The NordicTrack ASR 700 Elliptical Trainer - the Ugly Step-Sister of the Line

It’s interesting to review the NordicTrack ASR 700 elliptical trainer since the company has put out some very good models in the $1000 and under range. This isn’t one of them.

Many of the NordicTrack elliptical reviews you may come across remark on this interesting quark with the company: that they’ll risk their reputation with a bad model like this; yet they offer outstanding machines for about $300 more.

What You Get

The NordicTrack ASR 700 elliptical trainer is priced at an MSRP of $1299, but can be found for as low as $699 online. You have a few treats here, such as the option to lose weight using the fun video games which are addictive and get easier to play as you peddle harder.

The graphic display even has an animated man to workout with you. The other specs of the NordicTrack ASR 700 include:

• Silent magnetic resistance
• 14 workout programs
• iFit® workout card yechnology
• Interactive video games
• Upper body workout
• 18" stride
• Front flywheel
• CardioGrip™ heart rate monitor
• 275 lb. user weight capacity
• Warranty – lifetime on frame; 3 yrs on parts; 1 year labor

The Word on the Street

UPDATE: The ASR 700 is an older model and is no longer being sold by the company. Check out the latest NordicTrack elliptical reviews here.

Experts rate the quality, ergonomics, noise, value and reliability of the NordicTrack ASR 700 elliptical trainer with a shrug of the shoulders and a Mhew.

It’s not the worst trainer you can buy for under $700, but you likely won’t find any takers among the experts even if they were given one of these for free.

The money obviously went into the software so that the company could cut corners on quality and workmanship.

Consumers don’t have a lot of good things to say about the NordicTrack ASR 700 so let’s get right to the bad reviews: the NordicTrack elliptical trainers are not getting the love from their owners.

Customer service (which seems to run good one year and bad the next) is especially an issue with users who say they can not get the parts, in-home servicing, and phone support for the model when it goes blooey. Which Murphy’s Law says must happen about one day after the warranty expires.

NordicTrack ASR 700 Review - Bottom Line

The company has some models that are decent buys for the price, but the NordicTrack ASR 700 must be the ugly step-sister of the line.

We like the look of this elliptical trainer -- the boxy front with a ramp -- because it seems like it would be solid, but the thing just falls apart after a month or two.

In that respect, we find issues with the console not working properly, pulleys/idler going out of alignment, it’s oddly challenging to assemble, the iFit coaching workout is difficult to hear out of the single speaker … we could go on ranting about the NordicTrack ASR 700 elliptical trainer, but you get the idea.

For a better value, better machine and better customer service, at just a few dollars more, check out the Sole E25 elliptical trainer.