Cobra XRS 9960G

Reviewers say the Cobra XRS 9960G is the least expensive radar detector that offers the new speed/red-light camera alerts. Unfortunately, experts say it's not as good at detecting old-fashioned radar as pricier models, including the top-rated Escort Passport 9500ix (*Est. $525). Real-life testers say they have driven past radar guns without a peep from the Cobra, although they get plenty of false alarms. Still, some reviews recommend the Cobra for its impressive feature set, including a big color display (although it can be hard to see in bright sunlight), free camera database updates for life (although like Escort, the Cobra database is not Mac-compatible) and a portable USB key that Popular Mechanics finds convenient. You can simply take the key to your PC, rather than toting your laptop all the way out to the car, as the tester finds he has to do with the Escort Passport 9500ix (he says it has to stay plugged into the cigarette lighter during updates).

The Cobra XRS 9960G also proves invisible to Spectre 3 and 4 radar-detector detectors in one test, something the Escort can't claim -- but critics say that's rarely important, as radar detectors are perfectly legal in most of the United States. If you want an invisible radar detector, critics say the Beltronics STi Driver (*Est. $500) is a better detector than the Cobra, although the STi Driver doesn't offer traffic-camera warnings.

SpeedZones.com includes the Cobra XRS 9960G in its most recent exhaustive tests, showing how the Cobra stacks up against the competition. LaserVeil.com and CNET conduct in-depth tests of the XRS 9960G by itself. Popular Mechanics doesn't test the unit, but the review notes some especially useful features. Amazon.com customers report on the XRS 9960G's real-life performance.