Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar Detector

Pros: Easy to use, Flexibility, Sensitivity, A few new features including POP protection.
Cons: Still expensive, Blue LCD costs $40.

I purchased my first Escort Passport 8500 back in '00 and had owned it up until last year. Because I rarely go over the speed limit, I made the decision to sell my 8500 along with my collection of miscellaneous radar devices. I have since learned the ...

Pros: Superior detection capabilities. Loaded with customizable features. Nice design.
Cons: Expensive.

In the ever competitive cat and mouse chase world of police radar and drivers who want 'protection' from their lead-foot driving tendencies, radar detection companies are always trying to keep in step with the radar gun producing folks who are doing...

Pros: Much improved K and Ka band range, sleek design, easy mounting, easier storage, SmartCord
Cons: Flashy color attracts undesirables, poor rear protection.

Oh, how I truly believe that speed limits are arbitrarily set by agents of The Man.

Weeks ago, I did a head-to-head comparison of the Passport 7500 and the Valentine One. This had the results of a man-vs-boy confrontation with the Valentine...

Pros: Does its job and does it well. ExpertMeter. High quality item, too.
Cons: Lacking voice feature, maybe? Of course, a bit pricey.

There I was! White-knuckled and sweating, pedal to the metal... flying down the interstate at 100 mph. I suppose there were a lot of things on my mind as I flew towards Dallas, TX in a borrowed 1997 Jaguar XK8 (review to come, I promise), but being ...

Pros: Clean/Clear display; Band selectable; Customized for driver
Cons: EZ Program! NOT!; Long unit; Windshield mount

The Escort name has been around for over 20 years. They have dominated the detector market with the Original Escort, Escort Passport, and late 80s Solo. After one of the founders had departed from the company (Mike Valentine) the company hasn't produced...

Pros: Bright LED lights, detects and warns off safety issues immediately, easy to use
Cons: None

As good ole Sammy Hagar would say ~ I can't drive "55"!!! I want to, but I can't. I am what you would call a "Defensive Driver". I am very safe, very aware, and have no other distractions when I drive, i.e.; I don't text, play with the radio, read, gab ...

Pros: Excellent proven detection ability, robust programming options, good looks, great warranty fulfillment
Cons: Easily marred plastic case

Intro Although I live in a state where radar detectors are completely verboten, I purchased one in Joliet, IL, while on a cross country road trip. Until I reached California, the trusty Escort 8500 gave its occasional beeps, chirps, and buzzes to ...

Pros: detects most radar well, small
Cons: not the best in its price range

I have been using this radar detector a great deal lately because of some troubles I have had with my vehicle which have forced me to drive my friends car a bit. He has owned this radar detector for some time and has said that it generally has done a...

Pros: Programmable, High Performance Detection, Easy to Mute
Cons: Expensive

Background
My commute to and from work puts me in my car about 2 hours a day. I have owned escort and passport radar detectors for about 15 years and have never been disappointed.

Important and Useful Features
The...

Pros: Good Sensitivity, Good Price, Upgradable, Covers All Bands
Cons: Lacks Features of V1, Silver Color Is More Appealing To Theives

For the many people who require the best protection from cops and who can't afford the Valentine One comes the Escort Passport 8500! The Passport 8500 is $100 less than the Valentine, and it is put up as a very competent competitor. I was able to use a...

Pros: soothing HP blue display, automute is a must, raspy brap alerts not annoying, smartcord
Cons: no SWS on x50, length, no voice, no directional arrows

After hours of reviewing articles, radar tests at speedzones.com, radartest.com, http://www.radar-detectors.com , motortrend.com and others, I narrowed it down to x50, rx65, and V1. Not an easy choice for me. THE SKINNY ON THE THREE DETECTORS escort ...

Pros: Detection range, very little falsing, FREQUENCY DETECTION, travel case
Cons: Silver paint, no autobrightness, V1 windshield mount is much smarter

For those who have read already this review please go right to the bottom and see an update as of 10/20/09. For those who have read already this review please go right to the bottom and see an update as of 10/26/08. For those who have ...

Pros: Expert Meter, loud, audibly distinct alerts, soothing red display
Cons: expensive, windshield mount is flimsy

My previous radar detector was a Whistler 1490, I loved the text display, and it seemed to be a quite sensitive detector, sometimes *too* sensitive, falsing when there was no radar around and I was the only vehicle on the road, it would often false with ...

Pros: Highly programmable, Band Selectivity, Ka band sensitivity, solidly built
Cons: Rear radar sensitivity, lots of K band falsing, somewhat bulky

Specs from the booklet! Operating Bands * X-band 10.525 GHz ± 25 MHz * K-band 24.150 GHz ± 100 ...

Pros: Performance (for the short time it works)
Cons: Quality, Reliability, and price

I won't bother with any glowing performance reviews. Others have pretty much filled this space with them and I agree, it is a great detector - WHEN IT WORKS! I purchased one of these units from an online retailer in the Spring of 2004. By the end of ...