Customer Ratings & Reviews

Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form does this written review advocate or condone any type or kind of unsafe driving practices. Please respect and follow all applicable laws, ordinances, and traffic signs in your jurisdiction and drive safe and alert at all times. I've owned a Passport 9500ix for over 10 years now, and originally never thought I ever needed to upgrade to another radar detector since making that purchase. But when it comes to electronics, there's always going to be that next best thing on the market that's going to make your existing equipment obsolete at some point. When it comes to radar detectors however, you just cannot go wrong with the Escort brand, and at this price point, you are paying for a reliable product that's going to pay off in the long run from avoiding traffic citations, adding points and surcharges to your drivers license, and increasing your insurance premiums as a result. To me, the MAX 3 is taking a huge leap from what the Passport 9500ix was able to offer, and at the time it's revolutionary features of keeping an up-to-date national database of known speed traps and red light cameras and using GPS to precisely alert you of those locations was extremely essential. We live in much different times now, with newer radar and laser technologies being used by law enforcement agencies and newer vehicles on the road becoming standard with better-equipped safety features such as lane keep assist and crash avoidance sensors causing an uptick of false K band alerts, today's radar detectors use a combination of newer detection hardware, better algorithms, and the cloud (Escort Live and Waze, specifically) to always keep you one step ahead of the curve while minimizing the amount of false alerts. The set up and initial use is very similar to every other radar detector I've purchased and owned, and what I'm mainly happy about is that the MAX 3 can use the same existing SmartCord that I already have hardwired to my vehicle's battery to power it! What's also a true gamechanger is the new magnetic 'sticky' windshield mount that comes included in the box, it makes it easier and simpler to attach and remove when not in use, and a convenient zipper carrying case is also included to keep it safe and protected. The first thing I did upon unboxing was download the Detector Tools Pro software from Escort's website and connect the MAX 3 to my computer. Sure enough, there was already a firmware update available to install, upgrading it from v1.1 to v1.3, and from what I've read on various forum threads, these updates address serious false Ka band alert issues that earlier MAX 3 owners were facing. I then proceeded to install the Escort Live app on my iPhone and pair the MAX 3 using Bluetooth once connecting and mounting it to my vehicle. There is a 1 year subscription to Escort Live included automatically once activating and registering your MAX 3 using your Escort account, and can later renew that subscription once the first free year is up. Functionality and performance is quite similar to my Passport 9500ix, and using the mute button on my hardwire SmartCord still works the same way on the MAX 3. You press once to mute, and three times consecutively to lock out an active alert and store it in your detector's local database. You can also share these alerts using Escort Live to let other drivers know of any active radars, known speed traps or red light cameras, or false alarms like stationary speed signs and automatic opening/closing doors like the ones at the supermarket. I will say that the Escort Live app does tend to have a lot of false/incorrect reporting, for example in Texas, red light cameras are no longer legal in this state, but is still showing alerts for red light cameras. While they may still be there, they can no longer be legally enforced nor can you get a ticket in the mail for passing through one. I personally prefer to use the 'Highway' alert setting to ensure my MAX 3 captures any type or sort of signal on the road that could be related to an actual radar signal being used to capture my speed while driving on the road. This may be excessive to others, which is why I also recommend the 'Auto' alert setting which changes the sensitivity of the detector on-the-fly based on the speed you are traveling at - the faster the speed, the more sensitive the detector will be to alerts, which may include false ones as well. I am very happy with this major leap in upgrade to have the latest radar detection tech offered by one of the most known good brands in the business. The sleek design, bright OLED display, Bluetooth connectivity with Escort Live service, and the magnetic windshield mount all make the MAX 3 a solid option for enhancing your driving experience and staying informed and prepared on the road, especially when traveling in unknown or new areas. I highly recommend!

