Figuring the GMC Terrain would be an easy vehicle for mounting devices was a mistake. Turns out that a few of our go-to locations aren’t going to work well in this vehicle.
Mount Discussion
Our typical interior cockpit view of a GMC Terrain accompanies this article. The first thing you may notice are large vertical vents. Those familiar with our site know we aren’t fans of the north/south vent varieties, much preferring the horizontal east/west style.
Next, there is no CD player. This is becoming a common trend in new vehicles. We have seen this in several other recent car model specific mount recommendation articles including some fairly popular ones like its sibling, the Chevy Equinox.
The dash on the GMC Terrain is also a challenge. There is a visor above the middle dash display which is a nice touch. However, this leaves less room for mounting a device. Forget about mounting a tablet here, but a phone or GPS should fit with a low profile mount.
Mount Recommendations for a GMC Terrain
It looks like the easiest place to mount a smartphone or GPS is going to be the windshield. The reach to the windshield is a bit longer than what you might find in a car, so a mount that is somewhat extendable is a good idea. A tablet will not fit well on a GMC Terrain windshield as it will block too much of your view of the road.
Consider the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Car Mount. The mount features an extendable rigid base combined with an expandable cradle. Unlike many similar mounts, the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 has an 8-inch extension. This extension is a welcome feature for the larger GMC Terrain interior. The included cradle expands by pressing buttons on each side. This is large enough to hold most phones.
To turn the above mount into a dash variety, look at the iOttie Sticky Gel Dashboard Pad for iOttie Car Mounts. This accessory adheres in a non-permanent fashion to your dash. The suction cup mount attaches to the surface of the dashboard pad just like it would on a windshield. This dash pad is a little different from others as it can be easily removed and reused versus others that use adhesive. A nice add-on.
Need to add a Garmin GPS to your GM Terrain? Consider the Arkon Windshield Dash Garmin Nuvi Suction Mount. This continue to be a favorite of ours. It’s a useful mount that we have lots of experience with. It’s more rugged and longer than the Garmin mount you received in the box. Comes with an adhesive dash disk if you wish to use this on your dashboard. The dash disk is especially useful in states where windshield mounting is against the law. A 2-year warranty is included from the manufacturer.
The GMC Terrain vents are a bit challenging and needs a certain type of mount. Consider the Andobil Air Vent Mount. This mount can be used to hold most phone models with or without a case. The ball and socket design facilitates a 360 degree rotation. The included cradle opens to accommodate phones up to 3.75 inches wide. The mount uses a unique locking clip to securely attach to horizontal and vertical vents.
Apple iPhone owners can scope out the Andobil MagSafe Air Vent Mount which is the same mount but with a magnetic adapter that pairs perfectly.
The Andobil Air Vent Mount can also be used for a Garmin GPS too. All Garmin vehicle GPS devices made over the past ten years include a custom cradle that has a 17mm socket on the back. Remove the cradle from the Andobil mount and you have a 17mm ball. Just snap the Garmin cradle onto the mount minus the cradle and your GPS can be mounted to the air vent.
We took a deep dive into the Andobil car air vent mount which tells you everything you need to know about this well made mount.
A car seat bolt mount will not work well on a GMC Terrain. No seat bolt to attach it. While you can use the option to bolt it directly to the floor board, most are not going to want to drill holes into their floor, so let’s move on.
Last place to consider is the middle console cup holder. This is probably the best place to mount a tablet in a GMC Terrain. The cup holder will also work well for a smartphone. The caveat on the cup holder is that it’s a poor location for referencing an app while driving. So if your plan is to use Waze with a cup holder mount, it’s a poor choice and we recommend the windshield, dash or vent for that purpose.
Consider a Cup Holder Mount for Tablets and Phones. This mount includes two different cradles and features an extended neck to make the mount a little higher than others. One for a phone and a second for a tablet. The mount is adjustable and solidly made to easily handle the weight of your tablet. You will see a lot of mounts on the market for tablets or cell phones. This is the only car mounts that offers two different cradles. The tablet cradle will hold devices up to 12.9 inches but we suggest limiting it to nothing larger than an iPad Mini.
Mount Summary
So in summary, the GMC Terrain supports several traditional mounting locations including the windshield, vent, dash and cup holder. However, the seat bolt and CD players are not good options.