My first Bernina was a 230 Activa which I love, and I got a good deal on an Activa 145 on EBay, so purchased for a backup machine. I paid around 450.00 for it. They are almost the same machine, just different trim colors. The 145 I got does not have the needle threader which the 230 does have. I think the 145 just has a few more stitches than the 140. The 200 series Activas seem to sell for several hundred dollars more than the 100 series. I am very happy with mine, it was like new.