The Escort Passport 9500i runs neck-and-neck with the Valentine One *Est. $400 as the best radar detector in expert tests. What sets the 9500i apart from the Valentine is its built-in GPS, which reviews say gives it three unique capabilities: First, it can remember where speed traps and traffic cameras are located, so it can remind drivers to be careful. Second, the Escort 9500i remembers where it has run into a lot of false alarms in the past, and it quits alarming in those areas until it recognizes a new, real threat. Third, the Escort 9500i detects when the vehicle is moving so slowly that radar detection isn't necessary, and it quits alarming, saving the driver from a lot of in-city false alarms from motion-sensor doors and the like. The Escort Passport 9500i still can't detect radar from quite as far away as the Valentine One, but experts say both radar detectors will alert you in plenty of time to slow down. Consumers who own the 9500i praise its performance and features, but they do note that it is expensive. The Beltronics Pro RX65 *Est. $235 gives more than adequate warning of speed traps, experts say, for about half the price, but it doesn't have GPS and has fewer features to limit false alerts.

SpeedZones and Guys of Lidar both thoroughly test the Escort Passport 9500i and present the results objectively. Laserveil.com also offers a lengthy written review of the 9500i, as well as a video review. Popular Mechanics gives the 9500i an "Editor's Choice" award, but its write-up is very brief. The Escort Passport 9500i has accumulated only a few user reviews at Epinions.com, but they are critical and helpful.