If you are searching for reviews on reliable radar detectors for your car, or someone else's; then look no further, here is a compilation of tested detectors, set according to the category of their particular strong-point. Unsurprisingly, the best reviewed radar detectors came from already reputable companies in the industry, Escort, Beltronics, Valentine One, and Whistler.
Winner for Best Overall Radar Detector
The Escort Passport 8500 X50 ($300 USD)
Three models stand side-by-side as the most reliable radar detectors you can buy. Along with the Escort's Passport 8500 X50, the Bel Pro RX65, and Valentine One have also been awarded with excellent user feedback. A drawback of the Bel Pro, however, is the limited retail options, this model can only be bought at high-end auto electronics stores. The Valentine One also denotes an additional $100.
The Escort radar detector is capable of sniffing out X, K and SuperWide Ka-band radar signals to a range of two miles, and is especially efficient at detecting Ka-band guns in the highly threatening POP mode. The Valentine One is known to be more efficient at detecting lidar guns, but this capability may be a bit useless, since reviews indicate that by the time the detector responds and sounds an alarm; it's way too late to avoid getting a ticket.
Winner for Best Value
Bel Vector 955 ($200 USD)
The Bel Vector 955 is the "King" of its price class. It may be lacking some features and freebies, like a nice carrying case and the connector interface needed for integration with Bel's laser jamming devices; reviews indicate that the Bel Vector 955's detection ability for X-, K-, and Ka-band, encompassing all the three frequencies, including the scary POP mode, ranks slightly lower than the more expensive Valentine One and Escort Passport 8500 X50. In nominal number of reviews regarding radar-detectors, it easily pushes into the background the equally priced competition manufactured by Cobra and Whistler.
Winner for Best Budget Radar Detector
Bel Express 925 ($90 USD)
The Bel Express 925's only downside, is its lack of features. Its performance in detecting radar threats is almost on the similar level with the more expensive units. It may be a dull unit to own though, since it is not fitted with as many lights, buttons, and customizable quirks like the competition, but if you're simply after the basic function of radar detection, it is quite an excellent product in that regard; its range includes Ka-band guns functioning in POP mode.
Winner for Best Laser Detection
Valentine One ($400 USD)
The Valentine One took the bad end of reviews done earlier in 2005 due to the lack of an effective defense against radar guns set in POP mode, this mode operates in hard-to-detect signal bursts. Newer versions of Valentine One detectors, however, now have this very important feature, and although the technology gives off a high degree of false alerts, a lot of reliable reviews show that it works well. The Valentine One is also very much attuned at detecting the beams emitted by laser speed guns, but can be quite useless, because once a laser beam has locked onto your vehicle, it's generally too late to avoid being reprimanded. In spite of the unit's faults, Valentine One is a really good all-around radar detector; some people may have issues with its design and features, indicating that it's a bit "outdated", and that the price is a bit high, especially when the cheaper Escort Passport 8500 X50 performs just as well.
Winner at Evading Detection
Whistler 1788 ($130 USD)
Although the Whistler doesn't "overtake" Escort, Bel, or Valentine in any feature category regarding basic performance of the functions as expected from a radar detector, it is the best at evading detection by "radar detector detectors" such as the Spectre III and VG-2, which is used by law enforcement officers in some states where detectors are illegal.
More reviews can be found here
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