A Complete Review Of The Nordic Track X5 Incline Trainer

About the Nordic Track X5 Treadmill

Price: $1,399
Shipping: $150

This trainer is very similar to a treadmill. It runs on a tread belt the same as a treadmill would. The difference is that this trainer can incline from 0-30%, as opposed to most treadmills that can only incline up to 10%. That's triple the incline, which allows you take your incline workouts to another levels. Very interesting to say the least.

One feature I like on this trainer is the Adjustable Resistance Cardio Cables, which allow you to work your upper body as well as your lower body at the same time, resulting in a more total-body workout.

Another is the Space Saver design. This allows you to fold up your treadmill and store it somewhere convenient. Great for those who don't have much space for a treadmill in their home.

Direct Competitors

Sole F80 Folding Treadmill ($1,499 shipping included);
Smooth 5.25 Treadmill ($1,299 shipping included);
Sportrac 7100 Treadmill ($1,288 shipping rates unknown);
Horizon T73 Treadmill ($1,399 plus $100 shipping);
Keys Fitness 4600 Treadmill ($1,348)

Speed/Incline Control

This trainer operates at speeds of 0-10 mph, which is standard for most treadmills. You can easily adjust the speed up and down with the touch of a button.

This trainer allows you to work at incline levels from 0-30%. This is outstanding considering most treadmills only allow a maximum of 10% incline. You can adjust the incline with just a touch of a button. Apparently, you can burn as much as 3x more calories with this sort of set up than a regular treadmill. A big plus if you ask me.

This trainer uses a large 20” by 52” treadbelt.

Here is the first negative aspect for Nordic Tracks X5 Treadmill. The tread belt is only 52".

All of the above noted competitors in this particular price range have at least a 55" tread belt.

Does the size of the tread belt make a difference? It makes all the difference in the world.

A longer tread belt means a more expansive stride and can accommodate taller users. I don't understand why Nordic Track would put such a small tread belt on this treadmill. I'd expect to find a 52" tread belt on a treadmill for $600 but not one for $1,400.

The x5 also comes with a 2.0 CHP commercial quadra drive system which goes about 10 miles per hour. This motor is pretty standard for this price range, although it is at the low end. The Sole F80 ($1,499) comes with a powerful 2.5 continous horsepower motor with a 12 mile per hour speed. The Smooth 5.25 Treadmill ($1,299) also comes with a 2.5 continous horsepower motor. The speed of a treadmill motor makes all the difference in the world because that means if your running, your not limited to the speed of 10 miles per hour but 12, which is quite a bit.

The main difference between the Nordic Track X5 trainer and it's competitors is the fact that it can incline at 30% whereas the other treadmills can only go to 10%.

Display/Console

4 large LED displays
7” by 10” workout matrix display
Speed
Time
Distance
2 CoolAire Fans
Heart Rate
Incline
Elevation
Pace
Calories/Fat Calories Burned

I really like the large dot matrix display. If you ask me, every treadmill should have one.

Programs

23 workout programs

23 workout programs is a lot! Precor doesn't have this many programs. I really like the fact that the Nordic Track X5 comes with 23 programs. The workouts adjust your speed or incline and focus on a variety of exercise goals including aerobic, weight loss, endurance and performance.

23 different programs are more than enough to keep anyone actively pursuing their fitness goals in regards to this trainer. Great for keeping your routine new and interesting.

Durability/Warranty and Service

Heavy Duty Tread belt
300lb max user capacity
Lifetime Warranty on Motor
1 Year Warrant Parts/Labor
Return policy - 30 Days

Alright, Nordic Track is an Icon Fitness product and I'm going to be very honest with you, Icon is a name that's not associated with well built exercise machines. Just take a quick look at the standard warranty and it will tell you the whole story. Let's take a quick look at 3 of Nordic Tracks X5 competitors standard warranties:

Sole F80 Treadmill

- Lifetime motor;
- Lifetime deck;
- Lifetime frame;
- 5 years parts and electronics;
- 2 years labor.

Smooth 5.25 Treadmill

- Lifetime frame and motor;
- 3 year parts;
- 1 year labor.

Keys Fitness 4600 Treadmill

- Lifetime frame
- Lifetime motor
- 5 years deck and belt
- 2 years parts
- 1 year labour

Can you start to see the cracks in Nordic Tracks product?

Out of all of it's competitors in this price range, it has the worst warranty. What does this say about the confidence that Nordic Track has in it's own product? A one year warranty on parts and labor for a product in the $1,200 to $1,400 range is simply not acceptable. To top it off, Nordic Track offers an extended warranty for it's product. This screams at me "Take Your Chances With This Treadmill!".

