CarTronics: Escort Passport iQ

Infotainment, Reviews I By Rex Roy I December 28, 2010

Two common pitfalls that afflict those on the road: getting lost and getting tickets. What if you could avoid both?

Here’s the single solution that would be a great way to cash in some of those gift cards you got last week; the innovative Escort Passport iQ. It looks and functions like a portable GPS navigation device. Its bright five-inch LCD screen suction-cups to the windshield and displays map data provided by Naveteq, a major supplier of mobile device mapping software.

If you’re driving by a Starbucks or Tim Horton’s, their icons appear along the simulated roadside. The on-board database includes tens of thousands of points of interest. Data entry is touch-screen easy and the audio/visual directions are good, but not the industry’s best.

So why would you want the $650 Escort iQ if it isn’t the best GPS unit in existence? Because it’s not just a GPS unit.

Housed in the 1.5-inch thick body is a super stealthy high-performance radar and laser detector. The iQ can sniff out the four major types of radar frequencies: X-Band, K-Band, Ka-Band, and Ku-Band. Additionally, the iQ features camouflaged front- and rear-looking laser sensors.

Known locations of red-light and/or speed cameras are pre-programmed into the unit. A subtle warning sounds when approaching known enforcement areas or areas with active laser or radar tracking, a welcome contrast to typically hysterical alarms emitted by other detectors.

Various screens display "threat detection" graphics. Even when the screen is in "detector" mode tracking radar and laser signals, GPS route instructions remain visible at the top of the display. An adjustable "over the speed limit" audio alert helps drivers slow down.

Practically, the Escort iQ also takes up less space and reduces in-car-cord-clutter compared to using a separate GPS unit and detector. Plus you can connect your phone to it via Bluetooth, so that it functions like a hands-free speakerphone, thereby eliminating one brought-in automotive device.
 

Tags:

The Guide to Road Racing: Winding Road Magazine's ultimate guide to getting your start in racing.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

The Genesis G90 Bang & Olufsen Audio System

The Genesis G90 Bang & Olufsen audio system has given birth to an exceptional audio experience that redefines in-car sound.

October 27, 2023
Ferrari Purosangue: SUV or Not, We Love It

We’d hesitate to describe it as an ‘SUV’: It’s a Ferrari… just with four doors. But we’re obsessed!

March 09, 2023
Review: 2022 Mini Cooper SE Infotainment

The infotainment system is pretty conventional, dominated by Apple CarPlay and limited in scope by very few autonomous driving features.  The optional harman/kardon audio system is good but not amazing.

September 02, 2022
Audio Review: Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo

We rarely cover in-car audio and despite the Munich High‑End show being surrounded by automotive excellence (there’s a car museum just opposite and it sits…

July 06, 2022
Gearhead Theater: The Driver (1978)

Today we’re watching Walter Hill’s The Driver, a “neo-noir” style crime drama that centers around a wheelman for hire and the cat-and-mouse game he plays with the detective who wants to bring him to justice at any cost. But since this is Gearhead Theater, we’re going to level with you – we’re really here for the cars, and everything else beyond that is more or less an incidental bonus.

April 07, 2014

EMAIL SIGN UP

Get the latest driving and racing news straight to your inbox.

no thanks

Begin typing your search above and press return to search.