Customer Ratings & Reviews

I remember when driving by the bank or McDonald's would set off my old radar detectors back in the the mid-90s, but now with the Escort I don't have to worry about any false alarms. If it goes off there, I know there is a cop near by. The other nice thing about this radar detector is it marks spots where there has been a lot of radar activity. So I would recommend anyone looking in getting a new radar detector to spend the extra money to get the best on the market, your wallet will also agree in the long run, because of no speeding tickets...

I have been using a 9500ix for over six months now. I bought mine used from a friend of mine that no longer wanted it for some reason so I did not pay full price. I love it and it works great. I really wish I was using it when I was going to school out of state in rural SE Wyoming. Highway patrol and local cops are really bad there and like to profile drivers with out of state tags. What do you expect?? There is nothing out there and nobody wants to live there. (Lowest populated state for a reason) Anyways, at times, I was using a GARBAGE cheap Cobra radar I bought up there. BIG MISTAKE!! Those things are worthless and DO NOT work. DON'T EVER RELY ON A COBRA!!! I returned home last December full time and bought my 9500ix in late May. When I use it, it will alert me of a cops using K or KA band from over a mile away on a stretch of road. VERY NICE!!! I live in the Texas Hill Country and do travel out of town a lot. Of course there are a lot of hills and bends. Most cops use older K-Bands around here. It alerts me promptly of a threat coming around a corner and gives me enough time to slow if I'm speeding. I do love the GPS feature as it will eliminate false alarms after driving through the same location 3 times. That is a big problem in other cheap design radars. Since May when I have been using it, I have not been pulled over and have been ticket free, very nice!!! I would recommend this to anyone that has a lead foot or drives a fast car or truck, HA HA..... Or has been screwed by those who are to protect and serve just because they are trying to generate department revenue. Its not about safety, its about department revenue. Read the manual because it will tell you about what else it can do and how you can customize it to you wants. I really love how it will tell you your speed when cruising and when a alert appears. Just be careful when you get nailed with laser!!! If you are driving somewhere where laser will be a threat (just slow down) nuff said. Overall, I am very happy with it and will continue to use it and recommend it to my friends.

I bought this radar detector thinking I would keep it if it worked and take it back if it didn't. 1700 mile round trip later the only thing this radar detector picked up was weather cameras and speed cameras. As far as actual radar traps, I passed numerous highway patrol and this thing never made a sound. One was even sitting in the middle of the highway pointing something and not a sound out of the escort. I returned it!

Earlier this year I ordered a BMW 135i and, after revisiting her breakfast on the test drive, my wife insisted that I get a radar detector before it was delivered. I have had radar detectors before and my principle complaint is that on most of them if you set it to be sensitive enough to give you a decent warning then you will be hitting the brakes at every gas station and grocery store you pass. Not only does the 9500IX have pretty good false alert rejection, it also stores the location and frequency of any false alarms you mark. I leave it in highway mode all the time now and it hardly ever gets a false alarm. What it does do is detect police in plenty of time to check my speedometer and make sure I am in compliance with all local traffic regulations. I have even gotten advance warning on laser more than once now. The red light and speed camera warnings are just icing on the cake. It is not the cheapest radar detector out there and there are probably others that do a very good job for less money but I have not had a single moment of buyers regret. The money I spent on the Escort (and more) would have gone to the Georgia State Patrol and my insurance company by now had I not gotten it and I would have had to endure endless "told you so" lectures from my wife.

Called manufacturer for operating instructions and was told discontinued older model

Unfortunately, most cops in California use laser now. By the time the detector picks up on it it's too late.

I've been using radar detectors for nearly all of my driving "career" of 33 years. The problem has always been false alarms. Frankly most detectors are a real pain to use in town. False alarms at every shopping center, Cell phone site etc. This unit cures that... and I do mean CURES it. As you drive the unit remembers the signature of false alarms and stores them automatically. If you find a false alarm you can push the mute button a few times and it will remember the location. This is all possible because the unit has a really good GPS receiver built in it. In addition, places like California have red light cams. These take a picture of you and your car if you go through a yellow light which turns red when you are in the intersection. Yeah I know, you shouldn't run red lights... but who hasn't "stretched a yellow" light when they should have stopped. This unit has a database of traffic cams and other speedtraps... You can hook the unit to your pc and download some free software which lets you update the data base. I was driving in northern nevada the other day, and the detector went off in a very rural area the unit showed a weak Ka band signal.... now in Nevada Highway Patrol uses Ka band radar guns.... I was unfamiliar with the area so I slowed down to the speed limit and 2 miles ahead was a hidden highway patrol car stopping people and giving tickets. Like most states, Nevada is now very aggressive in speed limit enforcement (they are trying to get additional revenue). Friends of mine have been ticketed for as little as 5 miles per hour over the speed limit! If you are looking for a really good radar detector, look no further... this is it!

