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Escort 8500 or V1, places to buy them?

dcdomain

dcdomain

Diamond Member
So I still can't decide between them. Escort 8500 or V1? And any of you have some good places online I could purchase from? I'd pretty much by either of them, just depends on what prices I could get them for. V1 is around $100 more expensive right?
 
V1 by far...no personal experience but the reviews all praise the V1's range and its special arrows that show where the radars are. It also displays bogeys like shopping mall automatic doors and stuff
 
I just bought a V1 within the past weeks and did a drive through ohio, kentucky, tennesee, arkansas, and texas with it. It's pretty nice. My only complaint is it goes crazy sometimes for no apparent reason (laser detector went off in the middle of NOWHERE, and I KNOW there were no cops in the area). However, it came in quite handy in Kentucky when the damn state troopers were clocking from behind.... nice little arrow pointing to the back, "Ka" lit up, and the thing screaming like mad, with plenty of advance warning to slow down 🙂 Just a warning though: a radar detector is not a 100% solution... alot of state highway patrols and sheriffs offices are now equipped with laser, which are 99.9% undetectable (I rolled by probably 6 of them that the V1 didn't light up for AT ALL).

btw: I don't think Valentine Research has any resellers. You can only buy new units directly from them. You can also usually find them cheaper on Egay...
 
I have the Escort Passport 7500. It is a great radar detector - it saved me a few times 🙂. The V1 is $150 more than the 8500 according to some article I read recently that reviewed a bunch of em, it placed the 8500 2nd and the V1 1st, the model above the 7500 - I personally would save the $150, but hey, its up to you. The arrows are the main advantage to the V1. Also the V1 looks like it is huge (although I've never seen one in real life), the 7500 and 8500 are about the size of a cigarrette package. The street prices the magazine quoted were $400 for the V1 or $250 for the 8500.
 


<< The arrows are the main advantage to the V1. >>

Along with the arrows are the fact that the V1 is the only detector with a rear facing antenna. I'd go absolutely insane if I just had a box sitting on my dash beeping like crazy and not knowing if it was picking up something in front, behind, or to the side.



<< Also the V1 looks like it is huge (although I've never seen one in real life), the 7500 and 8500 are about the size of a cigarrette package. >>

I wouldn't call it huge. It's maybe 30% larger than a pack of cigarettes. I'm sure the Passports are smaller from what I've seen. Not a big issue... detectors are only illegal in Virginia and D.C. so who cares if it's seen?
 
I bought a 8500 about 2 months ago and really like it. It has a feature similar to the bogey counter on the V1. It can tell you how many signals on each band it is picking up. For example, driving down the highway, it may show that it is picking up 2 Ka signals and 1 X band signal.
 
Radartest.com has the 8500 rated much higher overall than the V1 with the 8500 $100 cheaper @ $300.
 
Previous version of V1 had bugs thus why it was rated behind the 8500. I forgot the link but there was a newer test made between the Bel, Escort, Passport and the Valentine. The V1 (new model update) came up on top without the bugs it usually had in the past.

I do things the cheap way though, just drive within the set speed limits. 🙂
 
Hmmm... my friend has the V1, and you have to do a little wiring. Since I'll probably be using another car by the end of the year, I'd like to save some hassle, hence the 8500. However, yeah I've read a bunch of reviews about how the arrows help out a lot. And the rear facing detection is great too. First ticket I ever got was from the rear.

As for driving the speed limit, sure. But on an average 6 hour drive, I do tend to speed. But I'm not stupid about it. I'll speed when the road is clear, good weather and a straight away. I don't speed for fun, I just want to get to my destination and get the hell out of the car.

Anyone have any tips on where I can purchase the 8500? Seems like the V1 can only be bought from the source, or on egay... going to need it by Thursday. Would Best Buy or Circuit City happen to sell them?
 


<< laser detector went off in the middle of NOWHERE, and I KNOW there were no cops in the area >>


Mine does that, too, but I believe that what triggers the laser alarm is stray light from those new LED tailights in Ford Explorers and such. Those tailights must produce a visual signature similar to laser.


<< Radartest.com has the 8500 rated much higher overall than the V1 with the 8500 $100 cheaper @ $300. >>


Radartest.com is hardly impartial. In a thread in Hot Deals, we exposed them as a billboard front for Escort...they are not agnostic journalists.

 
Yah the radartest.com results can't really be trusted since the owner of that site has a grudge w/Valentine One after they fired? him...
As for your 2nd question that nobody seemed to answer yet... you can get the Escort Passport 8500 @ Best Buy for $299. I'm probably going to get that soon just to save on shipping.
 
Ugh, not another V1 vs 8500 thread, where everyone is gonna debate the validity of radartest.com and crap about prive vs. quality, in less than 2 weeks. :disgust:
 
Hmmm... my friend has the V1, and you have to do a little wiring.

Huh? Do you consider plugging it into a cigarette lighter adapter "wiring"? That's all I had to do.

Seems like the V1 can only be bought from the source, or on egay... going to need it by Thursday.

I had mine the day after I ordered it. You can call them up and request any kind of shipping you want... they're located in Cincinatti, OH

Mine does that, too, but I believe that what triggers the laser alarm is stray light from those new LED tailights in Ford Explorers and such. Those tailights must produce a visual signature similar to laser.

Yah that's what I'd assume too, however like I said, there were no cars even close to me. Oh well, the laser detection is pretty useless anyways... chances are if it goes off, you're already nailed (or it's a false alarm).
 
I wouldn't trust radartest.com either.

The magazine article I read (Car & Driver, maybe?) did pick the V1. But it did say that the "street price" of the 8500 is around $249. I dont know where they are getting that from - it is listed at $299, and I don't know if any places that have sold Escort stuff for less. I bought my 7500 at BB for the list price.

 
V1 is over rated.. it is older technology.

Really? It picks up K, Ka, X, laser and can be upgraded whenever they come out with a new version. Exactly what is so "old" about it?
 


<< Huh? Do you consider plugging it into a cigarette lighter adapter "wiring"? That's all I had to do. >>



Oh really? When I looked into my friend's car, he had it installed another way... ran the wires through the top visor, down the a pillar and I guess directly into some power source aside from the cigarette lighter adapter. Anyway, I'll take a look at the shipping costs. I'm trying to find a friend who works at Best Buy =D...
 
Oh really? When I looked into my friend's car, he had it installed another way... ran the wires through the top visor, down the a pillar and I guess directly into some power source aside from the cigarette lighter adapter.

Yah, they include instructions for how to "hard wire" it into your car's electrical system. It just makes for a cleaner install if you're picky and don't want the power cable dangling down. You can also get a remote display so that the main unit display is completely dark at night, and mount the remote display somewhere else in your car (directly below your gauges?)
 
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