Not a fan i had a passport was much better this is terrible

The worst radar detector for the money. 80% of the time it has false signals

Not working properly.. false detection of every band

The Escort MAX 3 radar detector is fantastic at doing the one thing it is supposed to do: detecting radar and laser emissions. On multiple occasions, the MAX 3 has alerted me to patrol cars long before I could see them. The best I experienced was around half a mile away and on the other side of a hill. It was physically impossible for me to see the parked cruiser at that distance and yet the MAX 3 alerted me with more than enough time to adjust my speed accordingly. In the time that I have owned it, the Escort MAX 3 has likely prevented from getting two or three speeding tickets. As far as I’m concerned, it has already paid for itself and any future savings are a very nice bonus. When I first got it, I was concerned that the magnetic mount would not be up to the task of holding on while navigating the heavily potholed roads in my area. To my surprise, not only is it more than able to handle the roads, removing the detector for storage a breeze since the suction cup can remain on the windshield. The included SmartCord is also a brilliant design choice and one of my favorite features. My vehicle only has one power port which had previously been occupied by my phone charger. The SmartCord makes it so I don’t have to choose which device I’m powering since it can do both. The voice alerts are easy to understand without being overly intrusive or jarring. The OLED display is very clear and easy to read at any time of day. Through the Escort Live app you can adjust the screen color to one of four choices: red, blue, green, or amber. You can also change nearly every other setting using the app. The AutoLearn function works well; on the second false alert, the MAX 3 stores the location and won’t alert you in that spot again. It does still show the detection on the display but it is greyed out and there are no audible or visual alerts. I appreciate that the speed limit is displayed on the screen next to your current speed. However, the database Escort uses for the speed limits seems to mainly contain the data for highways, interstates, and other high traffic roads. When you are on residential streets or more out-of-the-way locations, no speed limit information is shown. This may simply be due to the fact that I don’t live near a large city. With that being said, the Escort MAX 3 has a major issue, in my opinion. To achieve the full functionality of the detector, you HAVE to download the app AND run it every time you drive your car. The only exception is if your vehicle has Wi-Fi (mine does not). I did not realize that this was the case when I decided to get it. Without being connected to your phone (or vehicle’s Wi-Fi), the detector has no idea where you are or how fast you are going because it does not have a built-in GPS. This means no Auto-Learning, no speed limit or current speed on the display, and presumably no speed-sensitive adjustment. Admittedly, the Escort Live app is free to download and use once you create a free Escort account (side note: the app rejected my primary e-mail address as invalid and I had to use a secondary one in order to create an account). The Escort MAX 3 is an amazing radar detector even without the additional features. But be aware that you are going to be burning up mobile data if you want to enjoy everything it has to offer.

This is my review for the Escort Max 3 radar detector. I picked this unit up last week, and these are the results. First off, the packaging is nice and compact. The box includes the detector, a mounting base for the windshield of your vehicle, a power cable, and a carrying case. The carrying case is a soft sided case with two separate compartments for the detector and the accessories. That way nothing gets scratched or damaged while not in use. It also allows you to easily move the unit from vehicle to vehicle with all parts together in one location for easy access. For the meat and potatoes of the review let me start by saying, this is not a get out of a speeding ticket machine. This is a tool for you to use while driving. Just like your eyes, and common sense should be used while driving as well. With that said, this device is quite powerful at grabbing potential radar signals a long way before you get to them. It even picks up the signal from speed signs on the side of the road. The Escort Max 3 comes with a quick start guide and not much else in the way of paperwork. This is a good thing, because this unit is easy to operate. Those of you familiar with radar detectors will not even need the quick start guide. All the necessary controls are easy to reach on the top of the unit. There are only six buttons on the top so it's no problem to quickly get to what you need without taking your eyes off the road for too long. The Escort Max 3 features Bluetooth connectivity that takes this radar detector to the next level. The app unlocks a few extra features that don't automatically turn on until you connect your smartphone. Things such as live traffic icons, police presence down the highway from you, accident alerts in real time, etc.. The app is clean and straight forward. It is intuitive (thankfully) however you need to register and create yet another password and username. The only thing I don't like about the app is the battery usage on my phone. I use a Galaxy S9 it is only a year old. Normally I charge my phone once every other day. However, with the app running, I am losing about 1 percent per minute using it. Which would mean I can get a little over 100 minutes driving before my phone is dead. A car charger would eliminate the problem. And the Escort Max 3 can operate by itself just fine without being bluetoothed to your device. The functionality is slightly reduced, but it's still a working radar detector. Do I like it? Yes, I do. Once again, you still need to exercise common sense while using this device, however, knowing what's coming up ahead of time is a nice piece of mind. In conclusion use your head and the Escort Max 3 to advance to the next stage in smart driving!!

This was my first radar detector but I was very impressed with the look and feel. The mount was good but it does need a flat surface or you can reverse mount it to your windshield. I have an SUV and found that the power cord was entirely too stiff and too short. It did pickup when there were police near and nicely I did not receive false alarms. I think based on the product cost this is a great buy if you need a radar detector. I need to research if I can replace the power cord or possibly get a longer one from the company.

