Escort Redline – Is It Worth the Money?

The Escort Redline is currently one of the most expensive windshield mount radar detectors on the market. It claims to have extreme sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and an extensive set of features, but is it worth the $500 price tag?

The Escort Redline radar detector has consistently taken the honors of best range in various tests conducted by radar detector enthusiasts. This extra range will allow you to detect the police officer further away and allow you more time to slow down before the officer can get your speed. On long, flat terrain, this unit is known to alert to a signal over 10 miles away!

However, range isn’t the only characteristic of a great detector. Some say, and we tend to agree, that reaction time is an even more important trait for a radar detector to possess. Police are starting to wise up and turn off their speed guns when they are not using them. They have the ability to turn the gun’s transmitter on and off very quickly to clock your speed, and if they do it fast enough, your radar detector may not alert you at all. Currently the top models for reactivity are the Valentine One and the Beltronics STi-R Plus (with special settings). In tests, the Escort Redline didn’t fare very well against radar shots that were below a half second in duration. A police officer is able to turn on his gun, get your speed, and then turn off his gun, all before the Escort Redline even reported an alert. Luckily this technique is not widespread yet, but as the word spreads expect officers to start using it. In the same tests, the Valentine One was able to report many more of these quick shots than the Redline was. The king of the hill, the Beltronics STi-R Plus, with specific features enabled, was able to catch every shot.

Selectivity is another highly desired feature in top of the line radar detectors. Selectivity is the unit’s ability to screen out false alarms such as those created by other lower quality radar detectors. We are happy to say that the Escort Redline has the best selectivity out there. It uses complex algorithms to determine whether to alert or to reject a signal, and it does the job very well.

So, is it worth the money? Bottom line is, if you are looking for a detector with an excellent mix of range and features, the Redline is a great option. If you don’t mind giving up some range for a bit more reaction time, we’d recommend spending $100 less and buying a Valentine One. You may be tempted to spend less, but remember, if the detector saves you from at least two or three tickets, it has already saved you more money than it cost to begin with.