Escort MAX 360c MKII Laser Radar Detector, 360° Directional Arrows, Black

Why it's worth it

The MAX 360c MKII runs the same GPS AutoLearn, Drive Smarter network and over-the-air updates as our top pick, in a lighter body with the friendliest menus of the bunch. You trade away some Ka-band distance to get there.

You get the whole Escort ecosystem without paying flagship money. Dual-band Wi-Fi handles over-the-air updates, the Drive Smarter app feeds you alerts from other drivers, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto put everything on your dash screen. Nothing here is a stripped-down version of what the Redline gets. The database and the software are the same.

Dual antennas and arrows still tell you which way to look. Escort rates the MKII at 50 percent more range than the original MAX 360c, thanks to a revamped platform and a second antenna, and a Blackfin processor turns signals into alerts fast. Threats from all four directions get their own arrow, so you're not swiveling your head trying to guess.

From our review of 5 radar detectors, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +You get the whole Escort ecosystem without paying flagship money
• +Dual antennas and arrows still tell you which way to look
• +AutoLearn keeps the daily drive quiet
• +It's the easiest one here to learn

What to know

• –It doesn't see as far as the Redline 360c
• –Raw sensitivity trails the Uniden and the Valentine too
• –Crowded K-band environments trip it up more than the Redline