Side by Side Comparison of: Whistler

Better than I expected - omg - the GPS function is great - put in the GPS location and when you get close to it - it reminds you - hey buddy you are getting close to that destination again. And folks its up-gradable through the internet - so for the money - and what you get - with a menu a mile long - its a 5 in performance

Bought this to replace an aging detector that was not up with the times. Haven't had this long enough to say it's the greatest radar detector out there but have had it long enough to say it has detected police radar well ahead of time to give ample warnings. It also seems to have far less false alerts than my older detector and better than my Beltronics that I have in my other vehicle. It runs quiet but not so much that you can't hear alerts when first given and the blue light is easy on your eyes in night driving. I live in a larger city and it has detected radar in use with a very good warning distance to me so that's been a positive. So far I haven't found anything not to like about the Whistler CR85. If I run across any issues as I get more road use out of it I will update on here.

It is really good on picking up ka radar. I sometimes pick this up in heavy traffic, long before I spot the patrol car. I think I may be getting a few false positives on the Laser warnings however. Right now I am trying to figure out how to set POP on, as it is off by default, which seems odd to me. This is my second Whistler unit. The first developed a sound issue where the audio did not work right and finally not at all after about a year of light use. Everything electronic they make now days seem to have a shorter useful life. Use good common sense and watch where the patrol cars can hide and do not speed except when it is safe to do so and you need to for a good reason. Remember the faster you go the more gas you use, the more wear on your car and it increases the chances of an accident. Handle with care and stay alive.

Long time user of Laser and Radar detectors Mostly Bell and recently Whistler Pro 78 Se. This Cr90 is the best ever! Super quiet around town in Atlanta with TFSR turned on and Voice alert off. No need so far to use the other filters to make it quite but nice to know I have them on hand if needed in extreame enviroments. Sufficient warning distance for both laser and radar I have encountered. Red light camera feature works but I have not tested it extensively in the month I have had it as I drive mostly Highways. Love the built in compass so I dont drive in the wrong general direction on highways. Love the Auto Dark mode so when alerting at night near an ambush, it does not light up like a christmas tree but instead goes dark so as not to give itself away!! Best Hi-Tech detector on the market for the least amount of dollars out there in my opinion.

Got reassigned from nc to Alaska and had to drive one of my two cars myself to get there, it was brutal but here is how it worked.my configs: all bands on KA set to maxid, tfsr on, no pop. I traveled at a minimum 10 over max 20 overNC- nothingVA- cops everywhere thing picked every single one of them around corners and hills, had to set it on the dash cause its illegal there much harder to see and it still worked well.WV- nothing meaning didn't see copsOhio- nothingIndianapolis-nothingIllinois- this one was hot cops and traffic cams, first and only full x band from a state trooper, also laser but Chicago traffic was so busy I can't see any cop chasing someone without getting killed.Wisconsin- decided to turn on pop mode big mistake, it greatly reduces the range please use that one at your own risk, don't know why I didn't get pulled over there.Minnesota- only state where I passed cops and nothing went off don't know if they are personally looking for speeders and then turn their radar on as soon as you pass, they all wait in the center median so keep eyes open.North dakota- one cop trying to hide at a gas station it's so open out there the Whistler has unbelievable range, was FLYING!!!Montana- cops use the old Texas technique where they all drive on the other side of the highway clocking traffic passing them across the median, as soon as you speed pass them they 180 around the median and get you. Your range is reduce with this technique but so are theres, your driving 70 the cop is driving 70 the other way with 140 difference, you must be quick here to stop as soon as the cr90 warns you.Idaho- nothingWashington- cops use laser here and traffic cams are EVERYWHERE, still speed through it though most cops use ka. Lots of unmarked cop cars though so be carefulAlaska- few cops open range lots of mountains cops can't really hideCanada- speed limit was 55 for 400 miles of nothing drove 70 and picked off one cop passing me.I say this was a great investment for the price, just because you see the cop in the distance when the cr90 goes off does not mean he has you yet I am a prime example of that for sure. Make sure you mount it mid way on windshield not low it reduces range. The KA-ID is the best feature as well as the custom features selection. Must be careful in metro areas. Don't blare music or wear headphones/blue tooth to the point that you can't hear the system go off you only have a second or two stay alert.

