes. The inspiration for the (useless) cupholders in the SF and Imprezas of that vintage....

 

And just how often are y'all changing the tilt on your steering wheel?!? I set my driver set-up once and don't touch it again the lifetime of the car unless someone bumps a mirror and then I'm just adjusting the mirror. Seat and steering geometry do not get changed. You can crush your sunglasses by putting them on top of your head and walking into low hanging beams. How often do y'all do that? A 747 could drop an engine on you. Or chick from Kansas could drop a house on you and steal your shoes. How accident prone are you jokers?!?

 

Some of us share our cars with our very differently-sized spouses of 52 years.

 

I tried searching to see if this was general knowledge or not but has anyone else looked at the area on top of the steering column below the dash? I noticed two dimples on each side of a pinch that looked suspiciously familiar. So I grabbed a set of sunglasses and dropped them in there.... perfect fit. This cannot be a coincidence. No idea if this exists on older models or other Subarus but I imagine it at least exists on other current models. Is this a known thing listed somewhere that I didn't see?

<<Emphasis added>> The key takeaway is that it is a coincidence. The top perimeter of the cavity (pseudo storage compartment) is the bottom perimeter of the gauge display. The bottom perimeter of the cavity is the top perimeter of the steering column. Coincidentally, you can stow a pair of sunglasses in the cavity ... if the steering column is tilted to allow sufficient clearance.

If you choose to stow your sunglasses (or any other object that fits) in the cavity, then you are of course free to do so. But what posters here have pointed out is that the cavity is not intentionally designed to be a storage compartment for sunglasses (or anything else). And people reading this thread (and initially reacting, "Wow! A hidden bonus feature. Thanks for the tip.") should be made aware of the potential risks involved in using the cavity as a storage compartment (besides accidentally crushing a stored object, I'd also be concerned about a stored object falling down to the pedals during hard braking, e.g.). Sure, all sorts of random accidents can happen. But why take unnecessary risks, when there are many alternatives (compartments specifically designed as storage compartments) available in the Forester?

 

I don't know how anyone else's looks but mine is perfectly pinched up in the center with dimples on each side. It literally looks like it was made to hold sunglasses. A hard braking situation has zero chance of moving my sunglasses from that space. And this is very telling to me that looking at this space one would think about hard braking being an issue and not lateral movement such as hard cornering being more of an issue... but having just done a canyon run that I used to do all the time with as hard cornering as a Forester probably should be doing, I can tell you that the sunglasses I put there aren't going anywhere.

 

Didn't we learn anything from the OJ trial ...?

So your sunglasses fit in a space that is not designed for holding them... A grocery store can hold my Forester, and my Forester will fit in those automatic doors, but that doesn't mean it's supposed to go through the front door and park in the produce section.

 

A picture of your sunglasses in place might help clear things up.

Unless 2022 is different than 2021.

Not sure why they would make a completely different steering column cover though.

No sense in getting into a pissing match over sunglass storage....


I regularly park in the produce section.

That's a problem?

Forester, Produce it's all good.

 

My 2017 with a moon-roof and without eyesight, has a sunglass holder by the moon-roof switch. I am surprised to hear some don't have one, but 2 would be better.

@YoGeorge When you use that cup holder for hot liquids, you need one of the silver looking heatshields under the cup. 💿

 

My 2017 with a moon-roof and without eyesight, has a sunglass holder by the moon-roof switch. I am surprised to hear some don't have one, but 2 would be better.

In some (all?) SJs with Eyesight, the ES control module replaces the sunglass holder.

 

I just wish that they would insulate the in the ceiling holder so that in the summer my metal RayBans wouldn't set fire to your face. I just put them in the center consul in the summer. So I guess my 2022 Wilderness has multiple sungrass holders in it.

 

I tried searching to see if this was general knowledge or not but has anyone else looked at the area on top of the steering column below the dash? I noticed two dimples on each side of a pinch that looked suspiciously familiar.

Can you post a pic of your glasses in this special holder of yours???

 

Looking at the above photo, makes wonder how to repurpose the starlink buttons.

Subaru did more than just fill-in the eyeglass holder, they added a lot and removed the space where I mount my old school eyesight system. Above the mirror is a handy location where the unit can see all around.

Here is the Subaru eyeglass version in a SJ.

The Garmin is just standing in for the sunglasses that are busy elsewhere.

 

Yeah, insulation in the roof would be useful - especially for those of us in warmer and sunnier locales...

I recall that in early SJ generations, the Eyesight was not available with the black silica exterior - due to the heat gain of the black paint on the roof structure and overheating the Eyesight system.... Can't remember where I read that but ...

 

Eyesight became available with black on the '17 model when the cameras were upgraded to version 3. The Outback/Legacy got them (and availability in black) the year before. The problem was a combination of heat and the original black and white Eyesight cameras being thrown off by the black front end. The v.3 and later cameras are color.

My CBS/black interior '17 has never had an issue with Eyesight. Not even a summer in Oklahoma seems to bother it. The only times it has ever disabled itself have been when the computer mounted in front of the headrest can't see a thing either!

 

Yes, I know, but the full-width visors also seem to include the extensions.