Yesterday Automobile Magazine published a review of the Escort 9500i (really a Escort 9500ix) and the Cobra XRS 9955 radar detectors. While reading it I was SHOCKED on several of the things that the author said about the units, his review and his findings. First off here is the link to the review:
The review opens up with a photo of the an Escort 9500ix and the Cobra XRS 9955 side by side on the windshield and then in his opening copy writes, “After living with each unit successively for several weeks”
Therefore this photo and his opening suggests to me that he did this test with both radar detectors this three week period with them side by side. There is no way that you can perform a radar detector test like this, especially one being a Cobra, one of the “leakiest” radar detectors ever made!
Radar detectors emit RFI (radio interference). The radar detectors would react to this RFI in either of two ways; reduce the sensitivity of the radar detector as attempts to filter out the source of the RFI, or the detector would see the RFI and report it as a false alert.
Then if you click on the photo you will see that the detector he tested was infact an Escort 9500ix and not an Escort 9500i.
Then if you read further in the article you will see that he obtained the unit on Amazon for “just over $400.00”
Well number one, the 9500ix has a blue display and not a red display and secondly the MSP from ALL AUTHORIZED ESCORT DEALERS is $499.95
Therefore the detector that was tested was NOT NEW or purchased from an authorized Escort dealer.
On my blog and on RadarDetector.net I have published several articles documenting unauthorized dealers selling used and/or refurbished units as new. Based upon the writer of this review, I can only assume that he fell victim to a “Slezebay” dealer.
Then the review says “No one, short of a government agency, has the resources to thoroughly evaluate all the detectors on the market.. “I guess he didn’t learn in journalism school to never paint yourself in a corner by never saying never”
If he took the time and did his research before he published his review he would has found our forum www.RadarDetector.net and/or my blog www.RadarRoy.com.
Today we have over 531,298 members which over 11,000 are active radar detector enthusiasts! Together we have published over 44,577 posts reviewing virtually every radar detector ever made starting from the “Fuzzbuster” to the “Cheap Ass Radar Detectors” to the newer GPS enabled units.
This review is so poorly thought-out that I’m troubled that such a prestigious magazine as Automobile allows it to be published on their forum.
What do you think? If you agree or disagree with me I’d love to hear from you and would ask that you do the following:
Comment to this posting
Go to the article on Automobile Magazine website and make your comments
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8 users responded in this post
WOW is all I can say. I can not believe this review came from a respected magazine!
You know guys, I really think this is more about a testament to how far our online community has come over these last years. And, I suspect this is true with other industries’ online-communities as well…
Nice call, Roy.
Not that I don’t agree with you, but for the record… Escort offered a 80 upgrade to those who had purchased the 9500i in the months following the release of the 9500ix. The upgrade however retained the red display from the 9500i even though the outer casing was labeled 9500ix.
REALLY late to the article, but I loved how you just picked apart his article. It really shows just how stupid or sneaky some people can be.
Yes, but recall the author related that he purchased this detector new, it was not an upgraded version
Find this interesting also, I posted a comment to the article on the Automobile Magazine article along with ten other people when they published this.
They since have deleted all the postings and say that no one has posted to this article!
I wanna know which one won their test. I know which one won mine.
I know this is a couple months old but I thought I would like to add that the Cobra in the article they clam is “XRS 9955″. It doesn’t have the thumb drive looking thing on its side, which is the Aura GPS database.
http://www.cobra.com/products/radar-detectors/xrs-9955-15-band-maximum-performance-digital-radar-laser-detector-with-full-color-extremebright-datagrafix-ii-display
The Cobra XRS 9960G comes with it, and it’s about a $130 difference. And you get a lifetime subscription when you buy the 9960g
http://www.cobra.com/products/radar-detectors/xrs-9960g-15-band-maximum-performance-digital-radar-laser-safety-camera-detector-with-full-color-extremebright-datagrafix-ii-display
They would have to buy the Aura GPS. Which with the XRS 9955 it is $99.95 for a year subscription and the device to use it, then after he buy that they would have to pay $29.95 for every year that they want it. So it would have been more practical to buy the XRS 9960G Cause after two years of having the XRS 9955 and buying the Aura would cost more money in the long run to have.
http://www.cobra.com/pages/aura/purchase-options
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