i'm looking to buy a new elliptical. ideally it would be under $650 (the less expensive the better, on a tight budget). i went to sears today and checked out the nordic track cx938, which i liked, and then went to a sporting goods store and liked the proform 850.

so i did some reading up on those two and am looking for some other suggestions. the horizon fitness ex22 also sounds good. basically, i want something that will last hopefully 5 years or so, is affordable for me, and has at least an 18" stride length.

my current elliptical is a proform 545se, which i bought at costco in 2001 for something like $329 after shipping. it's help up really well with regular usage since i bought it, and for the past year i've been using it for at least an hour 6 days a week. the tension cable is no longer working that well and i need an upgrade. i only mention this because a lot of people have said proform ellipticals were crappy, but mine seems to have held it's own. i'm definitely not tied to buying another proform, though.

so... any suggestions other than what i have? preferences? bad experience with any of those models? good experiences?

thanks.

anyone have anything?

i have a horizon, 3.5 elliptical, its a little more expensive than what you are looking to spend, but i think its great. smooth stride, long stride 18 inches. i like it, use it 3 times a week. good luck with the search! it cost me about $750ish.

thanks! that's the one i was leaning toward... just a little hesitant since i can't try it out ahead of time. does yours take up a lot of space?

i don't think it really takes up that much space, i have it in my living room. i personally think its smaller than a lot of gym models. i love the 18 inch stride, i'm 6 and the ones that i tested out all had 14 inch strides, so the motion felt choppy. i was able to try mine out at ****s sports before i bought, so if you have one nearby, it can't hurt to see if they have one on the floor. but i have been happy with it so far! good luck!

I would also recommend Horizon's EX-22. Those are good elliptical trainers, you should chose them over the Proform and NordicTrack.

EX-22 will last you much longer and won't give you a hassle with the electronics and parts breakdown.