Escort Radar Detector Reviews

Escort Radar makes very popular radar detectors designed for the everyday driver. Escort’s radar detectors are convenient and easy to use and Escort has a line of different radar detectors, each tailored to a specific type of driver or set of needs. If you’re not a radar detector expert and have no interest in becoming one, an Escort radar detector can be a great choice.

There are many different radar detectors on the market, and it’s possible that another brand or radar detector may be a better fit for you than the models discussed here. I cover all the very best radar detectors in my Radar Detector Buyer’s Guide.

Every manufacturer has their own particular niche, their strengths and weaknesses. Escort’s radar detectors are not necessarily going to give you the highest level of performance available and there are other detectors that offer more performance for less money or a better bang for the buck. Escort has also been having some issues with customer relations lately as well. Escort radar detectors generally do come at a bit of a price premium, however, what you get in return is a simplified and improved user experience. With an Escort radar detector mounted on your windshield, the detector takes care of a lot of things for you automatically so you can focus on driving, plus you get some unique features like Bluetooth, WiFi integration, Autolockouts, and even displaying the speed limit of the road you’re driving on, offering useful benefits that no other radar detector can give you.

Important Note about Purchasing Escort Radar Detectors:

There’s two good ways to buy Escort’s radar detectors.

Amazon: Amazon typically has lower prices than buying direct so if you want the best deal, buy on Amazon. Just make sure that it says “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com” so that you get a warranty from Escort. There’s a lot of third party sellers on Amazon, and most of them are unauthorized, so to keep things simple you’ll want to ensure you buy directly from Amazon.com.

Direct from Escort: You can also purchase your Escort radar detector direct from Escort. The benefit of buying direct is that Escort offers a speeding ticket guarantee on many of its detectors. If you get a speeding ticket while running an Escort radar detector, Escort will cover the cost of the ticket. Some restrictions apply, of course, and it doesn’t cover any bumps to your car insurance premium or any associate court costs, but buying direct and getting the ticket guarantee does offer some additional peace of mind and protection in case you do get a ticket.

Escort Radar Detectors

Escort Max 360: Arrows, Plug-and-play Convenience ($649)

When it comes to Escort’s radar detectors, my go-to pick for the “best Escort radar detector” would be the Max 360. You see, this detector can do it all.

The Max series detectors all use Escort’s latest DSP technology for improved radar scanning and sophisticated signal analysis capabilities. (Escort advertises DSP with its other detectors too, but it’s mostly marketing speak there. With the Max’s, it really does make a big difference.)

With the latest technology built into Escort’s Max series detectors, you get great performance and excellent false alert filtering. The Max 360 has arrows to tell if you if the threat is ahead of you or behind you, it has automatic GPS lockouts so that it can automatically learn where annoying false alerts are located around you and being filtering them out for you automatically so it actually gets quieter the more you use it, it can alert you to nearby redlight cameras and speed cameras, it has a modern multicolor OLED display, it has Bluetooth to integrate with your phone, it can share radar and laser alerts with other Escort drivers in realtime, it can display the speed limit of the road you’re on on the display of the detector, and more. It offers just about everything most drivers could possibly want.

For most drivers, the Max 360 is pretty much Escort’s best radar detector. There is also the updated Max 360c which I’ll talk about next, but I think most people would be best suited with the original Max 360.

Purchase the Escort Max 360 on Amazon

Purchase the Escort Max 360 direct from Escort with the Speeding Ticket Guarantee

Escort Max 360c: Arrows, Plug-and-play Convenience, Wi-Fi ($699)

The Max 360c is an updated version of the Max 360, based on the same platform and offering all the same features. However, it is slightly smaller (a good thing), the build quality has been improved, and it offers band segmentation on K and Ka band which is useful for driving abroad.

However, the big deal with the Max 360c is that it offers Wi-Fi built into the detector which allows the detector to connect to your car’s (or home’s) Wi-Fi connection and automatically keep itself updated over time, downloading the latest firmware updates and redlight camera database for you, without you having to take the detector home and plug it into your computer to update.

For those of you who have a WiFi hotspot built into your vehicle and you’re looking for the ultimate in “hey, just do it all for me,” the Max 360c is the best Escort radar detector to buy.

Purchase the Escort Max 360c direct from Escort with the Speeding Ticket Guarantee

Escort iX: Plug-and-play Convenience ($499)

If you’d like to save a little cash over the Max 360 and don’t need the arrows, take a look at the Escort iX. The iX is a modernized update of Escort’s best selling detector of all time, the now discontinued Escort 9500ix.

