Today, we had an opportunity to scope out a big new Mazda CX-90. This is a large 7-seater SUV with some interesting mount challenges.
Mount Analysis
Our usual obligatory interior photo accompanies this article. Nice spacious interior with a few surprises.
You may instantly think that with an interior as large as a small house that any mount would work just fine. That’s not the case. There were several locations that will not support a mount for a smartphone, GPS or tablet.
The windshield is a good location for a phone or GPS. It’s a bit of a reach, so we will need something that has an extension.
We always like the air vents as these put a device near eye level. The air vents to the left of the driver are vertical so using these will be a challenge but the ones in the center are traditional horizontal so are very usable for a phone or GPS.
A car seat bolt mount will work in the Mazda CX-90. The seat bolt is accessible and the claw of a seat bolt mount should fit fine. This is ideal for a tablet.
The Mazda CX-90 has a pair of cup holders in the middle. A good choice for a phone or tablet.
No more CD player in this vehicle so those mounts are out.
The dash is also out of the question due to the large console in the middle.
Phone and GPS Mount Recommendations for a Mazda CX-90
It looks like the best place for a smartphone or GPS will be the center air vents. These vents are big and rectangular with horizontal slats. That’s perfect. Avoid using the side vents. The side vents are vertical and we just think the mounts fit best on horizontal ones. The center vents are in a great position because they are near eye level and easy to reach versus the windshield or other locations.
If selecting this mounting location, 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 a lot more information.
The good old windshield mount will work fine on a Mazda CX-90. The problem is that it’s a much further reach from the driver’s seat. For someone over six feet tall, that’s probably not an issue. But for a shorter person, it’s going to be a long reach.
Given the longer reach, we want a mount that has some length to it but not so much that it’s hitting the driver in the head.
The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Car Mount for SmartPhones provides an extendable rigid base combined with an expandable cradle. Unlike many similar mounts, the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 has an 8-inch extension feature. This extension is a welcome feature in the big Mazda CX-90 interior. The included cradle expands by pressing the buttons on each side. This is large enough to hold most phones.
To no surprise, the Mazda CX-90 fits 7 passengers so this is a larger SUV. So, it’s definitely large enough to use a dash mount. The previously mentioned iOttie Easy One Touch 5 mount can utilize a dash disk to turn this into a useful dashboard mount.
Tablet Mount Recommendations for a Mazda CX-90
Consider the Cup Holder Mount for Tablets and Phones. This mount includes two different cradles and has an extended neck to make the mount a little higher than others. One for a phone and another 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, one for the phone, the other for the tablet. The tablet cradle will hold devices up to 12.9 inches but we suggest limiting it to nothing larger than an iPad Mini.
Another worthy mount for consideration is the seat bolt variety. These work best when attached to the passenger left side seat bolt. Great place for a tablet mount.
The Arkon 22″ Seat Bolt and Floor Mount for Large Tablets is a perfect choice for this vehicle. This is the extra long version of Arkon’s popular seat bolt mount and because of the large size of the Mazda CX-90, the longest size mount is going to work best. It’s a flexible gooseneck and can be bent out-of-the-way when not in use. Attaching to the seat bolt is simple, but check to make sure the bolt can be easily accessed before looking at any seat bolt mounts because some model cars cover the bolt. If your seat bolt is easily accessible, attachment is real simple. Just use a wrench or some pliers to loosen and tighten. The number one reason for problems with a seat bolt mount is using your hand to tighten and not using a wrench or pliers. The seat bolt needs to be tight.
Summary
So in summary, the Mazda CX-90 phone mount location suggestions are the vent and windshield. We like the seat bolt and cup holder for tablets. A CD Player slot or dash are not going to work well.