No long review here, just going to say for the current price this is the best deal there is right now on a quality RD. The thing works great, seems to be very well built and has some nice features. I love the MUTE button on the smart plug, and the way the auto-mute system works is great. The things I wish it had are more controls on the smartcord (darkmode maybe?), and I wish it had a visual meter in tec mode. There still is the audio meter in tec mode so that isn't a huge problem. I CALLED BELTRONICS and the said they DO honor their warranty if bought at Amazon, but not if it is purchased through an independent merchant on Amazon. Call them yourself if you are worried about it, you'll see.

I would highly recommend this product. It does everything it claims to do. We have one of these in every car.(4) It is a great item to have if you do a lot of traveling. It will detect a radar gun before they get you. They are not legal in Virginia and Washington DC.

Well I was so nervous looking at all the detectors I htought I was never going to get one. I spent weeks looking and reseaching al lthe sites and asking technicians. So I wil lsum it all up for you. The vector 995 has the senistivity and rang of the best in Beltronics and Escort but with out some of the bells and whistles. It doesnt have the GPS but i didnt care because I live in a smaller town and we dont have cameras on our lights or intersections. I dont speed in the city any way. So if you want all the sophisticATION OF DOWNLOADING THE LATEST SOFWARE UPDATES EVERY WEEK go with the crazy expensinve ones. But I am telling you for 199.99 your geting and amazong deal for the level of performance. Just look at all the testing radar sites.

I got the Vector 995 because its performance is at par with the top of the line radar detectors from Bel, Escort, Valentine. Even though I rarely speed above general traffic flow, speed enforcement has picked up a lot and I didn't want to pay back-door taxes.

Its radar detection performance is at par with the best of them - usually just 5% or so less than the best for a given test. But the cost difference is way more than 5%, more like 25%+. Its laser detection is its weakness, but only when compared to the top of the line models. However, the laser detection weakness isn't really critical because laser guns are so fast and accurate that the officer has already clocked your speed before even the detector alerts (even the best one). Don't take my word for it, just go ask your local police officer. Also, the rear facing sensor is quite useless on most detectors - someone in marketing thought it would be cool and all other brands followed. It is also one of the very few detectors which can detect the Ku band, which is rumored to be introduced in the US soon (already there in Europe).

It also falses significantly less than what I've had before. I can't compare with the top 4 because I don't have them. AutoScan works best in city or when in new areas; Highway works best on rural areas or highways. Use AutoScan with care, it filters all bands and can potentially reduce detection range (because it spends some time figuring out if the radar signal pattern is like those from typical sources of falsing). Its Tech mode (showing radar freq) can be used to find out real speed gun threat when a cunning officer hangs out in an area where detectors often false (drugstore, grocery store, etc) - not fool proof though. One should note that the 'false alerts' are not really false - they ARE actually radar signals in the same band used by police. It's called 'false' because it's not a 'cop' radar signal.

POP mode, while a nice feature, usually trigger a lot of falsing on most detectors - because of leaky/crappy detectors like the Cobras. I've enabled POP for the last 3 weeks and have run it in AutoScan and City modes - no difference in falsing. Even the top 4 detectors today can't beat this. Also, the review/description is wrong - POP is disabled by default on the 995 also (maybe Bel changed it after the review).

The Vector 995 is the only one in the Vector series that can have its firmware upgraded by Beltronics - useful if they have some bug fixes and/or they have an update that does better detection.

It also has a few less features than the top 4, but I didn't care for those. Its got all the essential features one really needs for its intended use and does them extremely well. Its stellar performance makes it an awesome deal for a $225 price. I got mine on a special sale at Amazon for even less :). However, like any radar detector (even the best ones), this radar detector is NOT a cop detector - so drive sensibly.

Even when the 995 is having a bad day, it is waaaaay better than the most expensive Cobra/Whistler radar detectors.

Like any product, it has quirks:
1. 3.5mm jack volume - it's just too loud even at one click above minimum (I use it when spouse/kids are sleeping on a long drive)
2. Buttons for visor clip - if you get the visor clip, the buttons are not easy to reach

And last but most important, please drive carefully. Lives are more important than seconds/minutes saved by excessive speeding and rash driving.

