Coinbase cause I use them to buy and sell the coins. The value of something is the price it sells at after all.
Very valid point, even though coinbase is not technically an exchange since it buys the coins from exchanges and sells them to its users. It seems to do this based on a volume weighted average of bitstamp, mtgox, campbx and btc-e. It seems lately they have changed their formula to decrease mt. gox's influence in this averaging.
Coinbase also has the highest trading fee at 1%. Where it wins is its liquidity and bank transfer fees only 15 cents (versus $40 for overseas wire transfers)