I would visit a quilt show. I went to the Madison, WI quilt show and tested out as many long arms as I could. The one I liked best was
http://apqs.com/ It stopped on a dime, the variable speed was unbeleivable and there are different price options. You can even find one that is used by getting on a list for one that comes back from a quilt show that is essentially brand new other than the use at the show.