I went for the Total Gym Apex. I wanted options but not such a large piece of equipment. Some by Total gym are too big and too bulky to move around. It took more time to get it out of the box (excellent packaging) than to assemble it. Assembly was easy. For some reason one of the main chords was crimped and had frayed. It had to have happened at assembly, since the packing of the product was so good. I contacted the Seller. They responded right away (weekend evening). They sent a replacement part, but it was the wrong part. I called the second time and spoke with someone. A few days later I got a message that the correct part was on the way. It arrived 4 days later, with the part needed and the handles. They did a great job with follow up and really making an effort to make sure I was taken care of. I appreciate the effort and follow through and would definitely buy from this seller again.
The product itself is sturdy and easy to use. Several attachments came with this and I will be using them. I had surgery and have to do non load bearing exercises for a while. This is the right fit for me. I can also store it upright easily. It says it can be put under a bed too, but I keep stored in my exercise area. Nice looking product, good quality, works well. Very happy.

Since I am not a fan of going to the gym and I have done various workout programs at home in the past, I decided to give the Total Gym's "APEX Versatile" a try. It was a little larger than I expected when expanded (about 93" long) so the original room I wanted to use it didn't work. The assembly and start-up video wasn't exact because the video demonstrated an older model (but I made it through). I committed to using it during the trial 3 months so I could adequately decide if I was going to keep it or not. It does give a total body workout as advertised and comes with everything you need. In addition to the workout cards provided I found videos on YouTube and put together a calendar combining the cards and videos for my workout so I would be more prepared once I got started. Overall, I think this is a great unit for a beginner but I did decided to return it because with certain movements the unit was too shaky and I didn't feel like I could get an intense workout on it. I am debating on getting the newer unit (Total Gym Fit I think it's called) because the video I have been watching they were on the newer model and the workout were more intense which is what I want so I can get the results I am seeking. During my use of this machine, I did lose inches, begin to see muscle structure develop, and felt more energized.

Easy to set up out of the box. This is not a weight machine, it won't bulk you up. I like the stretching and range of motion at different resistance levels. There are plenty of exercises, you can target all the core muscles. The attachments are great. The one takeaway that this machine gave me is that it results in "swimmer muscles" as opposed to body buildup. Great machine.

I used to have a knockoff of the Total Gym called Weider's Ultimate Bodyworks, and it served me well for about five years, but then one of the cables got frayed and it no longer seemed safe to use.  Since Weider apparently no longer makes the Ultimate Bodyworks, I had to switch to the much more expensive Total Gym.  In case anyone else is in a similar situation, I figured it might be helpful to do a review that compares the Apex G5 to the Ultimate Bodyworks:

Assembly:  One really nice thing about the Apex G5 is that it comes fully assembled. Just take it out of the box, and you're pretty much good to go.  You'll just need to attach whatever particular attachments you want to use, but that's simply a matter of using some metal pins.  Compared to the Bodyworks, this is a nice start, since the Bodyworks did require some assembly.  

Noise:  Another really nice thing about the Apex G5 is how much quieter it is than the Bodyworks machine.  I usually have the tv on while I exercise, and now I can keep it at a normal volume and hear everything just fine.  This has the added benefit of making me more tempted to use the Apex G5.  It feels like less of a hassle when it's so quiet.  There's just a very low rumble as the glide board moves.  

Stability:  The Apex G5 also feels a lot more stable than the Bodyworks ever did.  I'd gotten used to the Bodyworks, so its rickety nature never bothered me, but this is definitely nicer, especially when doing certain exercises where you're kneeling on the board.   
 
Resistance:  This category goes to the Ultimate Bodyworks.  That machine had bungee cords that you could attach from the glide board to the frame, increasing the resistance, but the Apex G5 does not have the cords.  So even when I have the Apex G5 at its maximum incline, some exercises are still a bit too easy.  The good news is that there is a weight bar you can add to the Apex G5, which allows you to use free weights to increase the resistance, but it's an additional purchase.  Considering how expensive the Apex G5 is compared to what I'd paid for the Ultimate Bodyworks, this is a bit disappointing (and when I say "free weights," I do not mean "weights that don't cost anything," I mean removable weights.  So you need to purchase the weight bar AND the weights just to add more resistance.)

Attachments:  The attachments on the Apex G5 are mostly comparable to those that came with the Ultimate Bodyworks.  There's the "wing attachment" for doing chin ups, pull ups, shoulder presses, etc, and a pretty feeble squat board.  But the Apex G5 also comes with dip bars, which are really nice to have.  Putting on the attachments (and taking them off) is very simple, so it's easy to switch between exercises.  The Apex G5 also comes with a leg pulley attachment, which I have to confess, I have not used enough to really comment on it.  It's slightly more complex to attach than the other attachments (but not at all difficult.) One other point about attachments-- on the Bodyworks, the pulley cable was not detachable.  This meant it was always clanking around even when you were doing exercises that didn't need it (chin ups, squats, etc.)  The pulley cable on the Apex G5 is easily detachable when you don't need it.

Comfort:  As mentioned above, the Apex G5 is more stable than the Bodyworks, which adds to its comfort.  It also has really nice padding.  I never found the Bodyworks uncomfortable, but the padding on the Apex G5 is a bit thicker.  I also find that I don't slide around as much on the Apex G5.  On the Bodyworks, I tended to slip down the board when doing some exercises.  So far, that never happened to me on the Apex.

Folding:  Both the Ultimate Bodyworks and the Apex G5 are simple to fold up and move out of the way when you're not using them.  I think I slightly prefer the Bodyworks' folding mechanism (maybe I'm just more used to it), but the Apex G5 has the advantage of being smaller when it's folded.
  
So, all in all, I'm quite happy with the Apex G5.  I'm not sure if it's SO MUCH better than the Bodyworks to justify the huge price difference (I spent about $150 on the Bodyworks, and about $500 on the ApexG5), but I guess that will depend partly on how long it lasts.  I'd gotten five years out of the Bodyworks (using it about 4 times per week.)  I'm hoping the G5 lasts longer than that considering the much higher price.

The Total Gym is a great way to exercise and I'm very pleased with my purchase. But, I wanted to put the spotlight on the vendor, Spreetail. I bought the Total Gym at a very good price but I noticed that it was discounted even further a couple of days after my delivery. I contacted Spreetail and they honored the new price and issued the difference via refund. That's very admiral and I would give them 6 stars if I could. Thanks for a job well done!