Vantrue sent me this product for review. All opinions are my own.

Imagine one evening, you’re making your way home from work. Out of nowhere, a motorbike darts from a side street, seemingly ignoring the stop sign, and crosses your path.

Despite slamming on the brakes, the distance is too short to avoid a collision. Your car comes to a halt, the echo of the crash still resonating around you. Thankfully, you’re not injured, and neither is the motorcyclist, but your vehicle and the motorbike have sustained considerable damage.

To complicate matters, the motorcyclist insists that you were speeding, blaming you for the accident. Eyewitnesses provide conflicting accounts, adding to the confusion.

However, you have a secret weapon – a high-quality dash cam. Upon the arrival of the police, you present the footage from your dash cam. It clearly shows the motorbike rider ignoring the stop sign and darting out in front of you while your speedometer indicates you were within the speed limit.

In this hypothetical situation, your dash cam proves to be much more than a simple gadget; it’s your impartial eyewitness, offering a precise account of the events. It saves you from the potential repercussions of a false accusation and a possible insurance nightmare.

The scenario illustrates the importance of a high-quality dash cam. It is a crucial tool for every driver, offering not only a record of scenic drives or everyday commutes but also a credible witness that could make a significant difference when it matters most.

The Vantrue Element 2 offers a range of features including a dual 2.5K camera setup, voice control, and buffered parking mode. Whether you’re an avid road-tripper, a diligent parent ferrying kids to and fro, or simply someone who values the peace of mind that comes with comprehensive vehicle surveillance, this review aims to provide you with the information you need to decide if this dash cam is the right fit for your needs​.

What’s Included

The Vantrue Element 2 package includes the 2.5K front dash cam and a matching 2.5K rear camera, providing high-resolution coverage of both the front and rear of your vehicle, capturing every nuance, from road signs to license plates, ensuring you don’t miss a thing during your drive​​. Alongside the cameras, there’s a wireless remote controller for easier operation.

The rear camera cable, which is a generous 20 feet in length, ensures that even larger vehicles can comfortably install this setup. The kit also includes a magnetic GPS mount for easy and secure attachment of the dash cam to your windshield​. To power your dash cam, there is a 4.8A fast car charger included in the package.

A USB cable, primarily for transferring files, is also provided. The length of this cable is 3.3 feet, providing ample flexibility for connecting your dash cam to other devices​.

Finally, for mounting and maintenance purposes, the box includes electrostatic stickers, warning stickers, and even a little plastic “crowbar” if you need to redo your installation. And of course, there’s a user manual to guide you through installation, operation, and troubleshooting of the Vantrue Element 2 dash cam​​.

Installation

Installing the dash cam system was not hard. The instructions were clear and straight forward. Unfortunately, I had some difficulty getting the app to have the correct permissions. It instructed me to turn a specific permission on, but when I looked at the permissions available for the app it wasn’t listed there. I solved this problem by clicking the album menu which brought up the correct permission prompts to continue. Fortunately this was the only hiccup in I faced in the setup process. Besides that the installation process was easy.

Features

High-Resolution Dual Cameras

Once installed and powered on, the cameras continuously record video as you drive. The front and rear cameras simultaneously record at a resolution of 2.5K (1944P) at 24 frames per second, capturing detailed video of the road ahead and behind​. The resolution can be changed in the settings.

Smart Storage with Loop Recording

The video is stored on an SD card (not included). If the SD card becomes full, the dash cam will automatically overwrite the oldest files in a process known as loop recording.

Seamless Smartphone Connectivity

The dash cam is designed to connect with your smartphone via Wi-Fi, allowing you to control and interact with the camera through a mobile app. It is also required to set up the camera. 

Integrated Wi-Fi and GPS

The built-in Wi-Fi and GPS features add significant value to the dash cam. The Wi-Fi allows you to connect the camera to your smartphone for easy control and data transfer, while the GPS records your vehicle’s location and speed, providing valuable data in case of any incident​.

Voice Control for Safe Driving

This dash cam is also equipped with voice control, allowing you to operate it with simple commands. This hands-free operation enables you to concentrate more on driving, making your journey safer​.

Wide Field of View

The wide field of view, provided by a 160-degree lens on both the front and rear cameras, reduces blind spots and captures almost everything in front of and behind your car, offering comprehensive protection for your vehicle​​.

Resilience in Extreme Temperatures

This dash cam is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, from -4°F to 158°F, ensuring reliable operation in a variety of climates​. I was particularly impressed at how the extreme heat of sitting in the windshield all day does not affect the performance of this device.

Buffered 24-hour Parking Mode

The dash cam also boasts a cutting-edge buffered 24-hour parking mode. This means that even when your car is parked, the dash cam is still on guard. If motion or an impact is detected, both the front and rear cameras automatically start recording, saving a video of the event​. If you want to use this feature however you’ll want to purchase a hard wire kit as well so the cameras have a continuous power supply.

Collision Detection Feature

The Collision Detection feature on the Vantrue Element 2 dash cam is designed to protect your vehicle when it’s parked. It uses a built-in sensor known as a G-sensor, which can detect sudden or severe movements, such as the impact from a collision. When your vehicle’s engine is off and the dash cam is in parking mode, the Collision Detection feature is activated. If the G-sensor detects a sudden movement or impact, it triggers the dash cam to automatically turn on and start recording. This allows the dash cam to capture crucial evidence in the event of an incident like a hit-and-run. The camera records and saves the footage for 5 seconds before and 30 seconds after the event occurs. This ensures that you have a record of what happened immediately before and after the impact. It’s important to note that the 24-hour parking mode, which includes the Collision Detection feature, must be activated with a hardwire kit, which is sold separately. This kit is needed to provide continuous power to the dash cam when the vehicle’s engine is off.

Final verdict

It was clear that a lot of thought went into designing this dash cam. Its high-definition video quality, intuitive smartphone connectivity, and a 160-degree lens that captures almost everything around you show that Vantrue really considered what drivers would want and need in a dash cam. Even the smallest of details, like the generous cable length for easy installation, speak volumes about the effort put into this product.

Sure, I did have a little bump along the road when setting up the app permissions, but the overall functionality and performance of the Vantrue Element 2 were quite impressive. It ticks all the boxes for what a good dash cam should offer.

Now, who would find this dash cam particularly handy? Well, whether you’re a long-haul truck driver, a busy parent running daily school routes, a rideshare driver, or just someone who enjoys the assurance of having your journeys recorded, this dash cam could be a great companion for you.

The Vantrue Element 2 offers more than meets the eye, making it a truly worthy choice for anyone in need of that extra layer of road safety and security.

So, if you’re thinking of stepping up your driving safety game, give the Vantrue Element 2 Dash Cam a look.

Ryan