EmailBest Reviewed
Radar Detectors
- Best radar detector overall Escort Passport 9500ix *Est. $525
- Best mid-range radar detector Beltronics RX 65 *Est. $300
- Best radar detector under $200 Beltronics Vector 955 *Est. $175
- Most "invisible" radar detector Beltronics STi Driver *Est. $500
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Best radar detector under $200
- Few false alarms
- Easy to use
- Good basic detector
- Gives shorter warning of radar traps than top detectors
- Hit-or-miss detection of instant-on radar
It has fewer fancy features than mid-priced radar detectors, but tests show that the Beltronics Vector 955 is just as good at warning drivers about most speed traps. Although it gives less advance notice of a looming radar gun than expensive detectors, such as the Escort Passport 9500ix (*Est. $525), experts and users say the Vector 955 provides plenty of warning. In tests, it provides about as much warning as the mid-priced Escort Passport 8500 X50 (*Est. $300) and the Beltronics Vector 995 (*Est. $225). One shortcoming of the Vector 955 shows up only in expert tests: It doesn't always alarm when confronted by the short, tiny pulses of instant-on radar.
RadarTest.com tests the Beltronics Vector 955 against two newer budget radar-detector models.
GuysOfLidar.com's comparison test is more extensive, but it's older and doesn't include the very newest models. LaserVeil.com and RadarBusters.com both list the Vector 955 as one of the best inexpensive radar detectors, but no test results are given. User reviews at Amazon.com and Epinions.com are a good place to check whether experts' impressions of the Vector 955 hold up in real life.
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Our Sources
The Beltronics Vector 955 outperforms two other budget radar detectors in this test, the Cobra XRS 9955 and Whistler Pro 78SE. The Beltronics does the best job detecting radar on straightaways, around curves and over hills.
Review: Best 2009 Radar Detector Under $179, Craig Peterson, Aug. 15, 2009
The expert tests at GuysOfLidar.com mimic real-world situations; for example, radar detectors are tested on their ability to sense radar guns that are hiding over a hill or around a curve. The Beltronics Vector 955 performs well in most tests, but has a hard time detecting instant-on radar.
Review: Radar Detector Test, Editors of GuysOfLidar.com, Aug. 17-19, 2007
LaserVeil.com is a retail site that sells a laser light-absorbing spray for cars. In addition to that, it conducts expert radar-detector tests and posts the results in a buyer's guide. The Beltronics Vector 955 is rated one of the best $200 radar detectors here, but there is no full review of the unit.
Review: Radar Detectors Buyer's Guide 2008-2009, "The Veil Guy", Jan. 11, 2009
The Beltronics Vector 955 is one of the few under-$200 radar detectors that gets a recommendation from "Radar Roy" Reyer, the former police officer who now runs this retail site. He says the Vector 955 was the top performer in his 2007 tests, but no test results are posted.
Review: Radar Roy's Product Recommendations, Roy Reyer
5. Amazon.com
The Beltronics Vector 955 earns an average rating of 3.5 stars (out of five) with more than 60 consumer reviews posted. With such a large number of different views registered by owners, readers can get a good overall idea of the Vector 955's real-life performance.
Review: Beltronics V955 Vector High Performance Radar Detector, Contributors to Amazon.com
6. Epinions.com
The Beltronics Vector 955 earns an average of 3.5 stars (out of five) from more than 25 users at Epinions.com, a site where consumers post reviews of products they own. Users also give the Vector 955 numeric ratings for ease of use and durability, along with narrative reviews detailing their ownership experiences.
Review: Beltronics Vector 955 Radar Detector, Contributors to Epinions.com
Radar Detectors Runners Up:
6 picks including: Amazon.com, RadarTest.com…
4 picks including: SpeedZones, Guys of Lidar…
4 picks including: Amazon.com, SpeedZones…
3 picks including: RadarBusters.com, BestBuy.com…
2 picks including: Amazon.com, RadarTest.com…
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks including: Amazon.com, RadarBusters.com…
2 picks including: Amazon.com, SpeedZones…
2 picks including: Amazon.com, SpeedZones…
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