The Escort iX offers all the key features that people need including reasonable performance and filtering in a modernized package, plus it offers Escort’s patented automatic GPS lockout functionality to help give you that desirable plug-and-play user experience.

The Escort iX a simpler detector that doesn’t use the same modern DSP that the Max does so its range and false alert filtering isn’t quite as good, but it still offers very reasonable performance, it can alert you to redlight cameras and speed cameras, it comes with the same modern OLED display, you get the Bluetooth capabilities to share realtime alerts with other drivers in the cloud, you’ve got your all important automatic GPS lockouts, and you get that same plug-and-play experience. This is a very popular detector for Escort and the more affordable price point makes it appealing as well.

Purchase the Escort iX from Amazon

Purchase the Escort iX direct from Escort with the Speeding Ticket Guarantee

Escort Redline EX: Plug-and-play Convenience, Invisibility, Ideal for Canadian & International Drivers ($599)

The Escort Redline EX is Escort’s best performing and longest range windshield mount detector. It also offers some unique features that none of Escort’s other detectors do. For example, it is completely stealth and undetectable by radar detector detectors (RDD’s), an important feature for those driving in areas where radar detectors are banned. It also has support for detecting international radar guns, important for those driving abroad, particularly Canadian drivers in Alberta and Quebec.

For most drivers here in the US, I think the Max 360 is still the better choice. It offers very good performance too and for only $50 more, you get arrows which are very helpful day-to-day. Most of us don’t need the RDD immunity or international gun support, so the money is typically better spent elsewhere.

That said, the Redline EX is Escort’s best performing radar detector, it also offers automatic GPS lockouts, advanced blind spot filtering capabilities, RLC/speedcam alerts, an updated OLED display, Bluetooth integration, it can show the speed limit on the front of your detector, and it offers Escort’s all-important plug-and-play experience.

If you want Escort’s highest level of performance and/or RDD immunity and international gun support, the Redline EX is Escort’s radar detector to buy.

Purchase the Escort Redline EX from Amazon

Purchase the Escort Redline EX in Canada (Save $25 with the coupon code “VortexRadar”)

Purchase the Escort Redline EX direct from Escort with the Speeding Ticket Guarantee

Escort X80: Budget-minded drivers, reasonable performance ($299)

For those of you guys looking for a modern Escort detector, but you’re on a tighter budget, take a look at the Escort X80. It’s a popular radar detector for first-time radar detector buyers who are just getting started and may not necessarily want to spring for a top end unit quite yet.

The X80 offers reasonable performance (comparable to the iX), it also has a modern OLED display, plus it has Bluetooth built-in to pair with your phone and give you the real time cloud sharing alerts and display the current speed limit on the display of your phone.

The biggest thing the X80 is missing is a GPS chip. All the other radar detectors we’ve talked about so far offer that and it gives the detectors the ability to do things like remember where false alerts are around town and filter them out for you (autolockouts), plus you get low speed muting to keep the detector quiet around town. The X80 doesn’t have a GPS chip, but you can pair it with your phone and use your phone’s GPS instead. That false alert learning process will require your phone to function, plus you have to manually teach it what’s a false alert initially, so there is more manual work required up front. However, if you want to save some cash, don’t mind needing your detector paired to your phone, and are cool with a little more work up front, the X80 can save you some cash over a more automated detector like the Escort iX.

Purchase the Escort X80 from Amazon

Purchase the Escort X80 direct from Escort

Escort S75G / 9500ix: Inexpensive, automation over performance ($299)

If you’ve got your heart set on having that plug-and-play user experience and your budget is locked around $299, take a look at the Escort S75G. It’s a minor refresh of Escort’s best selling detector of all time, the now discontinued Escort 9500ix.

The best part of the S75G is that it has the automatic GPS lockout functionality so that it can automatically learn where false alert are located around town from speed signs and shopping centers with those automatic door openers.

However, you’re sacrificing a good amount to get that functionality. The S75G is based upon a pretty old detector, the 9500ix. Performance isn’t that great, it’s not designed to filter out false alerts coming from the latest vehicles with blind spot monitoring radar systems, it doesn’t have an updated OLED display, and there’s no bluetooth integration. I can totally see people being willing to skip over the screen and bluetooth part, but the reduced performance and dated filtering is tough to accept in this day and age.

If you really want the automatic GPS lockouts though and your budget is locked at the $299 price point, the S75G is Escort’s radar detector to get.

Purchase the Escort S75G from Amazon

Escort Solo S4: Cordless convenience ($299)

Speaking of compromises, for those of you who travel frequently and want a cordless radar detector, Escort offers the Escort Solo S4.

