Hmm...when I shopped 18 months ago for a new machine, a larger throat area was a huge priority for me. No Janome or Bernina had them, so I bought a Baby Lock Quest. The throat is 8.75" and the width of the sewing area is 7". It has all the stuff this one has, too--from what I can see. It was $900. I think the new ones now are $1500.