Escort Passport 9500ix

The latest crop of radar detectors uses GPS to alert you if a speed or red-light camera looms ahead -- and experts say the Escort Passport 9500ix is the best of the bunch. It excels at this new task, while still detecting radar guns better than any other detector in Speed Management Laboratories' latest test. Reviewers also love the AutoLearn feature, which automatically identifies false alarms and eliminates them. Other Escort models don't have these advanced features, and neither do less expensive detectors such as the Beltronics RX 65 (*Est. $300) or Beltronics Vector 955 (*Est. $175).

Other brands do offer camera-warning detectors, but they aren't quite as good either, according to reviews: The Beltronics GX 65 (*Est. $475) lacks the AutoLearn feature, and the Cobra XRS 9960G (*Est. $300) doesn't detect radar guns as quickly as the Escort. However, the Cobra's traffic-camera database is easier to update -- you can remove the USB key to plug it into your PC, whereas you have to leave the Escort plugged in to the car and haul your laptop out to it, testers say -- and the Cobra comes with free updates for life. Escort's updates are free at its website for 90 days; after that, they cost $20 a year or $30 for three years. The software is not Mac-compatible.

SpeedZones.com thoroughly tests the Escort Passport 9500ix and presents the results objectively. RadarBusters.com, RadarTest.com and LaserVeil.com review the 9500ix alongside its competitors more briefly. Popular Mechanics tests the 9500ix by itself in a very readable review. Plenty of owners report on this unit's real-life performance at Amazon.com.