This is my second radar detector. They have really come a long way since my first one which I bought 20+ years ago. My first one died a couple of years ago. The power connection started failing from the years of vibration and bumps. I saved it thinking I might fix it someday but I still haven't got around to it. Oh well. This thing is much nicer anyway. Has a lot of features. Comes with a nice case too. The app works great on my phone and so far it hasn't cost me for the subscription fee that it shows on escort's website. The app says it's free if you buy this detector and so far it has been. Also comes with computer software for firmware updates. You'll need your own cable though for that; just an old mini usb to usb A so hopefully you saved one from your old cell phone. Best Buy sells a couple for less than $10 if you need one. Also you'll need to download the full manual as they only give you a quick start guide in the box but that seems pretty standard nowdays. You can change all the settings with the app which seems much easier than trying to use the buttons on the detector. It also shows a map with your gps location and red light cameras, traffic, known radar hotspots, pois, etc. Another screen shows your speed, heading, etc. Hopefully if you're driving your car has a speedometer but you can check to see if it's accurate just don't crash while you're looking at your phone. I really like this thing. I try not to speed too much anymore but it makes me feel better having it in my car with me.

This thing has saved me many times, and didn’t break the bank like som of the other, more expensive, ones. It goes off well before you come across the cop, so i would definitely recommend. Not to mention the app that allows changing the setting to be much easier, you can change the color on the detector, choose which frequency’s it picks up and much more.

The Escort MAX 3 is a very nice radar detector. It provides the normal alert tones that we’re all accustomed to from radar detectors, but also provides voice information about what band is being received so you can evaluate the threat without looking at the screen. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity with an iOS/Android app which maps the encounters of other drivers, often providing earlier warning than the radar detector could on its own. As a radar detector, it does exactly as you would expect, warning of K, Ka, and laser events early enough for appropriate action by the driver to prevent an issue. It also does a good job of filtering false alarms and stores locations of repetitive events like the active speed signs which have become so common. For those encounters, the alert is a single chirp, the threat is displayed in gray instead of color, and both the radar detector and the app will display the word “stored.” When connected via Bluetooth, the radar detector will display the speed limit to the left of actual speed. Otherwise it displays your “over speed” setting. As a radar detector, it is excellent. The “Escort Live” app is also very good, connecting to the radar detector via Bluetooth when the app is running on an iOS or Android device. A note for iOS users: you pair the radar detector from within this app rather than the Settings > Bluetooth method we’re all used to. Not really an issue if following the setup instructions, but it threw me for a loop trying to pair a new phone, so heads up! The app allows adjusting the radar detector settings without fiddling with the top panel buttons, provides map data (with two glaring omissions), and provides the valuable shared user data from other drivers’ Escort products. The omissions and the reason for the four star rating are: 1- There is no way to type in an address to get directions. You must drop a pin where you want to go. If I can drop a pin, why do I need directions? And: 2- it does not automatically reroute after a missed turn. These items are basic functionality for every mapping app EVER on iOS, and render this app virtually useless for providing driving directions. If I need actual directions, I’m forced to use another app and I lose access to the valuable shared data. To add insult to injury, the app is only free for the first year. After that it’s an in-app purchase of $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr. not a good value without the basic map functionality in my opinion. If you need a radar detector, this one will surely meet your needs. If you travel regularly, the app would be a good value with just a couple tweaks. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this product.

This is a great radar detector when used by itself, and even better when teamed up with your phone and Escort Live app. The app lets the detector display the local posted speed limit and your actual GPS-accurate speed, along with a map on the phone showing any crowd-sourced speed traps ala Waze. Range is astonishing, I usually get Ka band warnings long before being able to see the patrol car. Takes some getting used to it before you start trusting it. The windshield mount is the best I've seen. The detector is held to the mount by a very strong magnet and cleverly-shaped connection. Super easy to install and remove. The Max 3 also comes with a nice carrying case that can hold the detector, power cord, and windshield mount when not in use. Overall very effective and very easy to use.

