After a 20 year sewing hiatus, I got a Janome 3160 for Christmas in 2011. I absolutely love it. The next year, I decided to upgrade to the 7700 (which I also love), put my 7700 in a sewing cabinet and kept the 3160 for classes.
The machines have a lot of similarities (thread cutter, on/off, etc., and share bobbins).
Good luck on finding a good fit.