I spent a lot of time researching for a radar detector. I know the best ones I should have bought but I cant afford it. This new model is an updated version of the 78SE, which many people love. I was going to get the 78SE model here on Amazon but then I realized that version is 3-4 years old, it didn't have the OLED screen which was last year model. I found this CR85 and bought it because 1) it is brand new, summer 2013 release 2) some people on forums are speculating the same inner parts as 78SE 3) It actually cost less than a 78SEImpression7/91) Got 2 Ka hit in the city, I was able to spot one cop, the other one I couldnt find (radar detector was able to spot it from a good distance)2) City mode is pretty quiet (beside from the occasional supermarket door, which you can then turn off K or X band, eliminating those)3) Mounting bracket is goodI haven't used it on the Highway yet, but I will soon with a few long trips later in the summer and fall. (will update later)Warning: This is a radar detector and not a police detector. Most cop don't have their radar on. So still drive carefully. This is a fun tool for me to keep my drives interesting.8/7: Used the CR85 on the drive to Atlanta from FL about 8hrs drive. This thing accurately pointed out a few LEO using radar and a few Lasers to and from. I am very impressed by the range (radar detector gave plenty of warning time). Definitely saved me and my friends some moneyNew Update12/3: I have been using this for almost 6 months with plenty of highway miles. I so recommend it. It just saved me 2x so far by alerting me to hidden cops on I-95 in GA going from FL to NC. Other drivers looked at me like I was crazy braking but I knew what was happening ahead. This definitely saved me because I was speeding. Before that trip, I used it driving from FL to TN and to AL and it definitely saved me a few times thanks to the alert.Some down side: I found that it has a tendency to pick up random K band on the highway and I can never find the LEO (rumors of a K band issue has been happening with many Whistler models, you can read about on forums) but Ka band is very accurate so if Ka comes on I slow down, Cobra radar detectors are notorious for setting off other radar detector K band, check out youtube if you dont believe me so it can also be a passing car. But that is minor inconvenienceOne tip, do not leave it on your car in the sun, take it down and protect it. Plus I feel like this protect the suction cups too.This is by no mean a foolproof detector so speed carefully!!good luck!

My CR 90 works great, saved me three times twice from behind three cars that were fallowing me. I made the mistake of spinning the tires in front of a police man and he tried to trick me. one problem I have is getting it to hook to computer to upgrade. It tells me I need to format, and Whistlergroup.com will not open up to get help. Other than that I love it. It never goes off till I see a cop, or police station or it beeps at convenience store but it beeps low volume and goes off when it thinks your safe. I have never had one so quite as the CR 90.

I wish the pick up sensitivity was better but for the price your not going to get valentine performance. But if it did I love the platform and that would make it a perfect unit. Still earns its keep just know when you get an alert act fast you don't have much time. Saved me from a few 40 overs

After getting pulled over, and shelling out $125, along with getting my license suspended for 2 weeks, I decided to get this radar detector. I'm a college student with a business, so I lost a lot in 2 weeks. I read reviews online, and decided this was the one. The price was more expensive than I wanted to spend, but its already paid for itself at this point. It has saved my butt several times alerting me to Ka and K band cops (At least 3 confirmed butt-savings). It'll pick up at a decent range, so I have time to slow down. I don't usually speed, but sometimes I've gotta get places. Does its job. Although, when the K band flashes, it's always a game whether its a cop or Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade. Apparently, the blind spot warning system uses K band. But it uses A HUGELY OVERPOWERED ONE. The detector usually is able to throw away a lot of "trash" signals. But when those freaking blind spot systems are more powerful than the police radar, it always senses it as a threat. Overall, the detector picks up almost every cop who has their radar on. (Some of our cops run around without it on, and will just pull over for "Speeding-General/No Clock", $100). It does its job. This is a great value mid-range detector. However, if you really want to keep tabs on the cops, and you have the funds, go for a Valentine One. Those suckers are expensive, but they block out "junk signals", and are much more accurate. But if, like me, you cannot afford a Valentine One, this is a solid choice. I would reccommend.