Honestly, I don’t really understand this detector. It’s using an ooooold platform, the performance is lousy, the filtering is dated, it doesn’t offer any newer features like Bluetooth or GPS, but the appeal of it is that it’s cordless. Instead of plugging it into your cig. lighter, it can be powered by a pair of AA batteries. You’re basically sacrificing the basic, key things that a radar detector needs to do well (detect police radar and filter out all the sources of non-police radar), all so that you can travel with your radar detector and windshield mount, but not bring a power cable. If you’re gonna travel, bring a power cable. It’s not a big deal. No more worrying about dead batteries, plus the power cable has a USB port to charge your phone which is super handy when traveling and using your phone as your GPS.

I don’t get it. However, there is a group of people who are diehard cordless detector users so every few years, Escort gives the detector a minor cosmetic refresh and calls it the newest version of the Solo series radar detectors.

I find it extremely hard to recommend this detector due to its dated platform, poor performance, and poor filtering. However, if you need a battery-operated radar detector and that’s priority number one, well then Escort makes the Solo S4 which would be perfect for you.

Purchase the Escort Solo S4 from Amazon

Purchase the Escort Solo S4 direct from Escort

Escort Max Ci: Integrated Remote Radar Detector / Laser Jammer $2,999

Moving back up to Escort’s ultimate radar detectors once again, we’re now going to look at Escort’s two remote mount radar detectors.

Remote radar detectors are designed to give the user a cleaner experience with no radar detector mounted to the windshield. Instead, the radar detector is installed somewhere in the grill area of your vehicle, and inside your cabin you have only a small controller and display. This keeps your car looking more stock and OEM, plus there’s no radar detector visible to police officers or potential thieves.

The Max Ci is a high performance remote radar detector, outperforming even the Redline EX. It also offers some of the best filtering around in the business, it has automatic GPS lockouts, plus it’s RDD immune like the Redline EX too. The Max Ci also has Bluetooth built in for cell phone integration, real time alert sharing via the cloud, and displaying the current speed limit on screen.

At $2,999, the detector is pricey, but that’s because it also includes Escort’s new ShifterMax laser jammers for complete radar and laser protection. These are Escort’s newest laser jammers, they are both much smaller and more effective than Escort’s previous laser jammers, and they will do a good job at protecting many cars. (To learn more about the laser jammers, see my latest comparison of the best laser jammers on the market.)

For those of you wanting an integrated, high end, remote mount radar detector and laser jammer, the Max Ci is an excellent option. Like Escort’s higher end windshield mount radar detectors, it also comes with Escort’s speeding ticket guarantee for an added layer of protection.

Now one weird thing about Escort’s new remote detectors is that you can no longer purchase them online and install them yourself. You now have to go to a local dealer to purchase them and have them installed for you. My feelings on the matter are pretty mixed, but for those of you who’d like to purchase Escort’s latest remote mount radar detectors, that’s now the way to go.

Learn More about the Escort Max Ci and Find a Local Dealer

Escort Max Ci 360: Integrated Front & Rear Remote Radar Detector / Laser Jammer $3,499

Finally we get to the Max Ci 360. This is Escort’s ultimate level of protection against both radar and laser threats. This is essentially the same thing as the Max Ci, except that it adds 360 degree protection.

The Max Ci 360 adds a rear radar detector antenna, giving you arrows to help you locate the source of any radar threats, plus it adds two rear laser jammers to keep you covered against rear laser threats.

I typically run front and rear protection on my vehicle and definitely find it valuable. At only $500 more than the Max Ci, plus the cost of additional installation, the Max Ci 360 is a great option. It’s significantly more popular than the front only solution, and that totally makes sense. If you’re going for a high end system, I think you might as well spring for the whole enchilada and get complete protection.

The Escort Max Ci 360 is Escort’s ultimate option for complete radar and laser protection.

Learn More about the Escort Max Ci 360 and Find a Local Dealer

Best Escort Radar Detector

So to summarize, if you’re looking for the best Escort radar detector for you, here’s what I’d recommend:

Escort Max 360: Best all-around Escort radar detector with arrows, convenience, and all the important bells and whistles. Buy the Escort Max 360 now.

Escort iX: Best mid-level Escort radar detector, convenient and easy to use like the Max 360, but without the arrows and a bit less performance and filtering. Buy the Escort iX now.

Escort X80: Best affordable Escort radar detector, especially for people wanting an inexpensive detector or their first detector. Buy the Escort X80 now. 

Escort Max Ci 360: Escort’s ultimate integrated radar and laser protection for complete protection. Buy the Escort Max Ci 360 now.