My first purchase of a radar detector was from a Radio Shack when I was 17 years old. It was a Rocky Mountain Radar. I just had a gut feeling that it wasn't doing anything. Turns out, I was right. I didn't get a ticket but within the same day I went to a local car electronics retailer to look at their real radar detectors. At the time Escort & Valentine were the two only legit ones that I knew of. The v1 was WAY outta my price range as a teenage delivering pizzas so I purchased the Escort Passport 7500. It was absolutely amazing. My older family members had radar detectors & now I had a legit one like they did. It saved me many times in my Red 1993 Nissan 300zx 2+2 that was by that point about a 7 year old car. It was also The Fast and The Furious timeframe so everyone was an import racer...ah the good ol' days. Within a few months Escort had released the Passport 8500 x50 with the red LED display. I gave my parents the 7500, they gave me some money for it & I purchased the 8500 x50. I had that for a little while but now had a Daytona Blue Nissan 350z. The red radar detector's red LEDs matched my now long gone 300zx but it didn't match my new 350z. Escort released the Passport 8500 x50 with a blue LED display. Again, my parents purchased my red 8500 x50 from me (used pricing) and I bought the 8500 x50 with the blue LEDs. I had this detector for a few years & then Escort released the Passport 9500ix. I have had the 9500ix since release which was now over 8-9 years ago I believe. It has done me well & saved me many times. Since I am an Escort Radar Detector fan & had been wanting to replace my 9500ix, which was still working beautifully (minues the false alerts due to Blind Spot Monitoring in newer vehicles), I couldn't justify the expense. Once I saw the opportunity to test their new Max 3 detector I jumped at the chance! First Impressions: This detector feels like another quality detector from Escort. It has the craftsmanship I have come to expect from Escort, has a new display & features a new windshield mount. It looks like a new-age detector compared to my just plain LED display on my 9500ix. Startup & First Drive: I am needing to hard-wire my radar detector like I have my dual 1080p front & rear dash cam but just haven't gotten around to it. The connector appears to be the same. The detector was easy to setup. I do NOT like driving around in AUTO or CITY modes on any detector. I would rather my detector be too chirpy than to be too quiet. I will use my brain, scanning the road & watching the flow of traffic to determine if the alert is false or real. This is one thing a lot of users of detectors don't do: use their brain. They buy a detector & think "get out of jail free card". You can't go 20mph over the speed limit with a radar detector & expect not to get a ticket. You have to use your brain. Anyway, I digress. Setup was a breeze. I had been wanting to try the Escort app but didn't want to shell out the money for the new Bluetooth capable power cable. I got to on this new detector & I like it. This detector coupled with Waze saved me a few times. Driving in Highway mode the detector was actually quieter than my last one (not necessarily the best thing in my eyes). So I drove to where I know their is always a cop running radar. I had the new Max 3 in the windshield along with my 9500ix. I can say the Max 3 picked up the radar further away than my trust 9500ix did. While both alerted me with enough time to react it was nice to see the detector working as intended. Since the experiment was complete I finished my errands for the day. Again, the Max 3 continuously outperformed the 9500ix. Subsequent Drives: I travel frequently for work so I was able to get a lot of use out of this new Escort Max 3. So far it has been a really solid upgrade. I am enjoying the new features & it has yet to fail me at all, ever. Conclusion: The Max 3 isn't a top of the line radar detector & isn't priced like one, however, it performs just great for my needs. Could I spend $600+ to get top of the line performance? Absolutely! Will I? Probably not. This does what I need & I think it will for you too.

This is my second Escort Radar Detector. My first one was an Escort Passport from 2014. And yes, there have been many improvements! All detectors seem to have false detections with annoying blips and beeps that make you look around for a possible police car. When I took this NEW Escort out of the box and right into my car I was getting false alarms. After 2 days, I am thinking this thing is annoying! So I decided to do an update, which is pretty easy. Go to Escort’s site, pick you detector and download the “Detector Tool”. Then plug your detector into your PC with a mini USB cable (which is not included, however most of us have several of these cords in our house from other devices). The Detector tool recognizes your detector and you have the option to update the detector. Its quick an easy and OH what a difference it made. A noticeable decrease in false alarms was noted immediately the following day I was driving. It was night and day for me. So I HIGHLY recommend doing your updates. The Escort app is available for download to interface via Bluetooth to your phone. I might add, I am using an I Phone 10 and I also use Bluetooth in my car (Kia Optima) for music and phone calls. And yes you can still use the Escort app with the detector and still be able to use the Bluetooth for music at the same time. The app gives you a visual of your speed as well as what shows on the actual detector display. The app can be distracting while you drive. I recommend a friend to ride along and have them explore the app and its features (or at least pull off the road if you need to check it out). The display on the detector is customizable for what you want to see. The sensitivity for Highway or AUTO is selectable as well as what sounds you would like to hear for various alarms i.e. Standard or Mild alerts. The windshield mount is excellent. Simple and with the magnet it’s easy to remove from the windshield when you want to hide the detector from view. Some reviewers have thought the power cord was too short. In my case with my Optima it’s a perfect length. Pros: Compact, good visibility of the screen in daylight, customizable for sounds and use. Great windshield mount. Cons: It needs to have updates and the Instructions could be better. There are instructions on the website but even those are limited for all the nuances of what the detector is capable of. Also people new to detectors might like more information about the differences and situations of use of X, K, and Ka bands as well as older Lidar. Like a Detector 101 introduction. Overall I am happy with the detector after I did an update. It’s a definite improvement over my old model. I would recommend this to a friend.