I bought this detector a few years ago, but refrained from reviewing it until now as a test of its longevity. I've owned other detectors prior to this one that were much cheaper, but for a reason. I tried a Cobra first, since it was one of the cheapest brands available and could be purchased just about anywhere. Its range of detection was poor, and it died after just a few months of use. I got a Beltronics after that; the top model from the company at the time. Its range was a bit better, but like the Cobra before it, it didn't last very long. Just over a year after purchase, it stopped working completely. The Cobra was 100 USD, the Beltronics was 300 USD. I read up the reviews on this one, as well as the well-known Valentine, both of which were pricey. However, while the Escort cost 100 USD more than the Valentine, I felt the features made it worth it. The range is much better (I've gotten alerts well over three miles in advance before passing the cop in question), it has much better around-the-corner and over-the-hill detection, and the GPS-assisted memory really helps get rid of false alerts. I also liked the design better. It doesn't stand out as much, and the blue text doesn't draw as much attention to it. Valentine's arrows are a gimmick, as it really doesn't matter WHERE the cop is. One common misconception people have with radar detectors is that they can speed as much as they want and not have to worry, but people forget about POP and laser speed detection, both of which are instant-on. There is no advance warning for those. What I use this for is a reminder. I tend to drive 5-10 over the limit on the highways and interstates, so this gives me a warning to drop my speed when a cop is in the area. It also reminds me to check my speed in slower areas if I happen to drift a bit over the limit without realizing it. That's what this device should be used for: a cautionary reminder to check your speed to avoid a costly ticket, not a device that allows you to drive as fast and recklessly as you like. Also, a note on legality concerns. Radar detectors are legal in non-commercial vehicles in all states except for Virginia, Washington, D.C., and on all military bases. They are also not allowed to be mounted to the front windshield in California or Minnesota, two states where it's illegal to have anything hanging from the rear view mirror due to claims of obstruction of vision.

The reason I stopped using radar detectors in the early 90's was false signals. This unit gets rid of that annoyance. In your normal driving area, once you have gone by a false signal 3 times it locks it out. The detector is then silent, if you hear it, you know it is a police officer. I've had the product for 3.5 months and could not be happier. Thinking of getting a second one since we have 3 cars. Makes driving more fun! While it has a laser sensor, front and rear, I would not depend on it, because if it goes off for laser, the police already have your speed locked. Most laser guns take .3 seconds to get a lock. If the detector is mounted high, it might not even go off for laser if they are aiming for your front bumper because the beam is too narrow to hit the detector sensor. There are other options to defend against laser...research.

This is THE BEST radar detector on the market. Over the past 10 years, I've owned 4 radar detectors. This one has always been the priciest and never had enough spare change to spend all at once for it, and for that reason alone, I was buying "Cobras"...I had three of them & one each one I got a speeding ticket. (in a span over 3 years) .. Finally I was able to save enough and got the passport. I've been driving with it for the past 6 years and I have been ticket free. It detects signals from so far away It often takes about 2-3 minutes for me to come across the cop shooting the radar. Warnings are loud and can be heard over loud music. It picks up speed cams/red light cams 4 blocks away. Works just as good on the highway as it does in the city. I literally don't drive without it. Well worth the money. Don't be a fool and waste 200-300 bucks on a bunch of cheaper detectors and wait until you have enough to splurge for the passport.

This got me a ticket when I was driving on the highway.

The item was slow to process the data from the app that allo ed me to see when there was a speed trap or speed camera till I was like 5 to 10 feet in front. It worth all the money spent and that is why I returned it to get the 360 Max.

This radar detector has saved me some tickets with the speed cameras in D.C. which I have always gotten tickets. This is the first time I came home without any infractions!!! Was very easy to update online. I like the blue color letters and the option to store any signals that are not true. This was worth the price!!

