Escort Passport 8500 - Product Review

In the Spy vs. Spy world of police radar vs. radar detectors, one-upmanship is the standard state of affairs. The bad guys (read: insurance company-funded speed timing device manufacturers) build a better mousetrap, and the good guys make sure the mouse is better equipped. One gets the sense that it's one big cyclical effort to evacuate our bank accounts. The unfortunate fact is that as police radar evolves, radar detectors become less effective in countering the latest technologies employed by the cops. This is very much the case today, and the major radar manufacturers are scrambling to keep pace. Right now, it looks like Escort is in front with its Passport 8500, according to radartest.com., an independent clearinghouse of information about police radar, radar detectors, and all electronic speed timing equipment on either side of the fence, all run by Craig Peterson, an internationally recognized expert in the field.

Escort Inc. grew out of Cincinnati Microwave Inc., the company that brought us the original Big Black Box Escort in the late 1970s, when police radar detection was in its infancy. But the unit quickly established itself as a must-have among driving enthusiasts, with its extraordinary X-band radar detection capabilities and excellent reputation for durability. In fact, although X-band police radar has all but fallen off the map in most places, the original Escort remains among the best X-band detectors out there. Some are still in service today. That may be kind of like saying you made the best buggy whip (some of those may be in service as well, but we won't go there); still, it says a great deal about this company's dedication to technology and product quality.

The Passport 8500 succeeds the 7500 as Escort's premier portable radar and laser detector. The unit acquires X, K, and SuperWide Ka band police radar, the latter of which in particular has been terrorizing motorists in the U.S. Front and rear laser detection capabilities counter this also-increased threat, while digital signal processing (DSP) aids range and reduces false alerts. An increase in Ka band sensitivity is a central improvement over the Passport 7500. Ka band sensitivity is key, because of its increasing presence in police cars.

The Passport 8500 offers nine custom programming options so users can customize unit function for their individual requirements. From the power-on sequence, which can be programmed in a "fast on" mode, to the pilot light, which can be programmed to indicate which features are in use (city, highway, or auto sensitivity-desirable for most driving). The AutoMute automatically reduces alert volume after the initial warning and can be turned off if desired. This detector is a technical masterpiece. The pilot light can even be programmed to display vehicle charging system voltage-it's an integral digital voltmeter.

Even the signal-strength meter is programmable. In standard mode, the signal-strength meter displays information on only one radar signal, showing the radar band and a bar graph of the signal strength. If more than one signal is being acquired at a time, the unit's internal computer determines which is the most important threat. "ExpertMeter" is an optional mode for the signal-strength meter, in which information on up to eight radar signals can be displayed simultaneously, again detailing band and signal-strength information. For the fighter pilots among us, "SpecDisplay" mode actually shows the numeric frequency of the primary threat radar signal being acquired. We're not sure how useful that information is, but it's pretty damn cool.

The first thing that springs to mind when you leaf through the owners manual is, "How am I going to figure all this out; I'm not a computer engineer, and I'm over the age of 10." Well, it can be a plug-in-and-play radar detector, too; you don't have to program anything if you don't want to. Escort calls the options "EZ Programming," and after using it we can see why. You really can just pop the Passport 8500 on the windshield, turn it on and be protected against police radar.

In use, the Passport 8500 in highway mode seems quite adept at weeding out the X-band false alerts so prevalent in urban areas, but in these places the auto sensitivity mode would be a better choice. In city mode, the Passport 8500 can be programmed to reduce or eliminate X-band sensitivity, which is also a nice feature given X-band's rarity. Although we don't have access to testing equipment, the Passport 8500 did save our butts one night on Route 80 in Ohio, when it sounded a Ka band alert at 100 mph in a night rain, with a good 2-mile comfort zone. That cinched it-this detector is highly recommended.

Things We Like About the Passport 8500
f,,* Ease of programming-or non-programming
f,,* The optional sunvisor clip, which can save your windshield from a lifetime of sucker marks.
f,,* The "soft eject" feel to the controls.
f,,* The high-quality cables and accessories.
f,,* The Direct-wire SmartCord, allowing for tidy permanent installation.
f,,* The outstanding Ka-band sensitivity.
f,,* The ability to dial out X-band signals in city mode.
f,,* AutoMute
f,,* The price: $299

Things We Didn't Like About the Passport 8500
f,,* The SmartCord and Direct-Wire Smart cord do not incorporate the wonderful alphanumeric display-you can't read the unit display fast enough when it's on the passenger-side sunvisor.
f,,* The sunvisor clip is a $4 option, which probably costs four cents-for three hundred bucks, they could throw in the clip.
f,,* No directional indicators like the Valentine One-debate usefulness all you want, we like to know where the signal is coming from.