Home > Consumer Reviews > Escort Inc Passport 7500 Radar/Laser/Safety Detector

Some bad experiences with the Escort 7500:

First off, the 7500 does NOT have VG shielding. This is not a problem for most states and the odd Canadian province, but if you venture up to Canada, the OPP doesn't look too fondly upon radar/laser detectors...and your yankee plates!!!

Secondly, the range was very poor. While staying in Missouri for a month, I brought my Bel and 7500 with me for the drive. Both were on my windshield. : ) The Bel picked out the cop just as I could percieve his headlights -- wide-set square lights, dark car, noisy detector...plenty of time to slow down. The 7500 didn't scream until I could see that it clearly was a Crown Vic...by then, it would be too late. Ok, so the road was windy and the sky was foggy. A few days later, while driving on a straight road with unlimited visibility, similar story...but this time there were some dips in the road. Bel started screaming about 2 miles before the cop was visible. Escort? Let's just say that it told me to look for trouble just as the cop was coming up the opposite side of same hill. Not good!

The 7500 does have some good points. Laser detection far greater than the Bel 980's, and I found it easier to configure. The 8 tracking bars are good to watch as you have an idea of what's around.

But, when compared to the K40($250 range + no ticket warranty) for laser detection, there is nothing to compare. The K40's radar detection ranged from slightly between that of the 980 and 7500 to slightly better than the 980.

As for the Valentine 1 ($399), you get what you pay for. This is my all-time favorite. Sure, it lacks the neat gizmos such as SWS, but the main purpose is to avoid a speeding ticket.

Ranked from best to worse:

#1. Valentine 1 #2. K40 #3. Bel 980 #4. Escort 7500

Happy motoring!

If you have never owned an Escort product, your missing the boat. This product is not like the "average" detectors sold here. It has several features which are very usful, unlike gimmicks found on lesser products. Its unique ExpertMeter, displays up to 8 signals simultaniously, showing band and individual signal strength. Its unique AutoMode makes this detector quiet to operate, even in congested areas. No matter how good you think your current detector is, there's nothing like an Escort designed radar/laser detector.

I have owned the 7500 for 7 years. The quality is high. I have had no problems with it. It is prone to false alarms in the city, but for the routes that I drive regularly I am able to learn the difference between false alarms and real ones. The highway sensitivity is very good. The "safety" message feature has proven to be useless. Occasionally a strong radar source will cause an errant message to be displayed, though it does not happen often. I would buy another escort product if I needed a new radar detector.

This radar detector is the best radar detector I have ever owned. I purchased it in early 2000 and it has never failed me. It consistently gives me adequate warning and only false alarms under the x band. I would highly recommend it for the price. As a matter of a fact, it pays for itself the first time you speed and are warned by an approaching or hiding police radar.

the item is good i used in the highway it worked, but it more likely to work well with the automatic door signals. liked it but not so much