Escort Passport Max..
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Most helpful customer reviews
109 of 116 people found the following review helpful.
By Winter
There are a lot of great reviews of the Passport Max right now, and they seem to be fairly divided, loving or hating it with all kinds of testing and research and other detailed information thrown in on either side of the fence. Having owned radar detectors for about 25 years now, and having had Escort products for a while, I think I've figured out why the Passport Max both is and isn't the greatest detector on the market today.
The short answer:
I am extremely happy with my Passport Max, having stepped up from a Passport 8500. People with newer hardware might not see as much of a difference, and where you live definitely *will* make a difference as to how well it performs, especially if you're adding the Escort Live service and/or database updates. If you live in an area with a lot of speed traps and cameras, and/or you do a lot of aggressive way-over-the-limit driving, you're going to want to at least sign up for the Defender Database and you might consider the Live service; otherwise, most people in smaller towns will do fine with just the unit.
The Pros
Hardware
The Passport Max is bulkier than my 8500, but a bit lighter. While the suction cup mounts of the earlier models were okay, the single cup mount in the Max is still a decent idea: it's a large circle of gooey rubbery material that stays sticky no matter what, but it's also pretty big, like the mount of a GPS dashboard unit. It can be released with the flip of a plastic latch that breaks the suction with the windshield. The release button to detach the detector from the mount is under the bracket on top of the Max, and so slipping a finger or thumb in the gap to release is tricky and requires a little bit of dexterity.
The display is bright and clear, and the fact that it is recessed in the faceplate reduces the chance that the sun is going to wash out the screen and make it hard to see. You can customize the colors of the display to choose a favorite color palette. Information is easy to read, and Advanced mode gives me the signal strength bars that I'm so fond of with my 8500. While the unit comes with a SmartCord, the more advanced form of the SmartCord (called "Smart Cord Live" and sold separately) lets you tether to your cellphone and/or the Live service (more on that in a moment). My one gripe with other radar detectors has been the piercing 'chirp' or buzz noise they have to make to get your attention, and I like that this unit's alerts are voice driven and fairly subdued; alerts also gently strobe the light-up text on top of the unit to add another subtle cue. As an added bonus, if your phone is running the app and is also tethered to your car stereo and you're playing music from your phone, the Passport will mute the volume on the stereo to make the alert come through clearer.
Software
Probably the best advantage here is the customization: using the smartphone app or the downloadable software on a computer (via USB), you can more closely customize your radar detector. For example, mine defaults to alerting me if I go 10 miles over, but if that got annoying, I could tell it to do it at different times, or not at all. There are a lot more options now that the unit can be driven by software. The Defender Database is a subscription-based software package (sold separately) that will let you push updated information to the Passport Max that is stored directly on the unit. You can subscribe for one or three years, and updating the unit is done with software you download to your computer: you have to connect the Passport Max to the computer with a USB cable (not included). The Escort Live Service is a software system that lets you connect the unit to your Droid or iPhone via an app you install on the phone. It uses Bluetooth to connect, and does the following:
- uses your phone's GPS (and your mobile data service) to show your location on a map, displayed on your phone's screen
- uses your phone's GPS to show speed limit data where available
- uses your phone's mobile data to update the map on your phone that indicates the locations of any items you want to watch for--speed cameras, reports of speed traps, etc.
- when you spot a speed camera or trap, the Report button on the cord will both store the location in the unit and push it to the Live system so others can see the alert.
- if you also use your phone for hands-free Bluetooth and/or music streaming with your car audio, the Passport will lower the volume on Bluetooth music when it needs to tell you about an alert
As you can tell, connecting your phone's Bluetooth to the Escort Passport Max still lets you connect your phone's Bluetooth to other things, such as your car stereo or other hands-free Bluetooth system, at the same time.
