I've been using radar detectors for 30+ years. I guess I drive more than most people, especially highway miles. Long commutes for fencing now, not just Purdue but also Chicago. Prior to that long commutes to Notre Dame for Dasha. Prior to that long commutes to I.U. Law school. Etc Etc Etc
I've owned the Ridgeline for under 4 years, just about 63,000 miles. And for the first couple of years I used the diesel VW Jetta for most of my commuting back/forth to Purdue. Realistically I average 20,000 miles per year. I think the 'average' American drives about 12K per year.
In any case, I've got 2 vehicles with higher end Escort radar detectors (typically the best they offered the year I bought them) and one with a Valentine (newest version "V2"). I like the Valentine the best of any detector I've ever used. In addition to the Valentine 1 (V2) I also have the optional remote display and I also have the optional car interface that plugs into the vehicle, lets me set an adjustable speed silencer, etc. Best, most customizable, yet simple to use, detector ever. The Valentine app, which is not needed to use the detector, adds more functionality and works in either "background" or visible 'foreground' mode, plus it updates the software in the Valentine unit too, as well as logging common false alarms on frequently driven routes to keep them silenced.
This is not to say the Escorts are not awesome. They are. I've owned at least 3 or maybe 4 of them over the years and still have 2. Escort radar detectors are clearly top quality units. They work very well. They are long range so plenty of warning. The newer units show multiple threats simultaneously (but not as well as the Valentine). All that said, I have zero experience with the specific Escort model in the review below, but I would expect it to be excellent like my previous models.
Anyone else use these?
Full article at the link above. This is a long article, it gives a lot more information in the full article. This is just the TOP 3 portion of the article. See full story for "other" recommended detectors, how they tested them, etc
SHEILAH VILLARI
Expert Tip: Mount your detector high on the windshield, keep it clean, and take note of what false alerts set your device off around your city or town. Knowing the difference between a supermarket door and a real Ka-band trap is half the battle.
$800 AT AMAZON
CREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
$800 AT AMAZON
CREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
$799 AT AMAZON
CREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
I've owned the Ridgeline for under 4 years, just about 63,000 miles. And for the first couple of years I used the diesel VW Jetta for most of my commuting back/forth to Purdue. Realistically I average 20,000 miles per year. I think the 'average' American drives about 12K per year.
In any case, I've got 2 vehicles with higher end Escort radar detectors (typically the best they offered the year I bought them) and one with a Valentine (newest version "V2"). I like the Valentine the best of any detector I've ever used. In addition to the Valentine 1 (V2) I also have the optional remote display and I also have the optional car interface that plugs into the vehicle, lets me set an adjustable speed silencer, etc. Best, most customizable, yet simple to use, detector ever. The Valentine app, which is not needed to use the detector, adds more functionality and works in either "background" or visible 'foreground' mode, plus it updates the software in the Valentine unit too, as well as logging common false alarms on frequently driven routes to keep them silenced.
This is not to say the Escorts are not awesome. They are. I've owned at least 3 or maybe 4 of them over the years and still have 2. Escort radar detectors are clearly top quality units. They work very well. They are long range so plenty of warning. The newer units show multiple threats simultaneously (but not as well as the Valentine). All that said, I have zero experience with the specific Escort model in the review below, but I would expect it to be excellent like my previous models.
Anyone else use these?
Full article at the link above. This is a long article, it gives a lot more information in the full article. This is just the TOP 3 portion of the article. See full story for "other" recommended detectors, how they tested them, etc
Best Radar Detectors of 2025, Tested
I crossed five states, dodged speed traps, and delivered Katz’s pastrami from New York to Michigan while it was still warm, all thanks to some trusty radar detectors.
BY JUSTIN HELTONPUBLISHED: NOV 14, 2025
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When it came time to test radar detectors, I wanted to do something other than just speed around flagrantly defying the law, hoping to pick up police radar. I needed an adventure, a modern-day Cannonball Run, to truly gauge how well these devices work.
After a recent lively discussion with Eddie Alterman, our chief content officer (and co-host of the popular Into Cars podcast), about a dream pairing of the best pastrami in New York with the best bread in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my mission came into focus.
We Recommend:
- Top Pick: Uniden R8W
- Best Features: Escort Redline 360c
- Coolest: Valentine One V1 Gen2
So in the name of science and a quest for the perfect pastrami sandwich, I picked up a pound of steaming pastrami from the famous Katz's Deli in Lower Manhattan, shoved it in a cooler, and pointed a 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Tributo Italiano east on Interstate 80 to deliver it to Alterman before the pastrami got cold. Keeping that cured meat warm meant keeping a brisk pace, and that’s where these top radar detectors came in: as sensory extensions, not accomplices.
Expert Tip: Mount your detector high on the windshield, keep it clean, and take note of what false alerts set your device off around your city or town. Knowing the difference between a supermarket door and a real Ka-band trap is half the battle.. . .
The Best Radar Detectors of 2025, Tested
TOP PICK
Uniden R8W
$800 AT AMAZONCREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
PROS
- Incredibly straightforward form and function
- Exceptional long‑range detection
- Easy setup
CONS
- Fewer tech features than other devices
The Uniden R8W doesn’t bother with gimmicks; it’s designed simply to see farther, shout louder, and warn sooner. It’s for the kind of driver who’s still rocking a CB radio and paper maps.
