Phone, GPS and Tablet Mounts for a Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai Santa Fe InteriorThe Hyundai Santa Fe is a standard sized SUV that has been around awhile.  Like any automobile, there have been design changes.  In the case of the Hyundai Santa Fe, less outrageous curves than earlier models made mounting a GPS or phone easier.  However, a tablet is a challenge.

Mount Analysis

A photo of the Hyundai Santa Fe interior accompanies this article.  There are a few notable characteristics that effect mounting a device.  We will mention them as we move through this article.

Let’s start with the windshield.  That’s the traditional go-to place for most mounts.  As an SUV goes, the Hyundai Santa Fe has a very narrow dashboard.  Not a lot of depth.  So the windshield isn’t a far reach for the driver.

A seat bolt mount won’t work in a Hyundai Santa Fe.  While the seat bolts are accessible, they aren’t standard bolts and are going to be difficult to loosen.

Cup holders on a Hyundai Santa Fe are set too far back to be useful for mounting anything.  They will also be in the way of either passenger as there is limited space between a mounted device in a cup holder and the passenger.

Mount Recommendations

On the windshield, consider the Arkon MegaGrip Suction Cup Windshield and Dash Mount.  The suction mount features a vacuum locked suction assembly attached to a pivoting arm.  The phone can swivel into any orientation.  The cradle opens to 3.4 inches which is large enough for the majority of phones with or without  a case or skin.  Remove the cradle, and 1 17mm ball is revealed which is the size needed to fit a Garmin automotive GPS like a Nuvi or Drive.

This mount also comes with an adhesive disk that you can stick to the dash to turn the mount into a console mount.  Here’s the issue.  The Hyundai Santa Fe has a small compartment in the middle of the dash.  You will need to mount it to the passenger side of little door.  The added challenge of limited depth means it’s not going to be easy to mount anything to the dash.  Maybe stick with other locations.

Next up is a vent mount.  The Hyundai Santa Fe has some interesting shaped vents.  It kind of bends in the middle and the slats are angled.  A vent mount that grips onto the slat and swivels is required.

So for the vent, 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.  The cradle is removable to expose a 17mm ball suitable for a Garmin vehicular GPS such as a Garmin Nuvi or Garmin Drive.

Read our Andobil car air vent review for much more information.

The CD player on the Hyundai Santa Fe is in the perfect location to mount a device.  Right at eye level and near the top of the dash.  It’s almost like the Hyundai engineers figured the CD player wouldn’t be used to play an actual CD so they put it somewhere useful for mounting other stuff.  We’ve seen a similar location in the Hyundai Tucson.  Way to go Hyundai.

A CD player mount is great for states where mounting on a windshield is against the law.

The CD player slot might be the best place to mount a tablet in a Hyundai Santa Fe.  For a tablet or phone, consider the Apps2Car CD Slot Mount which uses a knob on the bottom to secure the mount within the CD player. I prefer this mount to others in this category as it will permit a more custom and secure fitting.  You don’t want the mount to rattle around inside the player.  Two cradles are included and one of them is made to hold tablets up 12.9 inches.  The other is made to hold a phone.

Summary

So let’s summarize our mounting options in a Hyundai Santa Fe.  The windshield, CD player and vent are good locations.  The dash isn’t great but can be done.  The seat bolt and cup holder are out of the picture.