Whistler XTR-140 - Low cost Radar Detector
The Whistler XTR-140 is an entry level radar detector that actually performs fairly well. This device is on the low end in regards to features and price, but it has enough performance to help a casual speeder avoid some tickets.

For less than the price of many parking tickets, the Whistler XTR-140 review is a great low end radar detector. It doesn't have very many features, it doesn't have a very nice display, and the warning sounds leave a lot to be desired, but this device does detect radar and laser fairly well. While this unit will not give you miles of warning as the top of the line models do, it costs about 10% of the price of those models and can provide some protection.

The XTR-140 comes with a windshield mount, a power cord, and an instruction manual. The windshield mount is actually fairly good and the suction cups stick to the window better than some of the more expensive radar detectors we've tested. The power cord is a pretty low quality straight (not coiled) cord, but is long enough and it gets the job done. We definitely wouldn't characterize this unit as good looking, but it gets the job done.

There are only 3 user selectable features on this unit. It has 3 city modes, a highway mode, a quiet mode, and a VG2 on/off mode. The XTR-140 is not able to remember any settings, so every time you turn it on, you'll have to change your settings back. Luckily the default settings are what we recommend using and we don't usually change any settings as we drive.

On the road, we got great X and K band detection range with the Whistler XTR-140, but we found the Ka-band range to be somewhat lacking. While we still were able to slow down in time, we had some Ka-band encounters that were too close for comfort. If you don't have much Ka-band in your area, or you can remember to drive carefully in areas where Ka-band is used, you should be able to get away with using this detector. If Ka-band is prevalent in your are, we recommend going with a more expensive detector from Beltronics or Escort for the best protection.

We found the alert tones on this unit pretty poor. We weren't able to tell the difference between the bands based on sound alone and we needed to look at the unit each time it alerted. While this may not sound like a big deal, we don't like to take our eyes off the road if we don't have to.

If you are looking to get started with radar detectors, this is great first unit. It is pretty inexpensive, and can be used to learn how police use radar, what bands are prevalent in your area, or just to have some fun to determine where police are hiding.

We would recommend this radar detector to anyone who is looking for a low cost, but fairly well performing unit. If you are speeding constantly, or drive more than 10-15 miles over the speed limit, we'd recommend you upgrade to a different model.