The Kia Optima is one of the easier vehicles to find a good mount. This car can work with almost any mount. It’s very easy to mount a phone or GPS. A tablet is a little trickier due to the size of the car. Not a lot that will not work in this car but there are a few locations that will work better than others.
Our usual photo of the interior accompanies this article. It’s a very conventional design. Not a lot of unexpected curves or lips. Even the seat bolt is exposed. Normally, I go on to say which mounts won’t work. The only location that will not work is the CD player because on the latest model, Kia has omitted the accessory altogether.
So let’s move on to a few recommendations of mounts that we like for the Kia Optima.
Windshield and Dash Mounts for a Kia Optima
The most popular location for mounting a cell phone or GPS is the windshield so we will start there. The Kia Optima has an easily accessible windshield. It’s not far from the driver and there isn’t anything sticking up from the dash that would block the view.
The Arkon Ultra Slim Grip Suction Mount continues to be one of our favorite windshield suction cup mounts. This mount has an expandable cradle that opens to almost 7 inches when using the longest set of legs. That’s more than large enough for just about any smartphone with or without a case or skin. The phone will be held from the top and bottom. The mount comes with an adhesive dash plate so that you can attach to the mount to your dash as well as your windshield. The phone can rotate 360 degrees into portrait or landscape.
Although the mount opens wide enough to fit a small to midsize tablet, I would avoid using it for anything larger than a phone. Need to maintain a good view of the road and not block it with the larger device.
The same mount but for a Garmin GPS is the Arkon Windshield Dash Garmin Nuvi Suction Mount. This particular mount has been recommended many times. It’s a solid mount that we have personal experience with. The manufacturer provides a 2-year warranty. It’s more rugged and longer than the Garmin mount received with the GPS.
Both of the mounts just mentioned come with an adhesive dash disk so you can easily convert these to one for dashboard use. The Kia Optima has a decent sized dash. Position the mount near the edge for the most clearance and to maintain a good view of the road.
Vent, Seat Bolt and Cup Holder Mounts
The Kia Optima vents are fairly standard and have horizontal slats which makes mounting a phone or GPS very easy. One of our favorites is 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 Andobil Air Vent Mount can also be used for a Garmin GPS. 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 is worth a read if you need more info.
The car seat bolt is exposed on the Kia Optima. The passenger seat bolt closest to the driver is the best place to mount a tablet. Consider the Arkon Car Seat Bolt Floor Mount for Tablets. The mount has a hook on the bottom that fits under the seat bolt. Installation is easy and takes five minutes. Be sure to use a wrench or pliers when installing these. Don’t hand tighten the bolt. Use the wrench or pliers because it needs to be completely tight to ensure the weight of the tablet doesn’t compromise the mount. The mount itself is made of metal and is flexible so when your tablet isn’t in the mount, it can be bent out of the way so a passenger can sit without a problem.
You could also use the cup holder that is furthest from the gear shift. One with an extended neck such as the Cellet Tablet Mount with Cup Holder Base. These fit practically all size tablets. The base expands to fit and can fit vehicle cup holders from 2. 86 inches up to 3. 47 inches. The mount features a ten inch rigid arm and the device can rotate into any orientation.
Kudos to the Kia designers for making a vehicle where it’s easy to mount a phone, GPS or tablet.