Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsEscort Max 360 vs Escort Redline - A Heavy Driver's Comparison
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017
This is a short word on this radar detector and why I think it's one of the best you can get.
I have 2 primary vehicles that I drive- one of them is equipped with the Escort Redline and one is equipped with this Escort Max 360. My vehicle with the Escort Redline used to have the Valentine 1, but I liked the Redline more so I upgraded. The Escort Redline is a great radar detector and was the benchmark that I compared all other radar detectors to. So if you can't tell, I really like the Escort Redline- but the Max 360 has since dethroned it as my favorite radar detector of all time.
1) Directional Notification- the Max 360 tells me where the radar signal is coming from. If I'm crushing down the interstate and I am approaching an on-ramp and the Max 360 tells me a radar signal is coming from the right, I know to slow down immediately. If I'm on a stretch of road and the radar alert comes from the rear, I know I have more time to slow down if the nearest car is way back or I've just topped a hill. The directional warning is supremely helpful in knowing how quickly to slow down or if you need to slow down at all- you don't realize how useful it is until you use it. Directional identification is absent on the Redline and much more inaccurate on the Valentine 1.
2) GPS Memory- the Max 360 knows when the radar goes off in the same spot every day and can smartly identify stores and gas stations that set it off. The 4th time I passed a Publix that always sets radar detectors off due to the motion sensing doors, a subtle beep sounded with the word "Stored" on the screen. The radar has never gone off in front of this Publix again. A few weeks later a cop had radar set up in front of this same Publix. The Max 360 went off and I thought it was picking up the store again until I got closer and saw the cop car. So it's smart enough to learn locations but not miss a new radar signature in a previously stored area- no idea how it does that.
3) Antennas- the Max 360 has MUCH better rear and side detection than the Redline. Not even a contest. The Redline might have a slightly longer front detection (10-15% it seems) but the Max 360 mops the floor with the Redline from the rear and sides- I'd say double the detection range if not more. The detection range from all sides with the Max 360 provides more than ample time to stop- with the Redline, that's only the case with the front detection.
4) Displayed Information- the Max 360 has a much nicer display than the Redline, with animated pulsating marks, and it matches most car instrument gauges much better. The Max 360 also shows your current speed, which it uses GPS to calculate. It's spot-on with my speedometer and it has never lost GPS signal. Due to the Max 360 having an actual LCD panel, the settings are easier to navigate and setup. The Redline doesn't show any useful information except what radar band is detected.
5) Sound- the Max 360 alert sounds are leaps beyond the Redline. The voice is a higher clarity, the alarms are not as harsh-sounding, and the auto-muting/volume reduction feature works WAY better.
6) General Aesthetics- the Max 360 simply looks better than the Redline in my opinion. It is slightly larger but the finish seems to be higher quality, the improved LCD display looks MUCH better, and the design simply melds with the interior of most cars better.
7) False Warnings- the Max 360 RARELY gives false warnings and when it does, it learns to not repeat them over time. As in my above Publix example, my Redline still goes off to this day in front of Publix while the Max 360 does not. I can't tell you how many times the Redline is set off by radar-based cruise control systems on the interstate while the Max 360 isn't phased by them. Redline gives probably 75% more false warnings than the Max 360, and that's likely a conservative number.
I considered the Escort Redline one of the best radar detectors on the market for many years- and it still is, just not as good as the Max 360. After extensive use of both (around 100,000 miles with the Redline and about 80,000 with the Max 360) I'm confident in the accuracy of my comparison between the two- however, keep in mind that I've done no scientific studies on either, I've just used them as a heavy driver would. The only area where the Redline slightly beats the Max 360 is in frontal detection range but in all other categories, the Max 360 is the best product Escort currently offers.
I've just ordered a second Max 360 for my vehicle with the Redline in it and I look forward to its arrival.