In the Field
I live in a small town that I know fairly well. I don't drive like a speed demon, but I do own a very high-profile car, so for me the Passport Max is more about keeping me honest and making me aware when I'm being watched. We don't have speed or red-light cameras yet, but I know some of the places I regularly travel to will. I have almost as many false alerts with the Max as I did with my 8500, but the difference now is that I can suppress them with a couple of taps, and the Max will remember forever to ignore the alert (it shows up quietly in black-and-white on the screen). I've used the Defender database and it's really easy to update the unit. I'm also playing with the Live service and I'm pleasantly surprised at how it tracks user reports: even in my small town I'll see on the phone app that someone reported a traffic check X number of minutes ago (and I can customize when I want those updates to go 'stale' and drop off the screen) and the other day I had a country-road speed-trap lit up for me with plenty of advance notice. In the end, I'm getting some pretty good improvements but I can see why owners of newer units such as the Redline aren't finding much to write home about--the Defender database and Live updates have been available for units newer than my last one for some time now.
The Cons
While I haven't had the alert problems that some people have had, I think the area you live in plays a big part in how well the Passport Max will work. For me its detection is top-notch, and yet not any better than my 8500: it's the ability to store falses that makes the Max a step up for me. That said, there are problems with the speed limit tracking:
- the default value on the screen is something you can set, called your 'OverSpeed Limit'. Think of this as your, 'no matter what, I really don't want to be caught going this fast' number. When the Passport doesn't know a value (because you're not running the app on your phone), the OverSpeed Limit is displayed. It defaults to '70', and I have to remind myself when I see '70', that I'm not seeing real data. 70 has been a useful number, though: most of the time I'm not on the highway, so I want to be aware when I go over 70, and when I am on the highway, I pay more attention to my speed and don't tend to go below 70, so I don't get a lot of repeat alerts. It can be a bit confusing...remember that it's important to use the world around you--your gauges and the signs--more than this feature!
- speed limits are only as accurate as the data. In the real world, there are posted, statutory, and actual speed limits and when you do get a value on the screen, there can be legal reasons it doesn't match what you see on the sign (such as "the state changed the data but the county hasn't changed the signs") or technical reasons ("the speed limit sign was put 500 yards away from the actual change because a sign couldn't fit over there"). Add to that the fact that Passport's database might not be pulling from the latest release of information--there are a lot of factors related to 'Big Data' that make "realtime" not mean what you may think it means. And there are plenty of rural roads where I live that have no data stored at all.
- you're still a moving target. The GPS portion is reading in real-time, but Escort tell me (see the comments below)that there may still be a slight delay between your phone and the Max. I've got a spot in my town that goes from 35 to 45 to 55 in less than a mile, and the Passport is off by about 5-10 seconds. You still have to pay attention to the signs and signals around you (and to be honest, you really should).
There is one other thing I thought was a bit annoying: the cable. To register your radar detector or start using the software, you will need a "USB A / Mini B cable". This is a fairly common cable you often get with USB 2.0 portable hard drives, digital cameras, and older cellphones, but Escort does not include it; you need to get your own. Given how cheap these cables are to the average consumer, it's a bit annoying that you don't get one with the unit given the Passport Max's price tag.
The Conclusion
Escort Radar has to keep innovating to make technology attractive. They are always looking for ways to improve, but the result is a double-edged sword: loyal customers won't see huge gains from one model to another, and at the same time, leading-edge technology isn't always ready for prime-time. We have limits in the real world (such as GPS coordinates for a speed limit versus the actual place where someone put the sign) that reduce the benefits. We haven't had substantial changes in police radar since the introduction of pulse and laser, but we have a lot of other issues (speed cameras, red-light cameras, etc.) that Escort tries to address. The Passport Max is Escort's best foot forward, and it is a superior attempt at making a good system. If you're new to radar detectors and have the money, it makes a great investment but you should remember the real-world limits and think about whether you want to buy the extra Defender and/or Live software subscriptions. If you have a great system already, don't expect a huge improvement with the Max unless you factor in the Live service.
Questions and comments welcome below. :)
45 of 48 people found the following review helpful.
By Carter H
I have owned many Escort detectors and also the Valentine One. I am not going to bombard you with technical specs. That has been done to death. The real question is how do they stack up, and what features are meaningful in on road use.
