Whistler XTR-695

For about a third of the price of a top-of-the-line radar detector, the Whistler XTR-695 provides adequate warning of radar guns, experts say. This new budget model from Whistler can't match the performance of more expensive radar detectors; the Escort Passport 9500i *Est. $425, Valentine One *Est. $400, Beltronics STi Driver *Est. $500 and Beltronics Pro RX65 *Est. $235 all outperform it in tests. But critics say it is an improvement over the previous Whistler Pro 78 *Est. $135, with a stealthy matte-black finish and new features, including Signal ID for both radar and laser. This feature lets you know what signals your local police are using, and reviews say it cuts down on false alarms from motion sensors and the like. Tests also show the Whistler XTR-695 is good at hiding from some radar-detector detectors, although it is not truly invisible like the Beltronics STi Driver.

SpeedZones.com does by far the most comprehensive testing of the Whistler XTR-695 radar detector, ranking it against others based upon objective data. Reviews from RadarTest.com and Radar Roy are useful, but these review sources are not as well respected as SpeedZones, and their tests are not as data-driven. "The Veil Guy," who usually posts reviews on his retail site Laserveil.com, offers a video review of the Whistler XTR-695 radar detector on YouTube. We found very few user reviews anywhere for this brand-new model, but we did find one on Amazon.com and expect more owners will post there.