Peter Palmer: First Look: Escort Max 360 Laser & Radar Detector

While you are on the road, there are many ways police can catch you for speeding violations. Some of them include radar and laser guns, red light cameras, air patrol, and photo radars, commonly known as speed cameras. According to the National Motorist Association, an estimated 1/3 of all speed enforcement citations are erroneous. Erroneous traffic tickets can be a financial burden to consumers as the average speeding ticket costs $150.

So, how can you avoid this? The answer is a two part solution: Drive at or below the posted speed limit – this is the most important rule of all when behind the wheel. And second, install a laser/radar detector in your vehicle.

Many drivers falsely believe that having a laser/radar detector in their personal vehicle is illegal, but that is not true. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), it is legal to have a laser/radar detector in a personal vehicle in all states except Washington D.C. and Virginia. Only commercial vehicles are not permitted to have them installed nationwide.

Since I started driving, I have always driven at the posted speed limit or a little below it. But when the Escort staff contacted me to test their latest Max 360, I immediately jumped on the opportunity.

Disclosure: This article is sponsored by Escort Radar + Laser Detectors for IZEA. All views and opinions expressed here are my own. Check out our advertising guidelines to see why we’d never steer you wrong.

First Impressions

I was really excited and curious to see how this device worked because this was the first time I had ever used a laser/radar detector. When I received the product in the mail, I noticed that the box contained the radar detector, 12 volt Smart Cord, travel case, and a magnetic sticky cup mount. Even with all these items inside the box, the overall weight of the package was surprisingly light. The Escort Max 360 has a simple button layout, which is very easy to understand and navigate. Within minutes, I had the detector installed in my vehicle.

After mounting the sticky cup to the windshield, the device is then attached to the mount via a magnetic strip and powered by the 12 volt Smart Cord, which goes into the cigarette lighter.

The detector turns on when the driver turns on the vehicle’s ignition. During its start up procedure, the device beeps and pings for a few seconds, then it calibrates to the stored settings. I have to admit, it felt a bit different at the beginning to drive around with a device that detected all the various signal bands around the vehicle, but as time passed, I got used to the device and all the various signals it detected.

Top Features

The Max 360 is the newest addition to Escort’s Max family of radar detectors. When compared to its stablemates, the Passport Max and Passport Max 2, the Max 360 builds on the award-winning Max platform and now includes four-way directional arrows. These alert the driver to the source of the radar and/or laser interference.

However, all laser/radar detectors are not built the same. Some offer the most basic functions, while others offer so many features and options, the owner can become easily overwhelmed. However, that is not the case with the Escort Max 360. If you are considering a radar detector, here are the top features that set the Escort Max 360 apart from its competitors:

Power, precision, 360 degree protection with directional arrows.
Arrows indicate the direction of the radar source for 360 degree protection
Dual antennas, front and rear, rapidly scan the surroundings for possible threats.
GPS-powered AutoLearn Technology intelligently rejects false alerts based upon signal frequency and location.
Digital Signal Processing provides extreme range and lightning-fast response.

Additionally, Escort also offers “Speeding Ticket Limited Guarantee” for both radar and laser speeding tickets when the detector is purchased directly from the factory. In addition, The Escort Max 360 features DEFENDER database, ESCORT Live, multi-color OLED display, dual language (Spanish and English), Crystal Clear Voice Alerts, and it is web ready.

Availability & Pricing

The Escort 360 is currently on sale for $649.95 as of this writing. Expect my full review soon, but for now, looking at the initial information on the Escort Max 360, we are impressed by the Speeding Ticket Guarantee.

Stay tuned for the full review very soon.

*Rahul Raman is the Founder of CARS 360 Mke, an automotive news outlet. He is a regular contributor to Automoblog.net and the author of our First Look series.