I just dove in and bought the 003 rack for 929 bucks "open box". I got it from Unique Squared, a certified Digidesign dealer, so I had a little less skepticism with the open box.
002's were tempting because of the dropping price point. I think would be the main deciding factor for me personally, how much is cost. If I were to find an 002 at a price I couldn't resist I'd get it but I stuck it out and bought the 003. My decision was made figuring, with such a big investment(for me) I should try to do it right. Hopefully that was the right decision.
The preamps are supposed to be improved and the A/D is also supposed to be improved. Before I make real judgment's I should say that I haven't used the 002 so my comparison wouldn't help. Though I do say that I am beginning to like pro tools and my new interface. The pre's work, I like the monitoring options, and adat expandability. The A/D's work appropriately enough for my ears to not hear any real difference. If anything I'd say the audio comes through a bit cleaner than my Motu 8pre on playback. But that could be a series of things and I have not done any side by side tests, so take that with a grain of salt.
My impression is a good one, and still a first impression. I've had the 003 rack for almost a month now probably. But have had good results with the hardware. Pro tools is still getting used to but that was assumed.
Thumbs up for both rack interfaces.
Good luck with whatever you choose, digidesign or not.