I've had 2 Escort Passports in 9 years, and my current one is the 8500. I swear by Escorts. But I also know that Valentine does make the best overall detector, and if I could do it again, I'd have spent the extra 100.00 to get a V1. You not only get a superb detector that leaves every other detector in the dust, but you also get free upgrades for life. When you buy one, its probably the last detector you'll ever buy. Every few years you can send it back to Mike and his techs will upgrade the processor and components to the latest technology. FOR FREE. You should check out the web site. In every test I've seen, the Escort 8500 came in second to the V1, and that was by at least 20 points. Everyone else was left out cold. So the bottom line is this: if you are a serious driver, drive alot, and want to be sure you have the best protection (except laser, which no one can defend against), spend the money and get either an Escort Passport 8500 or Valentine One. Those are the best. Period.