Hi Hattie,
I looked at the Laura Ashley but never tried it out. I did try the Horizon and loved the substantial feel of it plus the features. It also has the Accufeed. I don't know if there is a comparable feature on the Laura Ashley.
But...my real reason for posting...the day I went looking for a new machine, the dealer kept pushing me toward the Viking. I asked about the Horizon - had never seen it before - and they told me that I wouldn't want it because it had a lot of motherboard problems. Kept pushing me back to the Viking. I left without making a decision and went back a week or so later - at the beginning of the month. When I returned, guess what they wanted to show me - you guessed it - the Horizon.
I'm convinced that there was a Viking quota to be met by the end of the month.
I can't say for your dealer, but my experience is that they push you toward what they want to sell, be it because of a quota target or because of what they have in inventory. Where you mention that your dealer would "order" the Horizon to try out again, it suggests to me that she wants to sell what's in stock.
Try both and buy whichever one you prefer. By the way, I **love** my Horizon.
Cathy