When we first reviewed the latest offering from Escort Inc., the Passport iQ, taglines such as “World’s First,” “Game Changer,” “Ultimate Driving Companion,” “This Changes Everything,” and “Ultimate Integration” came to mind. And why not? The Passport iQ is that impressive. The engineers at Escort integrated the award-winning 9500iX windshield-mounted radar and laser detector with GPS technology into a feature-packed color touch-screen GPS driving assistant. The marriage of these two major automobile technologies simply makes sense. But make no mistake—this was not a trivial task for engineers at Escort. They took the time to get it right.
| Touted as the ultimate driving companion, the Passport iQ integrated radar/laser detection and GPS navigation system also provides important driving information, such as speed traps and speed limit data, and it displays this information on an easy-to-view, 5-inch screen. Multiple screen options allow users to display the desired information in a color or style of their choice. The Passport iQ includes a 5-inch GPS/radar detection device, SmartCord, USB cable, iQ suction cup mounting bracket, owner’s manual on CD, quick reference guide, and a 90-day trial of Defender Database.
The engineers started with the company’s best radar/laser detector then shoehorned it into the body of a GPS unit with a 5-inch touch-screen. The key to the product’s success (and the most challenging obstacle) was the design of a radically new microwave antenna assembly. Not only did the antenna have to fit into the assembly, but its sensitivity and performance had to equal that of the Escort 9500iX. This means the Passport iQ is able to monitor X, K, Ka, and Ku band radar as well as laser bands. The Passport iQ uses a feature called AutoLearn to discern if threats are real or false by learning the GPS location and frequency types of previous threats and eliminating those of no concern—thereby reducing annoying false alarms. In addition, the Passport iQ comes with Defender Database, which alerts the driver to upcoming red-light cameras, speed cameras, known speed traps, and user-selectable marked areas. The database is updated via a USB connection to an Internet-connected computer. Escort continually updates the Defender Database for the most accurate protection available. During our real-world evaluation of the Passport iQ, we had our Escort 9500iX running alongside it. Both units would alert us of upcoming threats nearly simultaneously, so much so that we would consider the Passport iQ completely on par with the Escort 9500iX.
However, what separates the Passport iQ from the Escort 9500iX and the rest of the competition is its navigation capabilities. Escort teamed up with leading map provider Navteq for the navigation solution in the Passport iQ. Easy-to-read, voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions; lane-assist prompts; and over-the-speed-limit warnings are just the beginning. The user can search for destinations by address, location, name, and recent destination, or by category of interest. However, because the Passport iQ has the integrated Defender Database, the navigation screen will display the appropriate threat icon on the map and provide a voice prompt warning of speed traps, red-light camera, and user-selected marked areas of interest. Drivers can choose to use the Passport iQ in the Nav mode with the on-screen 3D mapping or select the detector mode. Both display modes provide visible and audible turn-by-turn directions and protection from ticketing threats.
Looking forward, we believe the “iQ” in this product’s name might be an indication of things to come.
As of this writing, future revisions of the Passport iQ will be Bluetooth-enabled, providing hands-free telephone calls for drivers. As more and more municipalities and states are mandating the use of hands-free devices for phone calls, this will be a welcome addition to the Passport iQ. We had the opportunity to interview John Larson, President and CEO of Escort, and he has huge plans for this device. Since the Passport iQ has a large, 5-inch, touch-screen display and USB connectivity, it makes it a platform that can be integrated with some of the other products offered by Escort. John let us in on a few of the secrets—only because we promised not to give them away just yet. Stay tuned for more developments.
During our travels we were very impressed with the features and operations of the Passport iQ, and we are extremely reluctant to return it. The duality of a radar detector and a navigation device in one unit is genius, and its creation was long overdue. The principal benefit of this device is its ability to free the driver from yet another distraction, thereby making the task at hand safer. The device is smart enough to prevent false radar warnings yet let important ones through. It can successfully navigate to the destination of choice while providing over-speed warnings and lane-selection guidance. Thanks to the Passport iQ, the driver has just one thing to do: drive.
