Can you guys tell me what model, how they performe, and how they look? I'm thinking about getting me one, but it seems like I can get a cheap one from $30~$400. The price range is too wide. I just want to get a decent one that doesn't act weired under hot sun and that actually picks up frequencies BEFORE getting clocked. TIA

Try the valentine (I think that's the name). It picks up frequencies like 2 miles away and it tells you which direction they are shooting from.

what about in town?

The Valentine is by far the best radar detector on the market. If you want a radar detector and you can afford this one, get it. Otherwise I've heard the Escort Passport is the 2nd best, but far behind the Valentine.

I have a V1 and if u speed alot like me.... buy it. take a beating and spend 399 on it like i did, cuz its worth it. I havent gotten pulled over yet. Works great in town, highways, around corners, uphills. It detects multiple radars and multiple sources so if theres a cop behind u and ahead, it detects and show u with arrows so u know if its ahead to brake, or behind to speed away :-P haha. but def the best one ive ever used. picks up radar like no like 20+ seconds b4 u see the cop on the highway, and in town even better and the arrows help show which street, etc they are on. trust me u wont regret it

The V1 is definitely worth it. If you're going to spend ~$250 on a Passport or a Bel, you might as well spend the extra ~$100 and get a V1, which is the best detector money can buy.

I tested a Bel 980 and my Passport 8500 in the same car, and they perform about the same, but when I tested either of them with my friend's V1, it was no contest. The V1 is far superior in many ways, except the display, which can be confusing sometimes. I really like the Passport 8500's "expert" mode, it's very clear and easy to read. I've heard that the Bel 985 has a similar mode, but I've never played with one that has it.

The only thing I didn't like about my 8500 was that after about 2 years, it freaked out one day and said "CALIBRATION REQUIRED" on the screen, so I had to ship it back to Escort and have it fixed, which cost me $50. It was worth it though, because it was SO much more sensitive when I got it back.

Trust me on this.
My brother got it, and I just got mine 2 weeks ago.

It's the BEST radar on the market, and it is the BEST I USED so far.
Gil

I have a uniden but i hardly ever use it.

i have a uniden...works perfectly fine for me. i know some people dont like V1's because they say their too sensetive....even a pacemaker will set them off some say...i cant speak from experience. they are only usefull tho if your around other people while using it. if your the only one on the road doing 20 over and your detector goes off..your can pretty much just pull over right then. and detecting "before you get clocked" isnt necessarily possible. as soon as your detector goes off...unless theres alot of people around you...the cop is gonna know what speed you were going when your little squak-box goes off. as soon as you hear the sound....the radar is already speeding back towards the patrol car and registering you speed on the unit. a radar detector can only alert you to the presence of radar. it is a RADAR detector that....you guessed it...detects radar signals...and guess whats used to track your speed. by the time you know your being shot..he already knows what your speed is..and as i stated before..if your the only one around...that kinda narrows it down to you..aka your fucked if your speeding. they are really only usefull on highway driving...too much sets them off in the city. now im not saying that they havent saved my ass before..but you got to know how to use them. i tend to say in a pack of people....running alone while speeding tends to get you caught. if im cruizing along and my fuzz buster goes off...i know to let off a bit and let the next asshole behind me whip around and take the heat instead of me. no radar detector...no matter if it cost eleventy-billion dollars can prevent you from getting a ticket. the only knows ways are 1. dont speed, and 2. get a radar jammer. if you think you can speed around at your leasure and feel safe because you have a radar detector your in for a rude awakening. oh, and if you get pulled over with one....if the speeding is the offense in question..you can almost guarantee yourself a ticket most of the time. cops tend to get pissed and whip out a ticket with no questions asked if they see your running some sort of detector/jammer