shoplmart's Full Review: Escort Passport 8500 X50 Radar Detector
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 hard way that not keeping my Escort 8500 was a big mistake. I recently got a ticket for speeding; so much for crying and short skirts. On a quest to buy a another 8500 I found that the original been updated with the X50 logo. I was prepared to buy another 8500 the way it was. So, does the updated 8500 impress?
Superficial Beauty:
One of the reasons why I purchased the original Escort 8500 was due to it's physical appearance. In comparison to competing radar detectors at the time i.e. the Valentine One and the Bell 985, the Escort 8500 had a modern design that was much easier on the eyes. Other than the X50 badge and the optional blue LCD read-out ($40), there are no distinct differences in appearance between the original 8500 and X50. Both models receive an attractive design and get dressed up in simulated platinum sheetmetal. There is only one issue I see with this design; having an eye catching radar detector doesn't exactly deter thieves. I have been lucky not to have either of my Escort Passport 8500s stolen. The same can't be said about my much cheaper but flashier PNI Silver Bullet, which was stolen within the first two weeks of ownership- credit to a fist through my drivers side window; a $300 fix.
Inner Beauty:
The Escort 8500 was already a powerful little unit and so goes the story with my updated Escort 8500 X50. In addition to the X, K, and Ka band detection, the updated 8500 X50 offers POP protection; the latest in radar detection. In case you are not familiar with POP, it's a relatively new method used by troopers where radar guns operate at low frequency until they are switched on to normal strength to determine a driver's actual speed. The X50 allows for an extended range of protection that is strong enough to pick up these ultra low signals before you get "popped." Some additional noteworthy features of both the original 8500 and the X50 8500 include the following..
* 360 degree radar and laser coverage
* Offers Ka, POP3 K & Ka (x50 only), L, X, K, Photo detection.
* VG-2 alert: (makes the Escort 8500 invisible to "most" radar detector detectors).
* Smart Cord: Has mute button and LED indicator light.
* Adjustable brightness and sound.
* A bar graph LED signal strength meter. SpecDisplay, which displays numerical digital readouts.
* Auto Mute: This is a great feature, which turns the sound off after a few seconds of alerting you.
* The ability to detect 8 signals at once. This comes in handy for those times when you are getting a signal from a police car but there are still other troopers in the area. I do have a gripe with this feature, however. This feature allows you to detect up to, 2 Ka, 2K bands and up to 4 X bands. So why am I complaining? Since X band is nearly obsolete, then why do we need to detect 4 signals of X band at once? I would have traded those four X band detections just to be able to detect another K or Ka signal.
* A very informative owners manual. I highly suggest avoiding buying a used unit if it doesn't come with the manual. You will need this manual!
* Tons of built-in customizable settings, i.e. dimming. A re-programmable computer by Motorola is also integrated. This allows you to update your 8500 when new radar technology becomes available.
Installation/Programming:
The 8500 is not one of those radar detectors that should only be considered by those who know the mathematical formula for world peace. On the contrary, like the original version of the 8500, the 8500 X50 is extremely easy to install and operate. Mounting the unit is as simple as finding a desired spot on your front windshield via its bracket and conventional suction cups.
The Escort 8500 allows you to keep it at its original settings or you can manually program the unit to your own preferences. Manually programming the 8500 can be a bit confusing at first due to its wide array of options, but I am confident that virtually anyone could learn how to program this unit within the first day of ownership. If you have any problems with the setup of your Escort 8500, it comes with a very informative operation manual that, as mentioned, you will need.