As far as innovation, the only company that is doing anything at all is Escort Passport. Valentine while excellent on many levels has not offered any new features in forever. Its like here is the V 1 take it or leave it. More on that later.
My go to detector has been the Passport 8500 which has done a descent job of saving me on many occasions. Is the 8500 better than the Valentine One, No, but it costs a bit less now doesnt it, and it keeps money in your wallet if you know what I mean.
When I went from the Valentine to the 8500 I felt like I was blind. The V 1 has the arrows that point to where the radar / cop is in real time. They have a patent on this so it wont be coming to any other detector. What made me drop the V 1 is that the visual info on what band you are being hit with is sooooo small that you cant see the thing at all if you are over 40 years old. You see the led come on next to a couple of letters, but who knows what they are when you are hitting the brakes, or trying to figure out if its the grocery store doors setting it off (thanks for door sensors that instead of x band now have some that are k band).
To make things even worse the Valentines audible warnings are all the same for any band. I contacted them to ask for different sounds for each band like ALL other detectors. They said they would send my suggestion to the R&D department. That was six years ago. Thus no innovation coming any time soon from Valentine.
Now to the Max. The Max is the best from Escort Passport. The company claims that it will out perform all their other detectors including the Redline. Some customers have claimed that their Redlines out perform the Max on many occasions, and it may be true but here is the bottom line. Its only in fractions of a second for the most part and there are other variables in play most of the time.
We have reached a point where the top of the line from all manufactures are put simply, GREAT. They all kick butt. What you must decide is between features that you need vs stuff you could care less about. The Max has every feature on earth it appears.
Has a very accurate gps speed gauge thing, and the warning if I go over a certain speed feature etc. Some have complained that they dont like the always moving search meter on the screen, saying its a distraction. Me, I dont care. I just like the new HD screen. Its looks cool, works in all lighting conditions when other detectors get washed out.
I like the Max telling me with a chicks voice what radar band I am being hit with, even though the audible sound has already let me know (separate sound for each band). I like the feature that adjust the volume for how loud I am playing music so I dont miss the alert. As for the GPS I like the feature where it records the location,frequency, and strength of false alarm grocery store door sensors so I dont have to be bothered with that crap again.
I like all the adjsutments you can make easily even though the user manuals SUCKKKKK. Passport Escort online videos SUCKKKKK. Thank God for Youtube. The short version is you hold down the far left button on top and the far right button on top at the same time to enter customization mode. Why couldnt they just have said that? Lots of things to make the detector your own, including changing colors of the display to match your mood when you are feeling outgoing, or on a date with someone special (Cue the Barry White music... Probably Escort looking to add this feature as automatic in future update :) ).
In sumation ladies and gentlemen of the jury. The Max blows away the 8500 in all respects. While the 8500 is good, it just can't stand side by side in any comparison. Max vs Redline. Max has more features, real world radar detection will be the same. Max vs. Valentine One, real world detection will be the same,,, but the Valentine will bug the living crap out of you with false alerts that just keep coming. I do so miss those red arrows though.
The Pros:
Great Range Detection On All Bands.
Future Proof - Can update firmware by connecting to computer via usb cable and downloading windows only software from Escort. Cmon guys lets get with it for the Mac folks.
First to have a multiple laser sensor.
Great OLED Display
Much better mounting suction cup, although still huge.
How about including a visor mount??? For $550 bucks a two dollar visor mount won't destroy your bottom line.
Has an interesting advanced display feature that shows how many radar signals, and the strength and band for each one all in real time. Expert Meter and Specdisplay.
Will tell you in feet how close you are to some signals.
Uses its GPS and the exact frequency to learn and automatically reject unwanted door openers and other fixed position false alarms.
The Cons:
Most expensive consumer grade detector ever.
Bulkier than 8500 model (but lighter)
More sensitive to voltage fluctuations if hardwired, and will shut off.
Controls on top a little hard to adjust if detector mounted high in vehicle.
So many features it has a little bit of a learning curve programing it all. But more may be better for some though, as they need the new features.
