Phone, GPS and Tablet Mounts for a Subaru Outback

Subaru Outback CockpitIn terms of the mounting difficulty scale, the Subaru Outback checks in with a 5 on a scale of one to ten.  Our traditional recommendations work well.  The mounts that are always a little tricky won’t work well.  So, all in all, not a lot of surprises.

Mount Analysis

We always try to include a photo of the interior with vehicle specific articles and we have done so with the Subaru Outback.  It’s a fairly conventional design.  Unlike the curviest SUV on the planet being a Nissan Murano, this is standard stuff.

The cup holder is a potential location for mounting a device that doesn’t need to be seen while driving.  The problem is the location of the cup holders in relation to the driver.  They are set too far back to be easily accessible by the driver, especially with the seat all the way up.

The vents are also going to work well on this model.

The car seat bolt is a no-go on the Subaru Outback.  The bolt has a plastic covering over it so they cannot be accessed.  Sure, you could attach these by screwing into the floorboard, but it’s not something we recommend.

The Subaru Outback dash didn’t seem deep enough for use as a mounting point.  We’re going to recommend against using this location to mount a phone, tablet or GPS.

Subaru Outback Best Mount Location is the Windshield

The most popular location for a smartphone or GPS continues to be the windshield so we will start with those mounts.  The Subaru Outback windshield isn’t overly sloped and is reachable by the driver.  Conventional suction cup holders will work well on a Subaru Outback.

We’re beginning to see even larger smartphones so we want a mount that will fit practically any phone.  Consider the Arkon Slim Grip Ultra Travel Mount for the windshield.  The cradle opens to over seven-inches which is large enough to hold almost any phone with or without a case.  The cradle will also hold a small tablet but be sure not to block your view of the road.  This mount includes a cradle with a spring-loaded feature and legs which can be moved from side to side to leave any port on your phone or tablet exposed to run cables.  The mount that can be adjusted at the base and the cradle.  The mounted device can swivel 360 degrees.

Remove the cradle and adapter from the above mount to hold your Garmin GPS.  The ball measures 17mm and can snap right into the socket on the back of a cradle from a Garmin vehicular GPS.

If you just need the mount for a Garmin GPS, then consider the Arkon Windshield Dash Garmin Nuvi Suction Mount.  Both of these come with a 2-year warranty.

Subaru Outback Alternative Mount Locations

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.

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.

Read our Andobil car air vent review for a lot more information.

The CD player mount is going to work just fine on the Subaru Outback. The Apps2Car CD Slot Mount 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.  The cradle opens to almost 4 inches which is wide enough for most phones and many GPS devices.

Summary

So bottom line when it comes to mounts for a Subaru Outback.  The best locations are the windshield, vent and CD Player.  The car dash is possible for a small device.  The seat bolt and cup holder are poor choices.