I admit that I've not read all six pages of comments so I apologize if this is a repeat - There is one advantage to getting a floor model and that is that any kinks that were in it are now fixed. No matter how good a machine brand is, there's always the chance that something will be wrong when you take it out of the box...by having people test drive it, those will have been identified and fixed. The warranty is still the one for a new machine, since it's new to you. Normally...normally... a discount is given for a floor model when the model is discontinued and they're getting rid of the floor model...but go for it - can't hurt to ask.
that being said - I'd probably go for the one 2.5 hours away - but I like to drive!