NordicTrack Elite 3200 TV Treadmill Review

  About Fred Waters

I recently tested the NordicTrack Elite 3200 treadmill at the corporate offices in Logan, Utah. According to the Director of Sales person, it is a hot seller. The feature that really gets your attention is the flat screen television.

Appealing Features of the NordicTrack Elite 3200:

Having the 8.4" interactive flat-screen TV and quality speakers built into the console is a smart move. Your focus is generally on the console, so it is a convenient location for the TV. Also, having the speakers in the console makes it easier to hear over the external noises.

One of the strongest selling points is the iFIT exercise programs. The iFIT technology has been a huge financial success for NordicTrack. You insert cards that have guided workouts by certified personal trainers.

You actually hear the voice of the trainer, who motivates you to push harder and provides suggestions to improve your performance.

The program controls the workout by adjusting the incline and speed of the treadmill. They sell a number of cards, each based on a fitness goals like weight loss, body shaping and performance. Each card offers an 8-week program that covers 24 different workouts.

You also get over 39 workout programs. Most treadmills at this price range have about 10. The programs include:

• 25 workouts designed by Certified Personal Trainers
• 4 Heart Rate workouts that keep you in your target heart rate zone
• 4 MyDesign workouts that you can customize for your own personal preferences
• 4 Calorie workouts designed to help you reach a set number of caloriesburned during a workout
• 1 10K workout
• 1 Marathon workout

I liked the overall look and feel of the console and display, and the 1-10 button selection for speed and incline makes it easy to adjust the workout level.

The Elite 3200 has an extra long 20" x 60" treadbelt, which can handle taller users, and individuals who want to sprint or interval train.

The 3200 comes with a powerful 3.25 HP continuous duty motor. I found the motor did not strain at high speed, suggesting it has more than adequate power.

One features that is interesting is their Durasoft Adjustable Cushioning Deck. There is a yellow handle below the deck that you can slide back and forth to adjust the amount of shock absorption. A very innovative idea, considering different users will prefer different degrees of cushioning.

Note: If you are looking for an exceptional impact absorption, check out their other TV equipped treadmill, the Apex 8500 with the Reflex deck.

My one criticism of the Elite 3200 is the warranty. You get a 1 year parts and 1 year labor warranty. Most treadmills in this price range are offering at least 2 years parts. Sole Treadmills offer 5 years parts and 2 years labor. You can extend the warranty for not that much more.

Our Review of the Nordic Track Elite 3200 TV

NordicTrack offers several versions of their TV equipped treadmills. Their ViewPoint 3000 is geared towards walkers and light joggers. The Elite 3200 is built for joggers and runners who want both a heavy duty running machine with the convenience of built-in audio and video.

With additional innovative features like the iFIT technology and the adjustable deck, this makes the 3200 a serious contender in the $2,000 price range, at the $3,000 price range you want to take a pass.

Also check out the 2011 NordicTrack Elite Pro 9500 treadmill review. Commercial grade for the home The NordicTrack Elite Pro 9500 declines and have a touch screen display with an android browser. It also comes with iFit Live and a 5-year parts warranty.

Customer Reviews
(Reviews are for the similar NordicTrack E3200)

Great Value, well worth cost -

This machine cost about $400.00 more then I set out to spend, but I am very glad that I did. It is worth every penny. And it was still hundreds less then the "better" treadmills that I saw at home fitness stores.

If you are serious about using your treadmill, I highly recommend this machine. It is well worth the investment in yourself.

Not a bad treadmill for regular running -

Overall this is a great machine, I use it almost daily. I would recommend it to anyone who wanted a trustworthy treadmill that could be pounded on day after day.

---

Treadmill is excellent though has one minor software glitch related to cumulative statistics.

I ordered an Ifit card, and it wound up being backordered for 4 months. Bizarre, given how cheap/easy it is to make them, and frustrating considering I ordered it online with no availability warnings and ordered one of the more common versions.

Absolutely HORRIBLE experience related to the financing and post-sales customer service, though. I opted for 6 months deferred interest, since it was offered and allowed me to sit on my cash. First bill shows up with a $39 "annual fee" on it and under 10 days grace period (took 10+ days to print/deliver the statement). I called about the fee, was told it was there in the fine print (true) and not reversible. I then mailed the payment, which didn't go out until the due date while I questioned the charge. Since it was posted 4 days late, they hit me with a $39 late fee and retroactively turned off deferred interest, hitting me with 21.8% interest rate despite excellent credit score. When I called the number on the statement, I was told they were completely unrelated to Nordic Track, and they refused to reverse their position on the finance charges. I then contacted Nordic Track, told them about my dissatisfaction, to the point where I'd return the equipment and refer the finance folks to my state's attorney general. They said there was nothing they could do since they are not related to the finance company.

This bizarre relationship between Nordic Track and HC Finance, each allegedly claiming not to be related to each other does not exactly promote customer-friendly practices, and there is apparently no "parent" at ICON that a customer can contact. They managed to turn a very happy customer into an irate customer over inter-divisional finger pointing over finance charges.

Also, I had attempted to return one accessory for credit, was told to destroy it and credit would be immediately issued. 3 months later, no credit has been issued and customer service claims it should happen in the next 3-5 days.