No VG2/Spectre support
At this price it should wash some dishes, and I have had some issues with Passport Escort units going bad 10 seconds after the short warranty period, so extended warranties are pretty cheap for these, and unfortunately you will most likely need one. Extended warranties are usually a bad idea for electronics as tech changes so rapidly. Since police aren't changing bands any time soon, keeping your unit for over three to four years is a no brainer.
If you are an owner of a redline or 9500ix and are wondering if you should upgrade to the Max, my answer would be no. While the Max has some really cool features your detector does not have, the radar detecting performance is pretty much what you already have, even though the manufacturer says different.
So far I am liking the Max
59 of 70 people found the following review helpful.
By Steve Pierce
I got one of the very first Passport Max's as I was part of their early release first 200 program. I am currently running the latest version 1.4 of the software.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
* Updating Software is easy.
* No VG2/Spectre support
* Truly annoying flashing display that is a dangerous driver distraction.
If you have a Redline or 9500xi, don't bother buying a Max until until the strobing display problem is fixed.
REVIEW
I won't get into a review of the performance of the unit. That would be like me telling you which is better Apple or Samsung or Porsche or BMW. No point.
Updating the software is easy and for the first time you don't have to have DC power, plug the detector into the USB port and the detector powers up. No dragging the laptop out to the car or trying to come up with a 12V power supply at your desk to power the detector. Very nice.
The USB port is not as popular and my unit did not come with a USB cable. Fortunately my camera cable has the same port, but most phones these days use a different USB port from the Max.
Escort for now is not requiring accounts or subscriptions to get updates, I hope they keep it that way.
Software updates are different from points of interest updates or red camera location updates is still a fee to get updates. There is also a very nasty bug in the 1.4 update that clears your preferences and suddenly if you don't remember to reset your preferences, you won't get any warnings about red light cameras.
One feature missing is the Max does not have VG2 or Spectre III/IV support which is the anti radar-detector detector. If you are running in an area where detectors are banned, Virginia, Canada, and most military bases, watch out. Escort will tell you if this feature is important, go with the Redline.
This isn't a big deal but of course Escort doesn't tell you this feature is missing and it is a surprising oversight as every other detector out there has this feature so you don't expect it to be missing, but it is.
The biggest flaw, and this one is HUGE, is the strobing flashing lights on the display. In the stock photo you will see a series of small rectangular blue and white bars bars above the word Highway. I will wait while you go look at the photo ... Ok, glad you are back.
Those light bars flash and strobe continuously, day and night. It is like looking at a Cylon or Knight Rider display and this is facing you. So you have this constant blue and white flashing light bar which sort of looks like the very same blue and white light bar on top of a police car flashing the entire time you are driving.
It is miserable at night even with the lowest brightness setting.
The lights don't have anything to do with the detector signal, or bands, or cameras or GPS or anything else. it is purely decorative flashing bling.
I called Escort about this and said this is crazy to have a flashing lights that do nothing but flash and strobe. I can't be the only one to complain. They said they have had a couple of complaints. I call B.S. about only a few complaints, apparently it has been many. When you get on the discussion boards, it doesn't take long before some new buyer starts complaining about these dang flashing lights and how can they turn them off. As of version 1.4 you can't.
Escorts solution, put some tape over the flashing bars or set the display to DARK mode. Tape over a $550 detector is, well rinky-dink.
Dark mode is no better. True the flashing lights are gone, but in DARK mode you can't get all the other useful info that this detector does like telling you what kind of signal it is detecting or the speed warnings or current speed display which are all great features and I love.
You can change the display to a different color and the orangish brown color seems to be less annoying than blue and white but not by much.
These flashing lights are truly annoying and I believe they are a driver hazard. Escort of course disagrees.
CONCLUSION
If you are running a 9500xi or Redline detector or a modern version from a competitor, save your money and wait on the Passport Max.
Escort will eventually address the flashing display problem but the problem may not be able to be fixed in a software update. If that is the case, that will mean current buyers will be stuck as Escort in their company history has never had a trade-in program or upgrade where you get anything close to what you paid for the original detector.
Give the Passport Max a pass on its flashing strobing cylon knight rider display and wait for version 2.0.
Cheers!
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