Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510

If you are serious about exercising, experts recommend looking at an elliptical trainer in the $1,000 price range and above. There is a general consensus that ellipticals under $500 are suitable for light use only. The Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 is the least costly elliptical trainer that still enjoys positive feedback from owners. It is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, and includes built-in speakers, a dual-grip heart-rate monitor and workout fan. The Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 also includes seven preset workouts with audio prompts that tell you when to increase your resistance or intensity.

Although most sub-$500 elliptical trainers get mediocre owner reviews at best, the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 is recognized as a good value by most owners posting reviews on Walmart.com. We did see a few complaints about durability and overall quality, and experts recommend this elliptical for light use only. A very short warranty -- 90 days on frame, parts and service -- is another downside. If you can afford to spend a little more, the Schwinn 430 (Discontinued) gets good user reviews as well.

Cheaper ellipticals get less coverage than more expensive models, but we found plenty of reviews for the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 at Walmart.com, where this elliptical trainer is sold. More than 130 owners rate the elliptical, giving it above-average ratings; some individual reviews are highly detailed. TreadmillDoctor.com and Fitness-Equipment-Source.com also write helpful reviews from a professional tester's standpoint.