Picture this: you’re cruising along a country road, enjoying a Sunday drive. You’ve got the windows rolled down and your favorite tune on the radio. Nothing can ruin this day – until you hear that unmistakable sound of a police siren. You look in the rear-view mirror and realize you’re being pulled over.
Now you’re stuck with the unexpected expense and inconvenience of a speeding ticket. This could have been prevented if your vehicle were outfitted with a radar detector.
Radar detectors alert you when you’re approaching a law enforcement officer, so you can avoid getting ticketed. They also let you know when you’re speeding so you can change your behavior, keeping you, your passengers, and other drivers safe.
In this review, we examine some of the best radar detector on the market.
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How We Choose Our Ratings
We’ve searched high and low to find the best radar detector and have reviewed several models to help you find the right one for you. We used many different methods, including reviewing testimonials from real customers, researching detailed information about each brand, and examining the features of the radar detectors themselves.
In our quest, we took many different factors into consideration when giving our ratings: accuracy, range, value, bells and whistles, looks, and ease of installation.
While your needs may be different, we found the following four criteria to be most important while evaluating the radar detectors on our list:
Accuracy
Accuracy is the number one factor we considered. You’re purchasing a radar detector to avoid being ticketed by law enforcement.
If the unit isn’t accurate, it’s useless to your cause. If it makes a lot of false alerts, you’ll get frustrated and end up turning it off, again making it a windscreen decoration rather than a helpful tool.
Range
Range is an important factor, as it allows you time to change your driving behavior if necessary. A radar detector won’t do you any good if it doesn’t alert you to a police car until you’re right on top of it. Some models can even tell you which direction a signal is coming from, so you don’t need to worry about alerts coming from a parallel side street while you’re on the highway.
Value
Value means something different to everyone. In our case, we measured each detector’s features and performance against its cost. The most expensive models are bound to come with lots of extras, so we evaluated whether or not those add-ons are worth the increased price. Speaking of extras:
Bells and Whistles
You may be looking to upgrade a simple model to something with a little more wow factor. We examined some of the latest features and evaluated both their functionality and the likelihood that you’ll use them.
While we considered looks and ease of installation, they weren’t as important to our reviews as the factors outlined above.
You’ll likely only install your unit once, so a tricky installation would be a one-time annoyance that wouldn’t affect the detector’s performance. Also, no one purchases a radar detector just to make their car look cooler. If you buy one for its great aesthetics, you’re not going to be celebrating its looks when a police officer pulls you over for doing 45 in a 40 zone.
Top 10 Best Radar Detector
Below are our top picks for the best radar detector models. Costs listed reflect the lowest prices we found online. Ratings are out of a maximum of five stars.
Escort Passport S75 Radar Detector
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Escort Passport S75 boasts a BSM Filter and a GPS auto-lock, all authorized from the Escort USA dealer. You get superior performance with all its features, including the multiple laser sensors.
There are thousands of locations for safety cameras already loaded into this radar detector, but you also have the option of adding in hot spots of your own. The red display is high-resolution, while the auto sensitivity mode is based on the speed of your vehicle.
The intelligence and performance of this radar detector is somewhat overshadowed for some customers, who might require a longer cord. If you don’t have this issue, you’ll be delighted with the Web-readiness and easy online updates of Escort Passport S75.
Cobra RAD 450
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Cobra RAD 450
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The Cobra RAD 450 comes from a brand name that’s well-known in the car radar detector market. It comes with all the trappings necessary for staying safe from tickets.
Cobra was among the first companies to offer radar detectors to the masses, and they’ve made their mark once again with this model. You get your standard long-range alerts, a false alert filter, voice alerts, and an OLED display.
The filtering performance is exemplary, while the range is wide enough for the price range. The only drawbacks might include some screen issues and complaints of poor range, but those are probably due to certain exceptional situations.
Escort Max 360
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If bells and whistles are what you’re looking for, the Escort Max 360 has got them.
The unit comes with directional arrows that indicate threats, dual antennas, and Escort Live technology. It uses a powerful digital signature processor to prioritize bands that are most often used by police officers, so you don’t break into a sweat over another driver opening an automatic door.
Accuracy is top-notch with the Max 360. In fact, Escort is so sure about its ability to protect you that the company will cover your first speeding ticket if you get nabbed while using it.
Whistler CR93
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The Whistler CR93 is incredibly quick to detect radar signals. Its built-in GPS technology comes with an updatable database of red-light and photo-enforcement cameras.