Dual antennas handle true front and rear detection, while bright directional arrows light up boldly whenever something is lurking ahead. On paper, the R8W boasts the longest detection range in the group, and in practice, it seemed to deliver exactly that.
Out of the box, the R8W feels solid and purposeful: a large OLED display, chunky and intuitive buttons, and menus that lean old-school but function without fuss. It pairs with the free Uniden radar app via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for over-the-air firmware updates, and it works straight out of the box—no subscriptions, no cloud accounts. That independence fits Uniden’s philosophy: gear built for drivers who’d rather focus on range and reliability than syncing to the internet.
In my time on the highway with the R8W, it consistently picked up Ka-band radar so far in advance that I began to wonder whether the warning was a false alarm. This is no exaggeration; I had no way of measuring the distance, but at 70 mph, it took me about two to three minutes to reach the source of the indicated radar. By the time the Escort Redline 360c alerted me, the R8W had already been whispering about it for 30 seconds.
In urban settings, the R8W is more talkative, pinging constantly amid automatic doors, construction sensors, and the occasional police siren, but that’s the price of unfiltered awareness. On open roads, its combination of raw range and directional clarity makes you feel like you’re running a high-speed sonar array, giving you time to adjust pace without worrying about surprise speed traps.
This Uniden detector may not win any style awards, and it’s probably not for more urban commutes, but the R8W is uncompromising, straightforward, and built for drivers who value performance over polish.
BEST FEATURES
Escort Redline 360c
$800 AT AMAZONCREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
PROS
- Most high-tech of the bunch
- Escort Live app support is excellent
CONS
- Subscription adds cost
The Escort Redline 360c is as much an information hub as a radar detector. It features an OLED display, dual front and single rear antennas, and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that sync seamlessly with the Escort Live app.
Through the app, you can crowdsource alerts from other drivers, download firmware updates over Wi-Fi, and mark false alarms so they’re automatically muted next time. The premium subscription adds nationwide shared radar and red-light camera data, alerting you to known speed traps far beyond your local driving area, as well as live, verified threat updates from the Escort community.
Out of the box, the Redline feels reassuringly substantial: machined mount hardware, a coiled SmartCord power cable with a mute button, and a magnetic windshield mount that clicks into place with precision. Everything about it says premium. It also includes a carrying case and a microfiber pouch.
On the street, the Redline’s smarts shine. It does a great job of filtering the constant false alerts from automatic doors, construction sensors, and the occasional police siren, letting you focus on traffic rather than chasing phantom threats.
On the open highway, from the Jersey Turnpike to long stretches of I-80, it picked up Ka-band threats with a fair bit of warning, giving me time to adjust speed without planting the nose of the Alfa into the pavement. Escort’s TotalShield technology keeps it undetectable to radar-detector detectors, and its AutoLearn GPS system remembers known false sources, reducing the constant beep-and-flash fatigue typical of dense urban driving.
Overall, the level of refinement sometimes feels so polished that it borders on clinical: less rebel road warrior, more data-driven chauffeur. Which is not a bad thing. Still, if you want the most technologically complete detector in 2025, I believe the Redline 360c is it. It’s plug-and-play perfection that just works, every time, whether you’re dancing through Manhattan traffic or crushing long, empty stretches of interstate.
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COOLEST
Valentine One V1 Gen2
$799 AT AMAZONCREDIT: OMAR ANDRON
PROS
- Magnesium housing and build quality
- Solid app support
CONS
- Chattier than some other models
The Valentine One V1 Gen2 is as much a purist’s companion as it is a radar detector. Unlike many modern detectors, it doesn’t come with flashy displays or a heavy app ecosystem. Even the packaging it came in features no buzzy illustrations, just a clean, straightforward presentation. The V1 Gen2 features dual antennas, a magnesium case, and a custom SAW-based radar engine that’s faster and more sensitive than ever, carrying forward the directional-arrow DNA that made the original a cult classic.
Out of the box, it’s just the detector, a power cord, and a simple mount—straightforward, minimal, and unpretentious. Pair it with the V1Driver or V1connection apps (iOS and Android), and you unlock GPS-based muting, threat logging, and firmware updates, giving you modern functionality without losing the raw awareness that defines the V1 experience.
On the highway, the Gen2 is alive. The directional arrows respond instantly as threats move around you, and the beeps demand attention the way no automated alert ever could. I picked up a Ka-band speed trap on the way back from Michigan, and the alerts came on hard and fast, giving me plenty of warning to slow down, and I casually cruised by the two cruisers sitting roadside. In the city, it filters out the clutter—automatic doors, construction sensors, and rogue electronics—while keeping you hyperaware of the radar that matters. Again, this level of awareness is probably overkill in urban settings.
Overall, the Valentine V1 Gen2 prizes control, sensitivity, and situational awareness over techy tricks or automation, and that’s exactly what gives it its charm. It feels like a partner on the road, not a passive appliance, and it carries a whiff of rebellion that Escort’s polished precision and Uniden’s tactical pragmatism can’t match.
Driving with it feels equal parts secure and like you just ordered this thing out of an ad in an ’80s Playboy magazine. There’s something about the charm of tapping into the legacy that Cannonball outlaws relied on during those legendary coast-to-coast runs. The V1 Gen2 is not the flashiest detector, but when it keeps you clear of a speed trap while your Katz’s pastrami stays warm, glitz stops mattering.
STORY CONTINUES at LINK above ^^^
