Passport 8500 or V1 argument

[Tom///m3]

Being that I have gotten one too many tickets, I am in the market for a radar detector and I have narrowed it down to the v1 and passport. I have all the bimmer guys telling me v1 v1. I am starting to wonder if the passport 8500 is actually better though. All the reviews I read say the passport either surpasses or matches the v1. I am not trying to hate on the v1, but I am starting to think that everyone still loves the v1 because it use to be the best detector, but now maybe has been surpassed. I think maybe possibly people have such a brand loyalty and that they won't give the passport the time of day. I do understand that radartest.com test was biased somewhat, but I have also heard rumors that car and drivers test was biased towards v1. Tests from speedzone.com and users at epinions.com feel that the passport is the better detector. I understand that no other detector has a rear/side arrows or rear sensor, but if the passport can actually sniff out radar 7 miles away the radar should be able to bounce off of signs hills road etc setting off the front sensor and warn of rear radar from at least half the distance of normal dection 3.5 miles, which is plenty. As far as the arrows go I think if your detector is going off you really shouldn't press your luck and try to speed to the last possible moment. I do think the strength indicator on the passport could be considered and arrow though, if you were approaching a threat the strenth would get stronger and stronger, you would slow down, as you pass the threat, visible or not, the strength indicator would get weaker and weaker, unless there was another trap ahead, in which case the passport does have a bogey counter. I don't work for escort or anything like that, nor own one I just want to bring these points up and see what you guys think about what I have mentioned, and possibly enlighten me on issues that I am unclear about. I am in the market for a detector, but it strongly leans towards a passport at the moment.

Tom

[Sam]

I have the passport 8500 and i'm very happy with it. I read the reviews and saw that the 8500 was always close to the v1 and better sometimes. I really didn't care about the v1's arrows b/c if the thing beeps i slow down, it's as simple as that. It doesn't matter where it is coming from. Anyway...i got my passport for $200 because i used to work at Best Buy. Getting one of the best radar detectors for 200 less than the v1 was the deciding factor.

[LowRydeR]

I have the Passport 8500 as well, it works fine but remember it's just a radar detector, not a "cop detector". Don't expect to detect cops when they're driving/patroling, a lot of times they don't have the radar gun turn on so even you have the V1 or Passport 8500, there's still a good chance of getting pull over.

[rich325i]

Other than the arrows, which i agree are debatable as to their importance, I'd say the other major advantage of the v1 is that it has a greater field of view around the sides of the car. Of course, if you think about it, a cop is not going to just APPEAR to the side, he'll either be slightly in front of you or behind you before he's beside you, so maybe that's not all that important.

I'm getting ready to buy one, and I'm going to go for the 8500 I think... since the tests are so ambiguous as to what's better, I am going to go with the $100 to $150 price difference.

[EJKeller]

I have used both detectors and for me there is no question which one i will trust my license with (one more ticket and i am done)

The V1 is soo more sensative and gives better warnings...

For example, it will beep like 2 times then nothing. I will go over a hill and i am being totally shot and the cop is in the median.
When i use the passport, i don't get the 2 beeps just the blasting hit, and there is no chance of slowind down.

If size matters to you then you would like to know that the new v1's are about 20% smaller..(this happened in the last three months)

I would go with the V1 for sure!

_evan

[slvr98 M]

I like the 8500, never failed me yet.