I have both the old mechanicals (hand crank, treadle, featherweight and my 1973 Viking 64 30) and the modern Viking Rose. I've recently gone back to using my 1973 machine and I'm going to sell the Rose. I never used the embroidery side of it (I didn't do enough research about the expense of the embroidery side).
I don't want a machine that 'thinks' for me. I know what I want to do when I sit down to sew, the machine does not. I don't mind picking up the pressure foot to pivot either. It takes all of 2 seconds, if that long.
They're solid and sturdy and do not have plastic internal parts.