The unit is capable of detecting a red-light system and law enforcement radar at the same time. If you’re driving in a state that uses X-band radar, like North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, or Mississippi, you may run into some problems. The CR93 is less sensitive to this band and may not alert you to its presence. One great feature of this model is its ability to tell you when it is being interfered with by vehicle collision avoidance systems. When this occurs, you know to pay extra close attention to your speed.
Radenso Pro M Extreme
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This Radenso detector is a radar and a laser detector, making it one of the most coveted brands within Europe.
The technology inside this tiny device is amazing, especially when it comes to GPS lockouts. This is useful when you’re driving down your common routes, as it would remember the false alerts there and won’t alert you without due reason.
There’s also automatic muting below an adjustable speed, along with a sensitivity adjustment option. With the pre-loaded database of over 6,000 alert locations, you’re assured of getting alerts well in time.
Of course, the main drawback here is the price which doesn’t make it a worthwhile investment for some. But others are more than happy with their decision.
Cobra RAD 450
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The Cobra DSP-9200BT is well-designed with great button feel and a bright, easy-to-read display.
Bluetooth enabling allows you to program the detector through the iRadar smartphone app so you can easily change your settings and get access to a photo enforcement database.
The app also uses crowd-sourcing to warn other drivers about upcoming speed traps. It has impressive range and sensitivity but doesn’t always filter out the collision avoidance systems of nearby vehicles, meaning you may get some annoying false alerts on the freeway. Digital signal processing technology improves accuracy.
Fun features include speed mute and quiet drive modes.
Uniden R1 Extreme
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The Uniden R1 Extreme uses directional technology so you always know where a signal is coming from.
The system uses two antennas to tell you the location of a radar signal as well as the type of band it’s using, so you can determine if there’s a cop ahead or just another car with a blind-spot warning system. You’ll also be notified when you pass a speed trap, so you can get back to relaxed driving.
Beltronics GT-7
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If appearance and ease of setup are important to you, then consider the Beltronics GT-7 radar detector.
Its sleek lines and dual copper and black color scheme make it a truly slick-looking gadget for the style-conscious. Installation is quick and painless, needing only a magnetic bracket on the windshield to run a cord into a power insert.
Another cool feature of the GT-7 is real-time GPS-enabled speed data so you know as soon as you’ve crossed over the speed limit. While it doesn’t feature any crowd-sourced technology, it does have a powerful digital signal processor that gives you 360-degree detection.
Uniden DFR7
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The Uniden DRF7 is a mid-range detector that is great at filtering out false alerts.
A built-in GPS chip lets you mute alerts when you’re driving at low speeds or passing known stationary signals. You’re also alerted to the presence of red-light cameras. Highway range is good but can be somewhat weak on certain frequencies.
The alerts are also a bit on the quiet side and can be missed if you’re engaged in conversation or listening to the radio. The DRF7 also lacks directional alerts, so you’re never completely sure where a detected signal is coming from.
Uniden R3
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If you’re a motorcycle driver, a windshield-mounted radar detector simply won’t work for you. The Uniden R3 was designed specifically with motorcycles in mind.
It is both shockproof and waterproof so it can withstand exposure to the elements. It comes with large buttons so you can program it while riding, even if you are wearing bulky gloves. Its LCD display is angled up for easy viewing. The Uniden R3 is also easy to remove so you can take it with you whenever you park.
If you’re fine with spending extra money, you can also buy a compatible wireless helmet alert system so you can easily hear alerts over wind and engine noise. The helmet system will run you an extra $$. The Uniden R3 has average range and sensitivity.
Buyer’s Guide
We’ve provided some comprehensive information about the radar detectors we think are the best options on the market.
When it comes to choosing a model, it’s important to think about your specific needs and the types of features that will be most useful to you.
If you do a lot of freeway driving, you may want a detector that’s good at filtering out collision-avoidance systems. Additionally, if you live in a rural area without a lot of traffic, crowdsourcing technology probably won’t give you a lot of extra information. Extras may seem fun, but they’re only expensive decorations if you don’t need them. Of course, only you know which models your budget will allow.
Finally, we hope this information helps you become a safer, smarter, less-ticketed driver.
Remember: no radar detection system is a replacement for conscientious, law-abiding driving. Follow traffic laws, keep your eyes on the road, and pay attention to your surroundings to make the road a more enjoyable place for everyone and keep that ticket money in your pocket.
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Last update on 2023-04-15 at 07:41 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API