...I can find more in Dallas and maybe in Austin, but I'd prefer to stay closer to home when I buy. Should I travel to try pianos? Austin is 3 hours, Dallas is 4. Just seems like Houston, the largest city in the South, ought to have more selection.

I'm new here - sort of. I've been reading the forum for months, reading Fine, etc., but I'm getting serious about a new piano and some help would be great. I'm in the Houston area and I've been disappointed in the availability of new piano brands in the "middle market." I've checked out Boston, Kawai, and Yamaha locally. The Houston area seems to have dealers that cover the lower end Pearl River, Haillun, Henry Miller, etc, and the higher end, like Steinway, Bechstein, Mason & Hamlin, etc. But aside from the three I mentioned (Boston, Kawai, Yamaha) the middle pianos seem to be missing, like Estonia, Bohemia, Petrof, Knabe, Young Chang (Albert Weber), Schimmel, Pramberger, etc etc...I can find more in Dallas and maybe in Austin, but I'd prefer to stay closer to home when I buy. Should I travel to try pianos? Austin is 3 hours, Dallas is 4. Just seems like Houston, the largest city in the South, ought to have more selection.

5'-10" is about the largest I can go. Any suggestions for pianos that would compete with, say, the RX-2 or the Boston 178? So far I liked the 178 a just little better than the RX-2, but that changes with my mood. The 178 is at the high end of my budget, although I'm flexible, and I'm not in a hurry.

If I order a piano are there certain makes that are more likely to be similar to the one I try at the store? Flip-side question: is a piano that has been the floor model for a common piano(like a C2, RX2, etc) a greater risk in terms of reliability? There are some big discounts available here for such pianos.