Go to your local dealers and test drive every brand you can find to test on! That's the only way you're going to know what you want of the available features on machines. Have a price range in mind when you go to tell the dealers so that they're not rushing to the most expensive machine in the store. ;)
I love my Janome...but I've seen a Viking or two that would LOVE to come live with me if I could afford to bail them out of the store!