Escort Passport 8500 X50

Price Paid:  $285.00 from Best Buy

Year / Model Reviewed:
2008 Escort X50

Weaknesses:
Reliability. For the price should not have to replace the antenna multiple times.

Summary:
Product works great but is not realiable. I have purcased two and both have had to have the antenna repaired.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $370.00 from Best Buy

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 Passport 8500

Summary:
I'll grant you this the Passport 8500 has probably helped me avoid tickets from 5-0. But the unit is plauged with false alarms on the X band. It will routinely go off with a full strength X band signal under the most unusual of circumstances, when there is absolutely no source within range. Also, as for reliability, the mute botton on the plug has no failed (not springing back into it's regaulr position); this causes the unit from time to time to automatically go into mute mode, creating a situation where, if you are not paying careful attention to the visual display, you might be caught easily unaware that you have a signal. Given the cost of this unit I expected much better.

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join CarReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $399.00 from Best Buy

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 x50

Strengths:
When it works it has very good range for all bands

Weaknesses:
High failure rate

Summary:
This detector works well, when it works.
Started having "internal calibration" problems within the first 6 months. As soon as the warranty had expired it began having "servicing Required" messages. Returned to Escort and paid $60 for repair. After I got it back it worked 1 day and then failed with "Service Reqired". Will send it back for a second time.

Similar Products Used:
Had a Bell once and threw it out the window after I got stopped and it didn't alert me.

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

Strengths:
Price, Distance

Weaknesses:
Laser

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

Excellent Radar Detector!

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.