On The Road:
Even though I rarely exceed the maximum speed limit, I like to have a radar detector in my vehicle just in case my foot turns to lead. Sometimes I will be in a hurry and not realize that I am going over the speed limit. Having a radar detector with an effective alert system is a good reminder to check your speed. Since I do a mix of both city and highway driving, all bands (except for X) come in handy. Like the original 8500, the new 8500 X50 does an amazing job detecting X, K, and Ka bands. Unlike the original, however, the new X50 will detect POP radar (which you will have to activate in the settings menu). POP may not be exactly common as of yet, though its supposed to be more common in the near future. In comparison to my Bel 985 Vector, my variety of Cobras, and PNI detectors, the original 8500 and the updated X50 takes the cake when it comes to sensitivity and overall performance. While the updated 8500 X50 does seem to detect Ka band (what our NC state troopers use) a bit sooner than the original Escort 8500, I really have not noticed a major difference between the two units; certainly not a 50% increase in performance as Escort claims. This is just fine with me, as I was perfectly content with the performance of the original.
Like most radar detectors, the Escort 8500 X50 lets you know about radar threats via a "beep" which becomes more prevalent as you get closer to the radar signal. The 8500 does not come with the option of voice alerts, which is fine since I have never been too ecstatic about voice alerts anyway. It would have been nice, however, if the 8500 x50 could have incorporated arrows, like the V1, which point in the direction where radar is coming from. The Escort does, however, come with a very easy to read red colored LED display. A blue LCD display is optional, though I wasn't about to shell out 40 more dollars for a trendy blue LCD display, so I stuck to the original red color (no extra cost).
Since the Escort 8500 is very sensitive to all bands, it has the option of multiple city modes to help eliminate those annoying false alarms i.e. X band (X band can usually be blamed on things as simple as home alarm systems). Highway patrol cars rarely use X band these days, in fact I have never seen a police car using X band. I usually just have my 8500 set in auto mode, which does an excellent job eliminating false X band alerts.
When it comes to K and Ka band protection, the Escort 8500 offers excellent performance. The local police in my area use exclusively Ka and K radar, so a radar detector that is sensitive to these signals is very important. Usually the 8500 can detect a Ka or K signal as far as 3 miles away on flat terrain. Naturally this type of performance quickly deteriorates on twisty roads, however my Escort 8500 X50 does an exceptional job detecting K and Ka bands even on sharp bends in the road, especially compared to my old Bel 985 and my Cobra 9700. In a very amateur road test, my new 8500 detected both Ka and K bands between 20 and 30 seconds sooner than my Cobra 9700. As for POP protection goes, I have only owned two radar detectors that have had this feature; my current 8500 and the Cobra 9700. While it's still very rare to get POP warnings, my Escort detects this type of radar much sooner than my Cobra 9700. In fact, the Cobra's POP protection seems basically useless in comparison. But I digress, the Escort 8500 could improve in this department as well. To explain, POP detection is usually only effective on straight roads, rendering it useless for driving on twisty roads or in mountainous terrain. Also, a negative about using POP detection is that it will increase the amount of false alerts you will receive when you have it activated. Fortunately, with the Escort 8500, it doesn't overload with false alerts like my Cobra 9700.
Reliability:
One of my major concerns when purchasing a radar detector for $300 was reliability. Back in 2000 I did get a faulty Passport 8500 (probably due to shipping), but it was quickly replaced and I never had any problems with my Passport 8500 thereafter. Neglecting this unit by leaving it in my vehicle with inside temps above 150 degrees (not recommend) for hours has presented absolutely no problems with the original 8500, hopefully the same can be said about the 8500 X50; only time will tell. When I sold my original Passport 8500 back in 2004 it worked just as well as it did when I first had it replaced.
Price/Warranty:
The Escort Passport 8500 isn't one of those radar detectors that you will be able to find at your local Kmart or Wal-Mart. You will most likely need to go to your local mobile electronics store or order one online. The Escort 8500 X50 has a pretty standard price tag, a new one will usually run about $300 (this is about $100 bucks less than the Valentine One and about the same price of the new Bel RX 65). If anything goes wrong with your Escort 8500, Escort backs this radar detector up with a 1-year warranty to the original purchaser. Note: Extended warranties can be purchased.
Final Thoughts:
Like the original, the Escort 8500 X50 is an excellent radar detector that surpasses the performance of all the radar detectors I have owned in the past. Both the original and the X50 offer superior detection, excellent reliability, advanced features, and good looks to boot. I recommend the Escort Passport 8500 100%.
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