Extended warranty options are as follows:

1 year - $89.95
2 years - $119.95

The extended warranty says a lot about this company because now, they don't have your best interest in mind. However, if I were to purchase the Nordic Track X5 treadmill, I would go with the 2 year warranty. The warranty percentage is at 8% and this is an acceptable warranty/price percentage.

Imagine, even with the extended warranty, it's still not as good as Sole's warranty, and you get this free with your purchase from Sole!

Here is their return policy:

We give a 30-day trial period on all products. If you are not satisfied for any reason please call 1-866-896-9777 to set up a return. Upon receiving a Return Authorization number, put your machine back in the box and take it to your curb to be picked up. We will send a freight carrier to pick up your machine and upon receipt at our warehouse we will refund the purchase price (price of machine and tax) less to and from shipping charges. If you were not charged for shipping on your initial delivery you will only be charged for the return shipping plus a 10% restocking fee.

Al products must be returned in good condition, and with all paperwork, parts and accessories included to insure a full refund. You may be charged a 20% restocking fee if your product doesn't come back in good condition. You can expect a refund in the same form of payment originally used for purchase within 30 days of our receiving your returned product.

Heart Rate Monitor

Yes

Price/Cost Effectiveness

$ 1,399 (NordicTrack.com website);
$150 delivery fee;
$119 Optional 2 year warranty;
$100 (conservative estimate of in home set up).

Ok, if I was to purchase the 2 year warranty, which I should, the price jumps to $1,668 (including $150 shipping). Now, Nordic Track offers in home set up but they don't say how much. I'm going to conservatively price the in home set up to be $100.

I honestly think in home set up is vital to the longevity of your treadmill. Unless you absolutely know what your doing when it comes to treadmill set ups, go with professional help, it will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Ok, the total now for the Nordic Track X5 trainer is $1,768. With this new price range, the Nordic Track X5 now competes with treadmills such as:

Sole Fitness F83 Treadmill ($1,799 shipping included);
Smooth 6.25 Treadmill ($1,699 shipping included);
Precor 923i Treadmill ($1,748 shipping included)

Let's take a quick look at Sole's F83 and Precor's 923i.

Sole F83

Standard Warranty:
- Lifetime motor;
- Lifetime deck;
- Lifetime frame;
- 5 years parts and electronics;
- 2 years labor.

Major Features

Motor: 3.0 HP Continuous Duty, DC type, ultra high torque
Speed: 0.5 to 12 mph
Incline: 15% maximum, rack and pinion gear design
Weight: 260 lbs.

User Weight: 350 lbs.
Tread belt: 20" X 58"

Folding: Yes, with the Easy Assist folding feature
Heart Rate Control: Yes with wireless chest strap included
Hand Pulse Grips: Yes, and arm rest speed/incline controls

Message Window: Yes - Scrolling Information
Standard Programs: Six
User Defined Programs: Two
Heart Rate Programs: Two
Cooling Fans: Yes

Precor 923i

Standard Warranty
Lifetime frame
10 years parts
1 year labor

Major Features

Tread belt: 20" x 57"
Motor: 3.0hp continuous-duty
Speed: 0.5 to 12mph
Incline - 0 to 15% grade
Programs: 6
Ground effects cushioning system

There is simply no comparison between Nordic Tracks X5 Incline Treadmill to Sole F83 treadmill or Precor's 923i treadmill. There is a 5" difference alone on the tread belt! Both, the Sole F83 and Precor 923i come with a powerful 3.0 horsepower motor that is leagues ahead of Nordic Tracks 2.0 motor which has a small, 2.0 horsepower motor.

The warranties for Sole and Precor are completely out of Nordic Tracks league. Even with the 2 year extended warranty, they don't even come close to Sole or Precor's standard warranty, which come free with the purchase!

If Nordic Track was to add another 3" to 5" to it's tread belt, increase the power of it's motor to at least 2.5 continous horespower and have a standard warranty that includes lifetime motor, lifetime frame, 5 year parts, and 2 year labor, they might have a chance at the competitors for the $1,400 price range. However, this is still not good enough to compete with the Sole F83 treadmill or Precor 923i in the $1,700 to $1,900 price range.

You can see now that Icon Fitness adds more cost to a below average treadmill to match that of a higher quality treadmill. The two things that the Nordic Track X5 treadmill has going for it is the 30% incline and 23 built in programs. However, I have serious doubts that the 2.0 motor can support a 200+ pound person running at a brisk pace on the running surface.

Equipment Rating

I'm going to say that the Nordic Track X5 Treadmill is a pretty good buy for $900 to $1,100 range. However, the actual base price is $1,399 and if you include shipping ($150), 2 year warranty ($119), and estimated in home set up of $100, your looking at $1,768. To me, this is way, way over priced for this treadmill. For $1,768 you can get treadmills that are worlds ahead of the Nordic Track X5 Treadmill.

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