Escort Passport 8500 X50

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $200.00 from RadarReviews.Net

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 8500 X50

Summary:
Got great information first about this radar detector from RadarReviews.Net

Excellent Radar Detector!

Strengths:
Price, Distance

Weaknesses:
Laser

Similar Products Used:
Valentine One

Price Paid:  $308.00 from Best Buy

Year / Model Reviewed:
 passport 8500 x50

Summary:
I live in Bend, Oregon and this product rarely works here. I've seen maybe fifty cops in the month I've owned the unit and it hasn't detected a visible car yet, I installed it in the correct position on the dash and have been using auto since the manual recommends it. I asked customer service at Escort and this was their reply-
It is impossible to explain everything our
customers encounter, but I think I understand your recent experience.
In their efforts to increase revenue and "trap" motorists with radar
detectors, the police use "instant on" more frequently than in the past.
With instant on, the officer leaves the gun in a stand-by mode and
there is nothing to pick up until the officer physically pulls the
trigger to clock the speed of the target vehicle. If you are the leader
of the pack or the only one on the road and they tag you with instant
on, there may be no advance warning at all.
With instant on, you are counting on them tagging someone ahead of you.
This is why detectors with the longest range are important. You may
hear the detector giving brief, weak bursts as an alert that might seem
to be a false signal. This is a perfect example of instant on being
used ahead of you, and should be a signal for caution.
All radar guns can be used with instant on, and laser is always used in
this mode.

Price Paid:  $143.00 from ebay/used

Year / Model Reviewed:
2004 8500

Summary:
Ive used the system for over a month and it's saved me NUMEROUS times, the best radar detector I've ever used. The expert mode is great as it shows 4 X bands, 2 KA, and 2 K. This is very helpful when driving through speed traps. The radar detector gives you more than enough time to react to whatever band and signal strength comes up on the radar. The price is very affordable considering how much speeding citations are, and the time you take to go to court and so forth. I paid $143 for a used on ebay and I would've paid5 times that much if necessary. I HIGHLY recomment this item.

Strengths:
Detects all bands
Very far detection
Affordable
Easy to wire

Weaknesses:
None for me.

Similar Products Used:
Valentine

Price Paid:  $540.00 from Mopac

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 Escort Passport X-50

Summary:
After reading reviews about this and the Valentine being tied for #1, I decided to buy the X-50. Well, within the first hour of use: "Service Required" came on the display. Off to the repair center... When I got it back I went through laser radar (several times) and it did not go off. The laser alert finally went off one night when I was pulling into my garage!!! Back for repair. Again, when it was returned, no laser alerts, back for repair. Once returned, the laser detection worked!! for about 1/2 an hour. I went through the radar trap and it didn't go off. It is currently out for repair, again...

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
A lot of false alarms.
Extremely poor reliability.
Costly.
No laser detection.
Poor ka detection.

Similar Products Used:
Bel
Valentine

Price Paid:  $299.00 from best buy

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 8500 X50

Summary:
Overall a very good system. Lots of nice user configurable options

Strengths:
Distance and display. Auto Mute

Weaknesses:
CHEAP mounting bracket

Similar Products Used:
all types of radar detectors