Display went out within 3 years. Image burn. Evidently this is a common problem with Escort detectors. Performance wise it’s a great detector but expect repairs on the display after 2-3 years which is out of the warranty period. Escort should offer 3 year warranty period since they are so expensive.

This is a really good radar but you do need to update it right out of the box by downloading the update from their site. I wish the power cable would be longer for a more discreat install butbit does the job. Scans as it should and gives sufficient warning you just have to know the bands that are around where you live. When you use the app while driving it makes things so much better.

Picked this up after getting a new job that has me commuting more than 75 miles a day. I haven't owned many products like this in the past so I wasn't sure what to expect at this price. The set-up was straight forward to get everything working between the radar and the Escort Live app. I wasn't completely sold on the mounting solution they included as it used magnets between the bracket and the detector but it hasn't had any issues falling off the windshield yet. The power connector has a extra USB plug in it so it offers additional functionality instead of robbing you of one of your power sources. Alert tone is good, not too annoying but certainly will get your attention. Seems to do a pretty good job of ignoring false radar signals like electronic opening doors in the front of stores. Doesn't have directional arrows for you to know where the radar ping might be coming from. This unit falls pretty much in the middle of the Escort line-up in terms of features. Cant say as it has saved my butt just yet but they guarantee they will pay your ticket if you get one with this model. Of course that doesn't help if your insurance goes up or if you have to hire a lawyer but hopefully your not driving that crazy. Overall it has been a good addition to my new commute and don't have any real complaints about the form or function of this detector, glad I got it.

This radar detector is very impressive. I love all the smart features. It pairs well with my phone to use the app. I took a little trip to Cleveland and it alerted me of a few speed traps and the info was 100% accurate. I also like the oled display. Very happy with this thing.

This is my first radar detector - brings a lot of fun back into driving :) Easy to initially set up and use. I have used for roughly a month now and have had no issues with the product or tickets. Highly recommended! This is a high quality product.

Bought this for my dad and he loves it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been using this Escort Max 3 for a couple weeks now. It has a lot of features and is well made by a reputable company. The even have some type of offer about paying your speeding ticket. The thing is, I don't think they'll be paying many tickets because from my experience with this product, it goes off so often that I'm always slowing down just in case it's an actual speed trap. I do live in the suburbs and maybe all radar detectors suffer from the same issue these days with all the radar tech on cars, etc, but I just don't trust the thing. I never know if it's a "false alarm" or not. And I do know there are some times it goes off and it's not a speed detector. For example, it always chirps when I pull in my garage, I assume due to the safety laser all doors have these days. I have also experienced it not going off when I'm driving past one of those setups they put out sometime that show your speed as you drive by. I went by one twice and the thing was silent...I also have gotten laser alerts when there is no speed detector around. Maybe there was a street over or something, but it's the same place that it's gone off a couple of times now. So my point is, I just don't trust the thing. And that's by design so that you always make sure you're driving the speed limit? I doubt it, but if I can't trust what it's telling me then what's the use of using it? For $400 I just expect a lot more. And I know you can "mark" locations where you get "false alarms" and it will learn, but whose going to do that when you're driving? Again, maybe it's because I live (and pretty much stay) in the suburbs, and maybe it's more useful on the highway (which I have not done much driving on with it yet), but I feel like we've gotten to a point where maybe radar detectors have just become another distraction than actually being useful for their intended purposes. I gave it an extra star it does have a useful feature of letting you know when you are going over the speed limit, and like I mentioned it's well made, the magnetic attachment to the holder is nice, and it does allow you to update detector through their website. However, it also uses a USB type A to type B mini USB port on the detector, which I haven't seen in like a decade or longer. And it they do not include a USB cable in the box, so in order to download any updates, if you're like me and tossed your USB type A to type B cables years ago, you'll need to buy one. Yes they are cheap, but since they are, why didn't they just throw one in the box? It would've cost them like $2 at most... Anyway, I really wanted this to be helpful, but I just can't justify this being worthwhile, especially for the price.