I got this machine in April and I love it! Granted, I am a newbie quilter, but I also make bags and other misc crafts, and I've never had a problem with it. I just took a free motion class a few weeks ago and it "behaved" better than some of the higher-end machines.
Look at
http://sewing.patternreview.com, they have a lot of machine reviews. This machine is the exact same machine as a Babylock Decorator's Choice, which has a lot more reviews on that site. $549 is a really good price, I paid $799 for mine!