- Superb radar range
- Simple controls
- Excellent alert system
- Not immune to false alarms
- Pricey
Shoppers for the best radar detector usually focus on radar-warning range. In town, range is less of an issue than false alarm-suppression. On the highway, though, long range can make the difference between getting nailed and driving ticket-free.
But only a few deliver the range to spot police radar soon enough. One is the Escort Redline; we found that under ideal conditions it can spot radar from 14.17 miles away, several miles more than the test runner-up.
What gives the Escort Redline its long range is advanced technology, a clever design and premium components. It's one of the few windshield-mounted detectors with dual radar antennas, for example. In the Redline both are forward-facing, a move to heighten sensitivity and increase detection range.
The Escort Passport Max 360c and Valentine One (V1) antennas point fore and aft instead, allowing them to depict the direction of an incoming radar beam.
The Escort Redline is non-GPS. This makes it susceptible to false alarms, particularly in town, many of them caused by automatic door openers. Drive past the local Walmart and expect an alert on K band every time.
Models with GPS let the user lock out door openers and other nuisance signals, reducing the chatter. They'll also warn of red light and speed cameras, now found in many states.
Escort targets the sophisticated road warrior with the Redline. The housing is matte-black and there are no chrome buttons or eye-catching graphics on top to reflect an annoying mirror image into the windshield on sunny days.
The Escort Redline has an LED display that's inset into the case, shielded from the sun and easily read. We found it far superior to the OLED display found in some other Escort models.
The Redline is controlled by three switches, for power, sensitivity and audio volume. These are red-backlit to make them easier to locate at night.
We tested against conventional radar at our 15-mile-long desert site. Here the Escort Redline delivered 14.17 miles of radar-warning range, a record.
One of the two best-performing windshield-mount models we've tested, the Escort Redline remains a premier tool for the serious driver looking to avoid speeding tickets.