If you do not have 500.00 to spend on a radar detector this one will do the job. I live in PA so I can only review K Band performance.On the PA turnpike this is a very nice tool to have, at 80 - 90 MPH you will have about 3-4 seconds warning. If you see a spike and then nothing slow down, a trooper just used his RADAR gun on a car ahead and then turned it right back off. If you see a slow gradual uptick and do not see a "your speed is" sign around then slow down. Otherwise you will get random k band hits that you cannot explain, strong ones, but I would rather slow down and realize that I did not need to than get a ticket. If you use it on your commute then you will learn where it picks up on automatic door openers and "your speed" signs and will know when you get an unexpected hit.I also get errant Ka and X band hits, but not very often.

In the past I've bought Beltonics Detectors and I've had very good luck with them, but when I went to replace my old Beltonics (it was getting long in tooth) I found that todays Beltonics is not your Daddy's Beltronics. My research showed that: they have been bought out, that are now made from down-graded parent company's product, they don't work as good as the competitor's product at the same price point. With that said, I decided to try a different brand and this one seems to be rated good, so I went for it. It seems to be working good, but I won't know how good until I see how many times it saves my butt. If it doesn't you better belive I'll update this review ASAP!

I kept going between this one and the CR85 and decided to go with the 75 because of the price and the compass. If you're looking for something above the average radar detector you should probably shell out a little more money, but if you just want something that works and looks nice this is a good route. You'll still get a lot of false readings if you're lazy like me and don't customize your settings, but I hear if you tailor it to the certain radar used in your area it will cut down on false readings. I'm still happy I bought this though

I took two trips, one from Kansas to Florida and from Florida to Massachusetts. I traveled through many states and the Whistler was on highway mode the entire time. I'm giving it three stars because of its inconsistency. Not sure why it doesn't detect all cops but that was one problem it had. Sometimes I'd be traveling in front of, behind or side by side and it would work. More often than not, it didn't work. It's also inconsistent when it does work. Sometimes it gives you ample amount of time to warn you when there's a cop sitting behind some trees with a laser but other times it won't warn you until you're about a mile away and by then you might have already seen the cop if out in the open. The laser warning, in my experience, works just fine. Saved me from quite a few speeding tickets. All in all, it has a problem with consistency. Is it worth the $160? Not really, but you get what you pay for.

We were delighted at first with this item and contacted the company after it quit working. Sent it to company for trouble shooting.They sent it back and said, everything checked out fine, as per manufacture instructions it auto shuts off about 3 hours of use...what a pain, as it won't come back on even after 30 min. We travel a lot.

So I bought this because I can't afford the more expensive Valentine One. It performed quite spectacularly for a year or two then it starts not detecting, kinda slows down, like a cell phone when it ages. I would recommend this as a short term solution.Pros- It does detect radars and lasers- you get what you pay for.- has an array of convenient modes to configure- helps get me out of troubleCons- Random detection is alerted too (automatic doors, garage doors, etc)- Starting not to detect as often after 2 years down the road

Well. Performance seems to be there. But. When plugged in i get alternator whine through the speakers. ferrite cores and capacitor dont seem to help filtering it out. Also no seperate volume control for voice and now speaker crackles when it speaks. Second whistler product owned

Not a very sensitive detector. I am lucky to get a one block warning for radar. I mean I am talking about one or two hundred feet. Also,it seems to be unidirectional. It will only detect what is in front of it. That means when I approach a police car at an intersection it doesn't beep until I am totally perpendicular to him in the intersection. Other detectors will pick up the emissions or splatter of radar no matter how they are orientated to your car and at much greater distances. However, I was able to set the detector to ignore traffic flow monitors, and other vehicles with lane change and blind spot warnings so it doesn't go off constantly when I am driving like other reviewers have complained about. Overall, I think I would recommend another brand to a friend.

So far I've only used it a week and haven't really played with it but its default setting sure seem to give a lot of false alarms. My past detector was the Escort 8500, on the same path to work everyday, It always picked up the cops with a lot less Noise.The Whistler is louder and the voice thing is nice thus the 3 stars.Dont bother with the intellicord. Its just another cigarette plug with a short cord and a push button to silence alarm. Just silence at the detector and save a few bucks.

Worked ok, bought it 2 years ago and one day it just quit. Darn thing would go off at anything. I read reviews and thought this would be a good detector, save your money.