Bonus tips:
a. Tutorial mode - manual doesn't mention it, but I stumbled on it. Press the Dark and Mute buttons down and then the Power button to turn the unit on. Voila - tutorial mode!! Power button press exits this mode.
b. Audio/Voice alerts - learn to identify the bands with your ears, the range based on audio beep frequency, it helps keep your eyes focused where they need to be - on the road. I've turned Voice off after a couple of months, and rarely need to look at it (except in Tech mode).
c. Ebay/Unauthorized dealers - Beltronics honors warranty from authorized dealers only. Amazon itself is authorized (may change in future), Amazon's sellers are not. Ebay is not, most stuff there are refurbs or rejects and hence the low low prices. You've been informed, use common sense.

The Vector 995 is in my opinion one of the best products available for the price. I have two 995 models in different vehicles and they both perform perecftly. The devices seem a little heavy to rely on just 2 suction cups for their support, but so far neither have fallen. Alternative mounting hardware is available for extra cost, if necessary. Features & options are just what is needed and no more. Display & sound are clear. Design is neat and quality of manufacture is high. I find that the quick start beep sequence is an especially welcome option over previous versions, particularly when the devices are permanently mounted and powered whenever the vehicles are operating.
Highly recommended.

I've been using radar detectors for 25+ years. First a cheap Cobra, then a nicer Whistler, another Whistler, and then finally I stepped up to the plate and bought a Beltronics Vector 980 which at the time (9 years ago) was one of the best on the market. During that 25 year period, I have only received ONE speeding ticket, and that was from a motorcycle cop hiding in the driveway of a private residence behind the homeowner's truck reaching around the canopy with his radar gun and doing the "instant on" thing (I guess they were getting desperate for some revenue......lol). Under those circumstances NO radar detector would have saved me as I was the only car on the road......Still, my driving record is totally clean (driver diversion class for that one ticket...), and, while I've spent maybe $700 on radar detectors over the past 25 years, I've saved THOUSANDS of dollars in tickets/fines/court costs and increased car insurance premiums. So, if you're wondering if a radar detector is worth the money, YES, they are!!!

Anyway, after 9 years of faithful service, my 980 is finally starting to die: lot's of false alarms, self-cal and low voltage warnings, etc. After speaking with Beltronics Tech Support (who are located in the U.S. and very helpful!) it became pretty obvious that it was time for a new detector as my 980 is acting like it's on the way out.

Even though I've been very pleased with my Beltronics 980, I did want to read all the relevant reviews to see what detectors are the best bang for the buck these days. Basically, if you want a top-quality radar detector, you have to spend at least $200 and you want to buy from Beltronics or Escort--it's really that simple. Both companies are currently offering an $80 "Cash for clunkers" rebate where you can send in any old detector (working or not) and get $80 off any of their current models. A pretty good deal, though [...] price without the rebate and free prime shipping on the V995 was still lower......

I thought briefly about making the switch to Escort--I like the smaller profile of the Passport and they are highly rated. But after reading some of the reviews here and at other sites, it seemed like there was a fairly high failure rate of these units after a year or so of use. Given that repairing this type of electronics is almost always cost-prohibitive, I decided to just stick with Beltronics, after all, my 980 lasted for over 9 years!!!

In reading the review sites (just google "best radar detector") it became clear that the Beltronics GX65 is among the top dogs. Its got all the bells and whistles, including GPS. It's also got a $469 price tag.....

I think GPS is a nice feature. It would be nice to add grocery stores and other false alarms along my most-traveled routes to the GPS-enabled RD to keep it silent. It's also nice to be able to plot out and store the locations of the seemingly never ending mine field of photo radar speed cameras. However, for me a GPS-enabled unit didn't make sense.

