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Heres my take:
The best: Bel STIR+. This detector has maximum range and sensitivity, which means it does a tremendous job of picking up instant-on or quick trigger radar where other detectors fail (V1 can do this to some extent but not 100%of the time). Note this detector is likened to the 9500ci but the 9500ci has similar range but doesn't have the sensitivity needed to pick up quick trigger (it is actually about par with the V1 or slightly lower in regard to quick trigger radar). The other advantages of the Stir+ are it's concealed, it is undetectable by spectre, it can filter out known falses using GPS which means its alerts are meaningful, and it can warn you of traffic cameras. The only drawback is it is expensive ($1000 + $400 to install). Worth every penny though. It's saved my hundreds of times.
Others worth considering:
1) Escort Redline. shares the long range of the Bel Stir+ and is the longest range windshield unit you can buy. It doesn't have GPS filtering so you will get falses. Also doesnt have advanced settings to pick up quick trigger. It can still do quick trigger about on par with the V1 which is about 30-50% alert rate. Drawbacks: false alerts a lot on K band
2) Valentine Research V1. Pretty good range, pretty good pickup on quick trigger (30-50%) but it can still occasionally be beaten. Has arrows which is nice. Drawbacks: false alerts a lot, lacks the range of the top Bel and Escort models, K band can be weak if you turn on K band false suppression (DSP).
3) Escort 9500ci. Has excellent range on KA band (better than V1) but on K band can be slow to alert (it picks it up early but for some reason doesn't alert unless signal is strong). Uses GPS to filter false alerts which improves the relevance of alerts. Warns of cameras. Drawback: not so great with quick trigger, and not great with K band. Nonetheless is one of the top picks thanks to its balanced and cutting edge feature set and impressive KA band range.
Also if the police in your area use laser, you should not depend on a radar detector as it will lure you into a false sense of safety.
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