First off, to be clear there are 2 types of threats: radar and laser. A radar detector is going to save you in most cases from police using radar. A radar detector will pick up laser signals as well, but lasers work by line of sight so 9/10 times if your detector goes off with a laser warning it's too late. It seems like there is also a 3rd threat that uses newer technology as well, but I can't recall what that is. It's not widely used like radar and laser though. Typically most local police use radar, unless they are using speed traps. Highway patrol can vary.
I have a Passport 8500, hardwired in. Yes it's always on when I'm driving my truck, but you still have to be smart driving. I've only found myself with 1 speeding ticket, and that was in a speed trap, and they were using laser. Hard to talk your way out of going 11 over.
To defend against lasers, there is something called laser shifters. Escort makes it and combined with an Escort radar detector, they had some deal going that if you got a ticket with this combo, they would pay it. I don't know if they still offer that (I doubt it), but that's how confident they were that the combo of their radar detector + laser shifters would work.
https://www.escortradar.com/store/laser-shifter-zr4.html
I'd recommend an Escort detector, either the 8500, 9500 or the new Max. If I was in the market today, I know I'd spring for the Max. Few to no false signals with a wider range than the 8500. But as long as mine is good, I'll keep with it.
https://www.escortradar.com/passportmax/
If you go cheap on a radar detector, don't expect it to do much for you.