This V995 costs only $209, $260 less than the GPS-enabled GX65. Yet for less than the $260 difference between these two RD's, you can buy a good Garmin nüvi 765/765T 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic that will not only allow you to maintain a database of known red light cameras and speed cameras, but also help you to navigate, avoid traffic jams, find nearby restaurants, gas stations, etc. By utilizing the POI (point of interest) database in the GPS unit, you can customize the POI's in your GPS to include speed traps, red light cameras, speed cameras, etc and then warn you as you are approaching these areas giving you time to check your speed. At the Garmin website are links to a dozen or so POI databases that provide all of this information for free.

The next model in the Beltronics lineup is the RX65 which retails for $339.95 Yet several tests rated the V995 BETTER in radar detection, and it's $150 less.....Yes, the RX65 has a few more bells and whistles, but not nearly enough to justify the much higher price IMHO. It's worth noting that the V995 retails for $295 at the Beltronics website.

So far, I'm very happy with the V995. I've been running the 980 and the 995 together for about 2 weeks now just to test sensitivity of the V995 (my 980 still works very well on detecting actual radar--it's just getting waaaaay too many false alarms). I really like the fact that the V995 comes with the "smart cord," I saw earlier reviews that stated it did not, but mine did. The V995 mounting bracket is simple, yet very strong and effective, and I really like that the V995 locks onto the mounting bracket with a push-button lock on the top of the V995. This means that if you're running some errands and you want to hide or take your RD with you to prevent theft, you can quickly remove it from the bracket without having to remove the bracket from the windshield. Still, if you're in a high crime area it's probably best to remove the bracket from your windshield as crafty thieves will look for RD and GPS suction cup mounts hoping that the owner has just hidden the RD in the glove box or under the seat and then bust out your window just to find out......

I also really like the auto-mute feature on the V995. Essentially, once it pics up a signal it will beep 2-3 times loudly so that you are alerted, and then it will mute the sound but keep the lights flashing so you can track the alert over the next few minutes without the annoying beeping or the need to push the mute button. Another great feature is the autoscan feature (which I now use the most) that allows you to not have to choose between City or Highway mode (for increased/decreased sensitivity) it will autoscan the area you're driving in and switch itself between Hwy and City as needed. So, all the protection without the false-alarms from cell phone towers, motion detectors, and other cheap radar detectors. The end result is a very quiet, yet very sensitive radar detector--and that's what you really want.

My V995 has been great--it even gave me plenty of warning last week for a laser speed trap--though when you hear the "laser alert!" warning you need to slow down NOW! It gives me virtually no false alarms, and it mounts securely to the windshield. It comes with the smart cord, the windshield mount (and Beltronics even included a spare set of suction cups--a nice touch) and a well made zippered case to store everything in. Sure, you could spend more money if you want to, but for $209 for the V995, this is hands down the best radar detector bang-for-your-buck!!!

Being a satisfied user of a Bel Express 936 in my 02 WRX, I looked to Bel for a radar detector to go in a new Cooper S in Jul 05 (mainly my wife's daily driver). The Vector 995 was reasonably priced and feature laden and seemed to perform well in tests carried out by radartest.com, so I bought one.

The 995 is more noticeably more sensitive than my older 936, it starts chirping sooner when a police radar is around, while simultaneously being a slightly less susceptible to false alarms. Possibly due to the Autoscan feature. I'm happy with it.

So when we bought a V6 RAV 4 as some sensible family transport (our first baby arrives in a couple of weeks) I could have taken the 936 from the WRX, but since I plan on keeping that car, at least for few more months, a 2nd Vector 995 went right into the RAV. Not that I expect to be seriously violating speed limits with junior on board, .

Pros: Autoscan, Programmable, Sensitive, fewer false alarms
Cons: Automute too quiet, mounting bracket allows a bit too much flex.

I received it as a gift last year and never got a ticket since. I am very happy with it and I bought another one last month for a gift. If you like to speed and wants to be save + you want to buy a good radar....buy this one...It is really good. Personally I do not do to much reviews however I got motivated to review this good product, to help other people like you to do the best choice.I can not see myself driving without it. This product is a lifetime keeper.