Escort Passport 8500: The Art Of Evading Cops

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 Passport 8500 that belongs to a fellow speeder friend of mine. Currently, I have a Valentine One in my 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, and I couldn't be happier. But here's what I found with the Passport 8500:

-Price-
*The Escort Passport 8500 comes in at about $300. It is $100 less than the Valentine One! That can be a lot of money saved. This is where it's hard to say which detector is better. I personally prefer the Valentine One better because it is rated at having stronger reception, even though the Passport 8500 proved itself to be a great Anti-Cop device; however the Passport 8500 lacks a bogey counter, which is helpful for avoiding speed traps like the Valentine One can. Also, the Valentine One uses arrows to show where the cops are located. The Passport 8500 only has a strength meter just like any other radar detector has to show you that there are cops. The Passport 8500 also doesn't have a rear antenna like the Valentine One does, but rear-attacks by cops are very rare. So it is pretty much for you to decide if those features on the Valentine One are worth the extra $100. I found them to be, but most people don't need them. Most people are happy with cheaper Uniden, Cobra, and other detectors. But the Passport 8500 and Valentine One offer the best protection around. But for most part, the Passport 8500 is definitely worth the $300. It is a lot of money, but if you get a ticket, and then have it go through your insurance, the $300 will definitely be worth it! All of that insurance mumbo jumbo can get pretty expensive. The Passport 8500 is a very formidable component against the Valentine One, and the $300 for it is worth it, however I would recommend going the extra step to the Valentine One for an extra $100, but that's just my opinion.

-How It Functions-
*According to Car&Driver, the Passport 8500 has weaker antenna sensitivity than the Valentine One. However, when I was using the Passport 8500 in my car for two days, putting on 300 miles, it handled very nicely. I put it up right next to my Valentine One. The Passport 8500 was maybe a second behind the Valentine One in detecting a police signal, but both detected the signals. The Passport 8500 like the Valentine One and other detectors handles X, K, Ka, and laser bands. The thing I didn't like about the Passport 8500 was that it had a bit more false alarms than the Valentine One. But that's not really a big deal at all. At least it picked up the Ka and laser band far in advance, and that gace me time to slow my car down. Today, cops use Ka more than any other band to track the speeds of speeders. The Passport 8500 did an excellent job of picking it up before it was too late. Another nice feature about it is that it can handle up to eight signals at the same time, so that it doesn't jam itself if it receives one signal. It's a fatal way to get stopped by a cop. Get a false alarm, and then you get pulled over because it doesn't give you time to pick up the actual police cruiser. I really wished that the Passport 8500 showed how many bogeys there are, and also the direction in which they are, but the Passport 8500 still picks up what it needs, and gets the job done sufficiently.

-Overall Performance-
*As I have mentioned before, the Passport 8500 handles exceptionally well. It does lack some of the features that the Valentine One has, but for most part, the Passport 8500 is a boot in the cop's hiney. This baby will show them who is boss. The sensitivity on the Passport 8500 is great. I find the Passport 8500 to be better than most detectors that I've tried before, such as Bel, Cobra, Whistler, etc... If you have a lead foot, you'll love this thing. However, if you're very paranoid about cops like me, then the extra $100 spent on the Valentine One will really make you feel better. For the entire time, the Passport 8500 picked up every signal that the Valentine One did, but the Valentine One did make me feel better because it still showed me how many bogeys it was picking up, and where they were.

-Some Side Notes-
*The Passport 8500 is a great detector. However, one interesting thing about it is that it is a gray color. Sure it looks cool, but it might make it look more appealing to car theives. Other than that, the Passport 8500 is great. Another great feature about the Passport 8500 is that it is itself upgradable. When those law enforcement people come out with new technologies, they can be fitted into the Passport 8500. But the same goes for the Valentine One, but instead, with the Valentine One, you send it in for a new model once a new one comes out replacing the other one. This is another great way to save money, because for most part, once a detector is outdated, it makes a better door-stop than actual radar detector.

-The Verdict-
*The Escort Passport 8500 is a great detector overall. It definitely gets the job done as it is supposed to. During the days in which I drove with it, it saved me from those evil cops! The Passport 8500 is a very formidable opponent against the Valentine One. It unfortuantely lacks some of the Valentine One's great feautures, but the Passport 8500 has what a great detector should have: Detection of all four bands and a strong antenna. The Passport 8500 passes with flying colors in this aspect. Is it worth $300? The Passport 8500 definitely is. But if you want to make yourself virtually unstoppable, you should pay $100 extra for the Valentine One which will give you the nice afformentioned features. Do you know what the greatest feeling is? Getting warning before coming across a police radar, and driving past them with a big grin on your face. Warning means everything! :)