To answer the question, yes they work, and there are a bunch of models that work very well.
Don't think you'll be able to throw a radar detector in your car and magically go speeding without getting caught though... that's why most people with detectors end up getting more tickets then they did before. They don't know how to use them.
You've really got to know the environment you're operating in to be effective. What radar/lidar bands your LEOs use, where the common speed traps are, etc.
http://www.radardetector.net/forums/forum.php can help you with all that. Oh, and don't recklessly speed.
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Originally Posted by StabPreflop
BTW does anyone know just how much window tints affect radar detector performance? My V1 says it makes it significantly worse.
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Originally Posted by mrmomo313
unless you have a metallic tint it doesnt have any noticeable effect from my experience (and I have my windshield tinted with v1)
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Yeah, typical tint won't effect performance much... it's the tints with metallized layers that will effect reception. Car windshields with a metal film between laminations (silver based) is what you've got to worry about as well. If you're running with a tint, check the manufacturer specs. It's not how much tint, but rather the material used, that matters. You don't have to worry about stock BMW windshields.
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Originally Posted by dragonxflare
Anyones thoughts on which is better in their opinion? I am aware its somewhat subjective, but any thoughts?
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I've owned both a Escort 8500 and V1. Generally, Escort products will give you less false alerts than the V1... V1s will go off for just about everything (including radar-based car cruise control and other folk's cheap radar detectors that have leakage). Both the high-end Escort (any 9500 model) and V1 will have 95% the same peak range. It really comes down to features. The V1 has the arrows, and the Escort has better false signal filtering. But I wouldn't get anything less than a V1 or 9500.