Cobra XRS 888 Review
This may not be the best-looking radar detector out there, but Cobra makes some pretty good detectors and they’ve done it again with the Cobra Digital XRS 888. While this thing looks like a toy you’d get out of Walmart, there’s a lot of features in here and don’t be fooled by the low price. Cobra’s pretty good at making things for a low price rather than charging an arm and a leg. So, does this detector hold up to the current standards of other detectors on the market or does it fall flats on its face as a cheap detector?
Table of Contents
Design
As mentioned earlier, we realize that this thing looks like a toy and we have no idea what Cobra was thinking when they chose the color scheme of this product. The standard black plastic cover is nice but the choice of worn-out greyish color plating and the hard to look at red lettering on the plating is a questionable choice. The monitor itself is easy to see and pleasant on the eyes, so we have no complaints there. Like some of the other models, they’ve included three different volume adjustment tools.
Features
Volume Control
There are three different volume control buttons on the detector, one of which will mute the detector completely, one that will control the overall volume (that also has an off button) and the other one which will mute only certain traffic. It’s nice that they’ve added some flexibility to when you hear audio commands but they could’ve probably built that into one button.
Superior Technology
Cobra Digital XRS 888 radar detector comes with technology dubbed as Xtreme Range Superheterodyne Technology. There’s not a lot of specific information on exactly what this technology does but we do know that it provides a powerful range and allows you to scan for police detection systems further.
No Popping
One of the most annoying things about radar detectors is that unsightly popping which can be a nuisance to listen to while you’re driving and it can be a bit frightening sometimes when it comes over without warning. This radar detector doesn’t pop at all and you’ll never notice if it does because it comes with built-in anti-popping technology.
Completely Range
Surprisingly, some radars are still stuck in the past and only cover your field of motion when it comes to detecting police radars and laser signals. Yes, those are still a thing but this model has 360-degree detection of every type of signal including lasers.
Detection
This detector detects all kinds of different lasers and radars, including VG-2 alerts, even the ones that are undetectable. Even further, you can detect Spectres that aren’t detectable as well, so you won’t have to worry about those new modern detectors that police are using nowadays because this radar scanner will pick them up. Whether they’re a block away or several blocks away, you’ll get an audible and visual alert on the detector the second it detects anything.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- You get 360-degrees of signal coverage with this radar scanner, which isn’t something that a lot of scanners provide anymore and is far more optimal than the 180 or 90-degree coverage that some scanners are covering
- The signal and noise range of the Cobra Digital XRS 888 is greatly improved compared to some of the other Cobra products that are in the same price range, which is great for people on a budget and you can detect radars from further away
- There are two different modes available which are great for both the city and the highway so when you want a further frontal cone range focused on the highway, you can set it to highway mode and forget about it
- Even some of the undetectable radar systems that the police use is detectable by this thing for several blocks away
- It has increased pop mode protection which is great on the ears and it helps pick up some of those pesky police radar pointers that other modern scanners can’t pick up
- An incredibly fast processor inside and in a matter of milliseconds, accurate information is displayed on the scene
Cons
- There are quite a bit of false positives once you drive through a very dense rich urban neighborhood with a lot of automated cars and home security alarms
FAQ
Q: How can I switch between the city and the highway?
A: If you’d like to switch, there’s an easy to access button that allows you to switch between interstate or city on top of the radar. Simply press it and it switches within an instant. When you’re back in the city, just press it again and make sure that it’s selected for the city. There’s a manual for the unit that’s included with the packaging that’ll tell you how to do this and how to run other functions on it.
Q: What about a windshield mount?
A: It does come with a windshield mount, so you won’t have to purchase an additional amount for any reason. It also comes with a power cord as well to let you plug the thing in straight out of the box. No additional purchases are necessary once you get this product.
Q: How long will this product last?
A: While the actual product came out sometime in 2013, people are still using it to this day without any issues, without any faults and we haven’t seen complaints of people having to send this back for any reason.
Conclusion
We like the voice of this model and we think it’s a great unit for keeping yourself out of a traffic violation on the road. Also, the Spectre alert (same feature with Cobra XRS 9945) is pretty incredible and works even for the undetectable units. The display data is really easy to read and overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the XRS 888 model because going in, we had low expectations due to the pricing point of the product. Don’t ever be fooled by the low pricing.
William Johnson is the owner and founder of RatedRadarDetector.org. He writes about car accessories, with his passion stemming from a deep enthusiasm for all things automotive. His website, RRD, focuses on in-depth reviews of car accessories to help people find the best and latest products in the market.