It unusual for me to write a "not so good" review, but this radar detector is simply NOT as good as I expected, a ton of false alarms , not just on K, but a lot of Ka and Pulse false alarms.. Still hasn't gone off on speed camera's, when my GPS did???? I like my old PRO 68 better. The 68 had much better Ka warning and NO Ka False Alarms. . Wait and go with the Uniden DR7 when it comes down in Price

I have had this radar detector for awhile now. I had picked it out due to it's good reviews. But beware that cops are now using different radar then what this can detect. Most of the time as I pass cops this doesn't even budge. And when it does go off it's kinda last second. It works great for small towns but if you live in a city don't recommend it.

Does not meet my expectations at all, for the price and reviews I was expecting a bit of a better performance. It misses like 75% of cop cars in the highway going from city to highways, and even while going on road trips it miss alot of cops with their radar guns out. Disappointed, it's just sitting inside my car inactive now for months

First of all, I have been a Whistler Customer for over 20 years, so I'm not a detractor. I like this brand for making a good product with an excellent service life for all the units that I have purchased over time with an acceptable price for a non speeder!I Purchased this unit since it comes with TSFR, since my old Whistler XTR-690SE didn't have that feature and it false's now a lot due to all the new cars equipped with side assist, auto cruise control, etc and traffic flow meters.The First drive:The fist few days of using the unit in the city I noticed that it wasn't pick up much of anything, even when a LEO was visible. When It pickup something It would give me two beeps with an Ka-1 or 2 signal strength even in exprt mode with MAX-KA and KA-ID enabled, when in fact the LEO was only 3 cars away!The Test:To be totally fair I decided to test my old Whistler XTR-690SE with the new Whistler CR85. Both with the same settings, POP-OFF/KA-Max on, KA-ID-on LaserID-ON, SW-on, X,K and KA enabled, FILTER, City. I placed the units about 24 inches a part.The result:1- The old XTR-690SE was much more sensitive than the new Whistler CR85 on all bands!2- It also picked up radar from 3X as far as the CR85 all in city mode.3- As Luck had it, I passed by two accidents with fire trucks, ambulances and several police Vehicles on two different days, again the CR85 didn't register until I was within 3 car length away from the accident. Where the Whistler XTR-690SE was performing as expected with ample warning distance.4- The CR85 would not give me a voice alert when KA radar was picked up, even tough voice alert was enabled and tested OK during the unit test/boot up.5- The CR85 was displaying a K-2 while the old XTR-690 was displaying KA-8 34.7 GHz.The verdict:I don't know if I ended up with a defective unit or what, but after testing it for a week I'm returning the CR85 tomorrow "Thanks Amazon, for easy returns!" I will be looking for something else with TSFR, even thought I would much rather stay with the brand that I know, since I'm familiar with all the sounds that the units make and love the Voice alert feature.

TRUST! That's what you need to buy. If it doesn't work, it's too late! You got a ticket. After waiting a month or so and realizing it isn't picking up on the cops, I sent it in for warranty repair. (You know you only have 30 days to return things to Amazon). He changed the circuit board acknowledging problems. Another 30 days and I discovered the range was only a few yards! Back it went. They acknowledged problems and replaced some things. No, no. Even though these are NICE people, I don't want to take a chance. As of yet, I don't know if it works but just now, my advise is to NOT BUY THIS unless you can fiddle around.

Product was missing all mounting material. All I received was a detector and a cord. According to previous review:Detector, straight line power cord not coiled, suction cup windshield bracket, USB cable for upgrading, anti-slip dash mat, instructions. I would like for these items to be replaced or I will send it back.

To many false alarms, so many adjustments but they don't seem to stay on the settings I set and save for more than a few days. You can't set up for false alarms which are abundant. It gets to where you almost ignore the warnings. Red light warnings go off on the expressway if you are traveling through the city. Pretty much useless.

After just over a month of use device began to act up. In the morning it acts like it needs to warm up. The voice prompts slows down and after 10 minutes you have to unplug and allow it to reboot before it starts up sounding ok. Very dissatisfied at the price paid. Attempted to request return for replacement and it's been a month and amazon won't take it back.

Bought it March 21, 2017 and it's 6/26/2017 and it's broken, It wont turn on at all.

Failed after 3 months, began to give off false alerts. Wouldn't ever ever ever ever buy something from Whistler again.

Not good enough working in Sydney Australia.