Home > Consumer Reviews > Escort Passport 9500i Radar and Laser Detector (Blue Display)

In anticiption of an upcoming 1000 mile road trip, and knowing my tendancy to drive a bit fast, I decided to purchase a radar detector. Having never owned one in the past, I did extensive research and settled on the Passport Escort 9500i and I wasn't disappointed.

During my 1000 mile round trip, 600 miles of it was in Trooper laden Washington State. No less than a dozen times, the Escort was able to give me enough advanced warning of either rolling radar or stationary laser speed traps to get down into the speed limit and avoid a ticket.

You'd expect this though. That's its function. The extras on this really make the 9500i shine though. With the built in GPS, you can permanently silence those annoying false positives from the grocery store or fixed "Your Speed" signs. However, if you roll through a silenced area and a NEW radar signal is detected, it will alert you immediately.

If you drive a bit fast over long distances, or even can open it up on your daily commute, I'd highly recommend the added protection of the 9500i.

(Know your limits and don't speed where it isn't safe. The Escort is awesome, but it doesn't make you crash-proof.)

First things first, Escort has discontinued the 9500i in blue (but not red), which is probably why Amazon is the only authorized dealer that's selling it for well under MSRP.

A few days after I bought this, I took a trip from Detroit to Chicago, so I really got a chance to see how this fared against my trusty Beltronics RX55 Pro Radar Detector. I'm happy to report that this is the best radar detector I've used.

I thought the blue display was a gimmick for Escort to fleece tuner kids out of fifty bucks, but I was really surprised to see how much gentler it was on my eyes -- and perhaps more importantly, how it doesn't scream "RADAR DETECTOR HERE!" the same way red displays do.

Of course, actual reception is going to vary widely, based on driving conditions. Sometimes I'd get warned a mile ahead of time, and sometimes it went off just before I came in to the sights of an officer running POP. But across the board, I was always warned with enough time to check my speed and adjust it accordingly. Having the detector display your speed is a great touch.

The included case is surprisingly nice -- a bit overkill, I'd say. Why Escort would give customers a felt-lined hard case, but no simple way to power the detector off of AC or USB for updates is beyond me. Fortunately, I have a Black & Decker Jump Starter, which has a 12V cigarette-type power outlet, so I didn't have to take my laptop out to the car to update it.

Going back to the updates... you're out of luck if you have a Mac. Even if you're running Parallels or VMware Fusion (the VM's won't see it connected as a USB device). So, plan on doing Boot Camp or borrowing a Windows machine from a friend if you're looking for updates. The software itself is very good, and gives you lots of point-and-click options that you'd otherwise set through the on-screen menus built in to the detector.

Finally, if you're torn between the 9500i and 9500ix, you can buy this and have Escort upgrade it to the ix for less than the cost of buying the ix.

One of the finest radar detectors I've ever owned! It has very loud audio alerts that you can here over loud music. Lot's of different set-ups and configurations. When it goes off there is usually a cop somewhere close by. Only downfall is lots of x band false alerts but I always have it in highway mode so that might be why. Great feature is the GPS locator. It can be programmed to alert you of known speed traps or speed cameras.

Not sure why you would need to download updates. I've been driving for decades and have owned many radar detectors and have never had a need to download anything. If you do a lot of highway driving I would highly recomend this radar detector. It won't tell you where the cop is hiding like the V1 but who cares? It goes off you slow down plain and simple.

The 9500i is NOT compatible with Apple computers. Escort recommends taking the detector to a friend's house who has a windows computer or buying emulation software ($70). It only works with Windows XP or Vista only.

The 9500i must be powered to download internet updates. Escort failed to include a 12V adapter in the package. But they will gladly sell you one! Ooops, sorry - NO USB A to mini USB cable either. You'll need these for detector software updates.

Visor Clip or visor mount is NOT a good idea with the 9500I. Not unless you have a convertible. This detector must have clear line of sight overhead to the sky for the GPS to locate satellites.

Been using my Escort for well over a year, more than ample warning, even from the cops that hide on the other side of an arched bridge. Since I started using it, I have gotten zero speeding tickets (knock on wood) because I always go the speed limit or under (wink). In the past year I have only had one close call, luckily it was daylight and I noticed the cop as I rounded a curve and was able to hit my brakes before he popped me, the detector lit up like Christmas tree. close one....
Never updated my detector, it works fine as is.