I have had this detector for almost two months and its awesome! It automatically blocks out false alarms after only a few false triggers and then you never get them again. Since it has GPS you can set your own locations for speed cameras and red light cameras, and you can also select locations to block out yourself. It also has pre-programed locations. The best feature is that you can change a setting so the detector will display the speed you are traveling (similar to a heads up display). It's awesome to look forward and see how fast I am going without looking down. You can also change a lot of other settings. This radar detector is pretty expensive but it is the best one with GPS right now. And, you get what you pay for, and I wanted the best. I can't imagine having a cheap one with false alarms every few minutes. This has already saved me a few times and is well worth the money. I highly recommend this detector.

I debated between this Escort model and the Valentine One. I have used the V1 and it works very well. The directional indicators on the V1 are very useful, but, the V1 had a ton of false alarms or non-threat alarms. The Escort seems to have fewer non-threat alarms and the reccuring ones can be programmed to be ignored. This is the best feature. If it had directional allerts like the V1 it would be perfect!! I drive primarily in rural areas and the range on this is very good. Sometimes, too good. It luls you into thinking the theat is a false alarm or has passed, but then a minute later it will go off steady and sure enough the threat appears. I have been able to use it for two long trips (Bend, OR to Lake Tahoe and back) and it saved me several times. However, nothing can help when it comes to instant-on laser if there are no vehicles in front of you!! This is just an aid, not a magic ticket avoiding device, but used wisely can pay for itself quickly.

I was looking for a great detector for quite some time, and after many hours of research and getting suggestions from people, I chose the ESCORT 9500IX. The price is a bit steep, but you really get what you pay for. It's worth every penny. I love that I can mark 'traps' / 'zones' for the device to remember using GPS. My only dislike for this device is that life-time maps are not free, or cheaper. Paying every years doesn't seem right to me. But if it does it's job correctly, I will over-look this.

I bought the Escort Passport 9500i a couple of years ago, and in that time I have been pulled over once, and not for speeding I might add. It saved me from numerous speeding tickets (which in turn pays for itself with ticket prices these days!) It was very easy to use and was ready right out of the box. Sadly, it was stolen from my car about a month ago, the thief and my radar were never caught. What does a man do? He buys the Escort Passport 9500IX of course! Once again, it was extremely easy to use and ready right out of the box. It has already saved me from one would-be speeding ticket. Not only does it save you from dishing out cash for tickets, if you've ever had a moment with a past radar where you said something along the lines of, "Man! I wish it could/would do _______!" This is the radar for you. It has a feature or mode for just about anything you could think of. Basically, you can tweak this thing to be exactly the way you want it. Moral of the story kids, don't listen to Debbie Downer over there who says you will always get a speeding ticket if you speed whether you have this wonderful piece of equipment or not. Take it from a person who has had both the 9500i, and the 9500IX, it will save your life, and wallet, on the road.

I love how this radar detector has a gps feature so when I pass by all these stores it will learn and not do a false hit. EXCELLENT RANGE is probably the second best feature.

Upgraded from earlier version. Just as good if not better on strength. Much better on false alerts. Did not alert at several false locations where the earlier version did. Great in learning and storing false locations, easy to manually add false locations if necessary. Has picked up radar traps, well in advance. Love how it lets you know a cop is in the area with just a couple of beeps when you are at rest, rather then going full bore. Very accurate database on red light cameras. Little expensive, but worth it.

I commute about a hour and half one way to my business and I also travel a lot when I bought my new Silverado LTZ with the big MAX engine I knew that I had to have a good Radar Detector after some research I decided on the 9500IX. You will get some false signals at first but these will go away as you drive your regular routes or read your manual and it tells you how to stop false alarms. I paired mine up with the ZR4 Laser shifter available form the Escort web site and what a Ticket saver plus you should see the look on the Police Officers face as you drive by with the whole system working properly. They say that you should have this professionally installed but if you are handy with cars you will have no problem installing the system yourself it comes with a installation video with simple instructions. I can say that this Item has saved me over a hundred times when used properly yes it is a little pricey but I know that I would Gladly pay twice the price that it cost because it has saved me to many times to count. If you drive a lot and need to make time while driving this is the best item on the market remember to take it inside and use the automatic up date feature and look for your Escort e-mails for updates that you get after registration of your product. Good luck and drive safe a RADAR DETECTOR does not replace common sense it should be used to help you drive SAFER. SAFE DRIVING, NO LIMITS