Figure 1: Non-Skid Bottom

The new portable friction mount features a non-skid bottom. This new bottom is very grippy indeed. Even slamming on the brakes didn't move the mount - something that would routinely cause the old friction mount to skid across the dashboard. So far so good.

Figure 2: Pliable Base

The base of the new friction mount is pliable, and can be bent to match the curve of your vehicle's dashboard.

Figure 3: nuvi, Attached to the Friction Mount

The portable friction mount uses the same mounting arm as all other garmin nuvi mounts, making it possible to connect your nuvi to the friction mount using the same cradle that shipped with your nuvi. Just snap the mounting cradle onto the tip of the friction mount.

Figure 4: nuvi, Mounted on the Portable Friction Mount (new design)

Everything looks good with the new, updated friction mount: it's smaller, better looking, less noticeable on the dashboard, provides better grip, and the mounting arm can be folded down to make the whole thing slim enough to store in the glove compartment.

But there's a problem: I noticed much more vibration on the GPS when driving at higher speeds than the original, bean-bag style, friction mount. Compared to the older mount, my nuvi was shaking like a leaf atop this new mount.

I made some adjustments to the base, bending it so it formed a tighter fit to my dashboard, and that seemed to help a little. Still, the new non-skid bottom material simply transfers more vibration to the GPS than the older design. Things seemed to improve after a few weeks of use, though I'm not sure if some of the bounciness went away on its own with use, or if I'm just getting used to it.

I'll probably keep using the new mount instead of the original friction mount, mostly just because the new one looks a whole lot better on the dashboard than the original design.

Garmin sells the new friction mount online for $39.99, although you can pick it up on Amazon for much less