I'm a pretty simple girl. I like a machine I can sit down at and sew right away without having to read a manual. The only "fancy" features I really appreciate are the needle threader (but as long as I can still see to thread a needle this isn't a big deal) and the ability to have the machine stop with the needle in the down position (again, another convenience feature as I can certainly turn the wheel to lower the needle.)
Remember, the more expensive the machine, the more complicated it will be to operate.